What countries have the best exchange rate for the dollar?

In article , Peter L
wrote:

China is not that cheap, and HK is downright expensive (athough much cheaper
than before). Vietnam is relatively inexpensive, as is Malaysia and
Indonesia.

India can be very inexpensive.

Just so I can calibrate; how compares Japan?

--
///---

And anyone generalizing me out-of-hand by my country of origin or my form of
currency is already beneath me.

Wasn't it you that generalized about another relative to country of
origin: "Your reading comprehension is almost British. Re-read the
original reply."

I was just borrowing his paintbrush for a second.

It seems you are beneath you.

I wrestle with that curse every damn day.

-C

On Mon, 29 Sep 2003 15:26:35 -0700, the renowned Gerry Scott-Moore
wrote:

In article , Peter L
wrote:

China is not that cheap, and HK is downright expensive (athough much cheaper
than before). Vietnam is relatively inexpensive, as is Malaysia and
Indonesia.

India can be very inexpensive.

Just so I can calibrate; how compares Japan?

If you don't travel anywhere except by subway, are a lone traveller
staying in a single room in a cheap ryokan and eat only at noodle
shops, department stores and from convenience stores I think it might
be cheaper than parts of China. Better value in many cases.

Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com

In article , "Peter L"
writes:

China is not that cheap, and HK is downright expensive (athough much cheaper
than before). Vietnam is relatively inexpensive, as is Malaysia and
Indonesia.

India can be very inexpensive.

I would certainly agree but it also depends on such aspects of the traveller as
to whether you are familiar with the area and thus able to outwit scams, locate
help and find alternatives. India is also cheaper when people are comfortable
with dropping their living standard a good bit. You may not be willing to join
me sleeping on a rail platform and I know I can't take hostel food more than
few days without becoming homicidal. The traveller is as important of a
variable as the cost of living in a country.
edwardseco

On Sat, 27 Sep 2003 03:32:28 GMT, "King"
wrote:

Hi,
I'm planning on traveling the world over the next year.....
One of my criteria is to travel to countries that have a good exchange rate
with the US dollar. That way I can get more for my dollar.
Anyone know a website where I can find this info? I've searched
unsuccessfully thru google.
Obviously I didn't put in the right words. No use going somewhere where my
money doesn't go very far (obviously everyone is different......this is a
matter of opinion).
Thanks
Mike


Good luck. Your government is presently doing its double damnest to
flush the dollar down the toilet for political reasons. That is
unlikely to change in the next 12-14 months.

In article , Spehro Pefhany
wrote:

China is not that cheap, and HK is downright expensive (athough
much cheaper than before). Vietnam is relatively inexpensive, as
is Malaysia and Indonesia.

India can be very inexpensive.

Just so I can calibrate; how compares Japan?

If you don't travel anywhere except by subway, are a lone traveller
staying in a single room in a cheap ryokan and eat only at noodle
shops, department stores and from convenience stores I think it might
be cheaper than parts of China. Better value in many cases.

I've spent much time in recent years in Japan. You're saying I would
have to work hard for it to be as cheap as "not that cheap" China. so
it would be less expensive than HK? Confusing. Since you've clearly
been to these places I'm wondering where Japan's expense measures with
these others. Particularly Vietnam.

I'm just asking cause we go everywhere in Japan, pay from 60 to 130 a
night for my wife and I (with a couple of special nights at 150), eat
what I like and do what I like and it's less expensive, say, than a
week in New Orleans.

--
///---

Good point!


"Edwardseco" wrote in message
...
In article . net, "King"
writes:

I wrote dollar because I wanted the reader to know I was from the
US......
not some other country

Face it kid, no matter what you wrote the bigots from Europe would have
been
down on you. If its any comfort the Australians recently went through this
when
their currency took a dive. The elitists can't stand ordinary people
trying to
fend their way through life.
edwardseco

On Mon, 29 Sep 2003 20:36:25 -0700, the renowned Gerry Scott-Moore
wrote:

I've spent much time in recent years in Japan. You're saying I would
have to work hard for it to be as cheap as "not that cheap" China.

Yes, I think so. But it depends on the standards you require. You can
certainly spend more in China (or even Indonesia) than in Japan, but
you have to go more upscale. *You* obviously know enough not to hop
into a cab at Narita to get downtown. ;-) I know two people who have
done that, believe it or not.

so it would be less expensive than HK?

Yes.

Confusing. Since you've clearly
been to these places I'm wondering where Japan's expense measures with
these others. Particularly Vietnam.

I think you can get by much cheaper in most of SE Asia than in Japan
if you don't mind a slightly grotty room with no A/C. You can get a
rather basic private room with bathroom for less than $10 in some
places. AFAUI, a youth hostel bed in Japan is more than double that,
especially at Y110/USD.

Looking at Western style hotels, I see the cheapest from a discounter
at around $100 for two people in Tokyo (2 star) vs. $26 in Ho Chi Minh
City (3 star).

I'm just asking cause we go everywhere in Japan, pay from 60 to 130 a
night for my wife and I (with a couple of special nights at 150), eat
what I like and do what I like and it's less expensive, say, than a
week in New Orleans.

I got the impression that the OP is aiming more at US $30-50 a day
including travel (like he's got only $10-$15K to blow, and a whole
year to do it in). Or such is my guess.

One of the many factors is that great cities such as Tokyo (or London)
often have a lot of free stuff to do when you get there and have paid
for your expensive accomodation.

Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com

"Miguel Cruz" wrote in message
...
David Eduardo wrote:
"Miguel Cruz" wrote:
I think you are picking a fight where none is necessary. He earns money
in
dollars. He has a bank account with dollars in it. Now he wants to go
out
and spend them, and he wants to know where he would get the most value
for
each one.

Exchange rate does not indicate what the money, once exchanged, will
buy.
You may get 5,000 EscudoSolPesos per dollar, but if the cost of living
in
whatever country we are talking about is high, there is no advantage to
getting 5,0000 EscudoSolPesos over getting some other currency that
converts
at 10 to the dollar or 3 to the dollar.

I think that alone is enough to conclude that the meaning of "best" you've
inferred is not what he intended. He didn't ask "What countries have the
most currency units per dollar?"

How would you, then, define "best exchange rate."

The rate of exchange is simply a math formula. It has nothing to do with
purchasing power.

If the poster wanted to know "value" than he should have asked about value,
not the rate of exchange.

On Tue, 30 Sep 2003 15:19:45 GMT, the renowned "David Eduardo"
wrote:

How would you, then, define "best exchange rate."

The rate of exchange is simply a math formula. It has nothing to do with
purchasing power.

If the poster wanted to know "value" than he should have asked about value,
not the rate of exchange.

He admitted in the original post he probably wasn't phrasing it
right...

Here's the Big Mac index, which I mentioned in an earlier post:

http://www.economist.com/markets/big...ory_id=1730909

You can pick holes it in as a method of comparison, but I think it's
as good as any other quantitative method I've seen.

Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com