Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
201
What Things Cost in Kuala Lumpur
RM
US$
UK£
Taxi from the airport to city center
70.00-
20.30-
12.60-
150.00 43.50 27.00
Local telephone call (3 min.)
0.30
0.09
0.05
Double room at an expensive hotel (Hilton)
466.00
135.14
83.88
Double room at a moderate hotel
345.00
100.05
62.10
(Meliá Kuala Lumpur)
Double room at an inexpensive hotel
295.00
85.55
53.10
(S wiss-Inn)
Dinner for one at an expensiv e restaurant
100.00
29.00
18.00
(Al Nafourah)
Dinner for one at a moderate r estaurant
50.00-
14.50-
9.00-
(Sao Nam)
70.00 20.30 12.60
Dinner for one at an inexpensiv e
40.00
11.60
7.20
restaurant (hawker stall)
Glass of beer
8.00-
2.32-
1.44-
25.00 7.25 4.50
Coca-Cola
2.00- 0.58- 0.36-
8.00 2.32 1.44
Cup of coffee at common coffee shop
1.50
0.44
0.27
11
Cup of coffee in a hotel
12.00
3.48
2.16
Roll of 36-exposure color print film
15.00
4.35
2.70
Admission to the National Museum
2.00
0.58
0.36
Movie ticket
10.00 2.90 1.80
writing, 1 ringgit was wor th US29¢ and
UK18p—this is the conv ersion rate I' ve
used for this guide.
Currency can be changed at banks and
hotels, but you'll get a more favorable rate
if you go to one of the moneychangers that
seem to be ev erywhere; in shopping cen-
ters, in lanes, and in small stor es—just
look for signs. They are often men in tiny
booths with a display on the wall behind
them showing the exchange rate. All major
currencies are accepted, and there is never
a problem with the U.S. dollar, except for
dirty and old notes.
not accept credit cards or debit cards from
your home bank. I hav e found that debit
cards on the M asterCard/Cirrus or Visa/
Plus networks are almost always accepted
at
Maybank,
with at least one location in
every major to wn. Cash is dispensed in
ringgit deducted from your account at the
day's rate.
CREDIT CARDS
Credit cards are widely accepted at hotels
and restaurants, and at many shops as well.
Most popular are American Express, Mas-
terCard, and Visa. S ome banks may also
be willing to adv ance cash against y our
credit car d, but y ou hav e to ask ar ound
because this ser vice is not av ailable every-
where.
In M alaysia, to r eport a lost or stolen
card, call
American E xpress
at its head
office in K uala L umpur (
&
03/2161-
ATMS
Automated teller machines (A TMs) ar e
found thr oughout the countr y, especially
where tourists frequent. They will be hard
to find on smaller islands and r emote
beach areas. In addition, some ATMs may
