Currency question

[cmhmarine]

I know that all travelers carry different amounts of spending money for various things and reasons.

 

However, I was wondering since I have ordered mexican currency from my bank, just what random items cost in pesos? ie. meals, drinks, taxis per/km ect. I ordered what I thought would cover me and I know that I can get more from atm's, but since there is such a difference in the exchange rate, should I to expect to pay roughly the same price as in the US, but adjusted for the exchange rate or is dining, ect less expensive in Mexico?

[dwelsh]

In all Mexican and Central American ports we have visited over many, many years we have never used anything but US$'s which have been accepted most graciously.

[cmhmarine]

I understand your point. I assumed that I could spend US dollars there, since the ports were all tourist destinations, however I like to have some of the local currency. More important when I traveled to SE Asia I understand, but I have this thing about attempting to blend in.......

[dwelsh]

To be brutally honest, they prefer US$ over their own currencies.

[cmhmarine]

well is that not a kick in the pants. glad I only transferred a small amount.

[mdmourges]

I was just in Puerto Vallarta (actually Punta Mita, north of PV). We were doing a "land" vacation so we needed to buy food, liquor, etc. I bank at Bank of America and if you use there sister bank in Mex (can't remember the name) and get pesos at one of their ATMs, there is no fee. They convert the withdrawal at the going conversion rate for that day. I got about a 1.3 conversion rate in Aug. (130 pesos to the dollar). Because of the exchange rate, things were cheaper than in the US and from a year before when the exchange rate was about 1.10. Beer, food, drinks at bars, golf, etc. were all less. As others have said, they will take $$, but sometimes the local conversion rate will be less than the actual rate conversion rate.

 

Mark

[cmhmarine]

I was just in Puerto Vallarta (actually Punta Mita, north of PV). We were doing a "land" vacation so we needed to buy food, liquor, etc. I bank at Bank of America and if you use there sister bank in Mex (can't remember the name) and get pesos at one of their ATMs, there is no fee. They convert the withdrawal at the going conversion rate for that day. I got about a 1.3 conversion rate in Aug. (130 pesos to the dollar). Because of the exchange rate, things were cheaper than in the US and from a year before when the exchange rate was about 1.10. Beer, food, drinks at bars, golf, etc. were all less. As others have said, they will take $$, but sometimes the local conversion rate will be less than the actual rate conversion rate.

 

Mark

 

Thanks for your post. That is sort of what I wa hoping for.

[duct tape]

I find it amusing that we (Americans) expect EVERYONE to take our dollars. Last time I checked, no foreign currencies are accepted for transactions here!

[wripro]

We also expect everyone to speak English.

[cotto22]

I have been smiling as I read these posts.

Come visit us in Texas! While the dollar is still the official currency, we are a bilingual state and everyone expects us to speak Spanish as well as English. Growing up around Washington D.C., I took French in high school and college! Not very useful here, for sure.

[LaPaloma]

Never a bad idea to have a little local currency when travelling--we always use some! Don

[DebbieH103]

Cotto, I live in Texas, too. All of these issues are because we have no national language, but I digress to a place we do not want to go!

 

I don't expect anyone to speak English in any country where it is not the national language (except the U.S. where in The Woodlands it seems to be Spanish first, English second now on grocery labels). I am always grateful for English, but I feel if I don't speak the language in a country that it is my problem.

 

I agree that in Mexico people prefer our currency, but go ahead and use the pesos all up.

[cmhmarine]

Thank you to all that have posted. But I now am pondering why merchants in mexico would "prefer" our currency to their own........This seems illogical to me. Is it that they can get a better deposit rate at their bank or what? This has me mystified.

 

I would crack up at an offer to pay with Canada's dollars or Pesos at my bisiness here in the US.

 

The only thing I can come up with is the relialbility of the US dollar on the world market, but then why would we not accecpt the GBP or the Euro

[dwelsh]

I do believe that some stores in NYC will accept €’s and £’s

[oregon50]

Look at a currency chart USD vs Mexican Peso and you will have your answer. On the same cruise, I will have zero peso. It is a waste to do the exercise, except to amuse yourself.

[cmhmarine]

Look at a currency chart USD vs Mexican Peso and you will have your answer. On the same cruise, I will have zero peso. It is a waste to do the exercise, except to amuse yourself.

 

 

consider me amused

[mdmourges]

It's only a waste if you think you will not spend much while actually on land in Mexico. I have found that when you use dollars, you don't get the true exchange rate from local vendors. Last year when it was 110 to $1, they converted it at stores at 100 to $ cuz the math was easy. I suspect that you will always loss about 10% in the exchange if you let them do the converstion. If you get it at the ATM it is the true rate. But if you are only going to spend around $100 in Mexico, who cares?

 

Mark

[MrsWaldo]

We also expect everyone to speak English.

 

 

No many people expect everyone to speak American;)

 

there is often a huge difference between things like nouns (eg Trunk..in English is part of an elephant, trash is to ruin something rather than rubbish, fawcet sp..is something you do if it ownt work...rather than tap etc) in English and American.... and yes translations are soemtimes requireD!

[MrsWaldo]

and my typing needs a lot of work!