The currency used in Indonesia is the Rupiah. There are currently about 16,000Rp to 1 GBP, 9,000 to 1 USD and 11,000 to 1 EUR. For today's exchange rate visit www.xe.com.
Is Indonesia an expensive country to travel around?
No. With careful budgetting, it is possible to live on less that $10 a day. For more comfortable budget travelling it is probably best to plan about $20 a day. For luxury items prices go up very rapidly meaning they are comparatively more expensive than in western countries. There are some examples of typical prices goods in the introduction section.
Will I need to bring Indonesian currency to the country? What currency should I bring? Are there many ATM's around?
There are plenty of ATM's and money changers at the airport on arrival so bringing in Rupiah is not really necessary. If do wish to change money before you arrive be aware that the rates will not be as good as those you will get in Indonesia so it is probably worth changing as little as possible. US dollars are the most useful foreign currency to bring as they are the most widely accepted currency at money changers (especially in non-touristy areas).
ATM's are everywhere in Jakarta, and widespread throughout Indonesia. Cirrus/Maestro seems to be the most prevalent and is the best one to bring, though Plus cards would also be fine. You may want to notify your bank before leaving home, as some will automatically cancel your card after withdrawals from exotic destinations as a fraud prevention method. Exchange rates are favourable if you get money out this way, but there seems to be a transaction limit of 500,000 – 1 million Rp (depending on the bank / card / ATM - you may not be able to get this much out). Some of the more remote areas of the archipelago have few or no ATM's so it is worth planning your expenditure to ensure you have enough money to survive in these areas.
Traveller's cheques are widely accepted in tourist/upmarket areas and can be expensive to change. Make sure you have currency when leaving these areas however, as you will be highly unlikely to be able use them in rural areas.
What types of credit card are accepted?
Most major credit cards are accepted with Visa and MasterCard being the most widely so. AmEx is also accepted in many places, but will not be quite as useful as the other two types. Credit cards are only really accepted in expensive hotels, shops or restaurants or for large purchases (e.g. PADI diving courses). Cash advances can be obtained at most ATM's but these tend to incur a relatively large fee. Check with your card issuer before travelling.
Is it easy to get a casual job in Indonesia?
No. For a country not able to sustain enough employment for the local population, casual work will not go to westerners. Large amounts of work seems to be individual or family enterprises which have no room or need for outside workers. Casual jobs may be easier to obtain in very touristy areas like Kuta but the money that you will earn for a hard days work will amount to very little. Teaching English is a potential job option, but is difficult to organise once in the country. If you were planning on doing so, it would be better to have it set up before you arrive.
Will I need to tip? How much is usual?
Tipping in standard Indonesian life is not expected or required. Having said this however, taxi fares should be rounded up to the nearest 1,000Rp and if you get people to carry your bag(s) around for you, they will expect a few thousand Rupiah tip. In some of the Western restaurants, a 10% tax and 7% service charge is added automatically to the bill. No other tip is needed.
How much can I bargain prices down?
This is an extremely difficult question to answer as it will depend on the goods you are buying, where you are buying them and even who is selling them to you. The general rule is that the initial price quoted is substantially more than what you could be paying. After bargaining the price can come down from about 20-60%. In some highly touristy areas, the initial price quoted may be several times the actual price of the item. Being friendly, buying more than one item, and speaking Indonesia are all good ways to get further discounts.
