I just got back from Southern Mexico where pesos is the only currency used, in other words no USD. Of course there are may apps to convert to and from $USD, but I wanted something quick and easy while at a restaurant or shops. I finally figured out a quick formula to use.
Take the amount of pesos and remove the the last zero, then divide by 2. The amount is not exact but will get you in the ball park.
$500 pesos = 50/2 = $25USD. The real number would be in the $27-28 amount.
$20 pesos = 2/2 = 1. The real number would be in the $1.1.
Or...you could divide by 20...
So, one thing I noticed in foreign lands, is that some of them have a use for US dollars. It costs them a premium to go to the bank, and they have to go to the bank. When traveling in Mexico (not the far south, but the interior mid), I was often surprised at the favorable exchange rate offered by the merchants. I would think that offering a dollar per 20 pesos would be a good starting point. You aren't just negotiating the price, but the exchange rate.
Lamon Miller, post: 378806, member: 553 wrote: I just got back from Southern Mexico where pesos is the only currency used, in other words no USD. Of course there are may apps to convert to and from $USD, but I wanted something quick and easy while at a restaurant or shops. I finally figured out a quick formula to use.
Take the amount of pesos and remove the the last zero, then divide by 2. The amount is not exact but will get you in the ball park.
$500 pesos = 50/2 = $25USD. The real number would be in the $27-28 amount.
$20 pesos = 2/2 = 1. The real number would be in the $1.1.
We just got back from a week in San Jose Del Cabo. nearly everyone would have loved for us to pay in USD and we found many times this was because they would offer a lower exchange rate than the 1/18+- as it was. We tried to pay in peso's as much as possible and found it was always cheaper. i did download an app on my phone that gave me a quick conversion when needed.
Siri converts it just fine.
I was amazed at how desireable to US Dollar was in British Columbia last year - more so than in any other country I've visited. I'll be back!
Just go to Google and search for:
convert 500 pesos to usd
In the rural area I was in, it is hard to google anything when you don't have cell service. When looking at a menu with 30 items I didn't what to convert every single amount in an app. or calculator. Items would be between $15 and $250 pesos.
Using my method I could ball park any amount in a matter of seconds while asking or answering questions in Spanish because no one spoke english.
Or...you could divide by 20.. I can't divide $150 or 300 by 20 in my head and get an answer in seconds while taking spanish.
