What are the prices in indonesia?

So what is the cheapest country to tour within??, Indonesia or Iran perhaps??

• Trevelled a little bit and figured I have already been to very close to the most expensive country to travel around, ( in terms of accommadation, food, meals, railfares,and other such things that an average low/medium expenditure tourist would require) being SWITZERLAND. Now I am wondering if the country I have now visited a few times, INDONESIA, is perhaps close to the cheapest?? In fact I was fairly confident that Indonesia would have gone close to the cheapest but having just seen a documentary on Iran I am now not so sure. In Indonesia one can certainly buy a hearty meal of Nasi Goreng( Indonesian special fried rice) complete with egg, chicken, onion, vegetables for under a dollar American or Australian; about US75cents. Other traditional meals although not large can be had even cheaper, the fishball dish called Siomay I bought only yesterday for 2000 Rupiah where the rupiah goes about 8400 to the USA dollar. Admittedly only a small meal however. A full-time maid here can cost R350,000 for a whole month. Anyway it seems there could be places even cheaper to travel in than Indonesia if prices quoted for Iran are any guide. Discovery Travel channel yesterday was quoting about 5cents a litre for petrol in Iran and a first class trainfare of $2.50 to get across the country and not much more than that to go 100 miles in a taxi. Assumimg info was correct( and I heard correctly??) would Iran be the least expensive country to travel within and if not what is, Indonesia?, Vietnam,or....? I thought perhaps there was a definitive answer sitting on a website that shows costs against the US dollar. if not then possibly some antecdotal evidence of some repute would do as an answer. P.S I figured that perhaps "Bryan" would have some sound knowledge on this subject being the font of knowledge and wisdom that he is. John From Melbourne

• Answer:

  Hello there To Iran I have been. Just wish the political situation was a little different but a fantastic place to visit both for scenery and friendly people. LOL, probably half my friends here in the US are Persian. At least I am kept well supplied with Iranian caviar and Persian saffron. Many places in the world have never lived up to expectations, such as Niagra Falls, but a couple have exceeded them. Two come to mind immediately, the Grand Canyon and the country of Iran. If I ever get to Australia, I imagine Ayers Rock will join the list. Iranian weather can be harsh at any time of the year. Winter nights around Tehran can fall well below 0 fahrenheit and summers can blister a steel worker. There are excellent winter resorts in the Alborz mountains right at the edge of the city. One of the best is Tochal, world class and so close in you can get to it by city public transportation. You can wake up in the morning, do your things and then decide to go skiing, and you will be on top of the slope in 15 minutes. The restaurant there is excellent and warm and you can always get back to Tehran by just taking the lift down. That lift is also one of the highest in the world and goes to 12,300 ft It is a spectacular country from end to end, and if you enjoy beautiful meetings of land and water, the Caspian coast is a must. The mountains are great and rival the Alps or the Rockys. The deserts are shimmering and crystal inspite of the horrid heat. The Persian Gulf cities are a delight though they get quite humid in summer (but no rain). The wild flowers in spring are incredible. It is the land of wild tulips from which many garden varieties have been developed. I have ridden through tulips so tall they touched the horse's belly. I spent a little less than a year there and left soon after the US embassy was taken hostage in 1980 so my memories are a little dated. But if you can get a chance to go - do it. Now, while it is only personal opinion, I have done a little traveling and to me, Iran is perhaps one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Current prices average: Meals Budget: US$1-2 Mid-range: US$2-10 High: US$10+ Lodging Budget: US$2-10 Mid-range: US$10-40 High: US$40-110 A budget for cheap hotels, Iranian food and overland transport is US$10 per day. Now that makes Iranian food sound second rate doesn't it? Don't kid yourself. Iranian food is magnificent. With average budget meals being as low as US$1 at least in published figures, you will be able to find good food at below that price as well. You will also find a high end budget if you want. Iran is prepared to play host to large numbers of tourists and they have a lot to offer in the luxury range as well. I think if they just pushed it more, even with the current political and social situation, Iran could become a major player in international tourism. I wish they would. Whether it is the cheapest or not is rather subjective when getting to the low end of the budget. We are in an economic realm where the difference between the "cheapest" and the "second cheapest" may be only fractions of cents. So I feel fairly safe posting an answer which says, "yes" Iran is cheapest. If not, it is so close as to make little or no difference. The only resource I have for you is about the current cost figures: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/middle_east/iran/money.htm - Iran - Lonely Planet All the rest of it is just my ramblings. If conditions there ever improve, I could probably vanish and wander through Persian dreams for years. I really do love the place. Cheers Digsalot