Money and Costs
Malaysia's unit of currency is the Malaysian ringgit, divided into 100 sen. You'll also see the ringgit written as "RM", or simply as "$" (M$), and often hear it called a "dollar". Notes come in $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, $500 and $1000 denominations; coins are minted in 1 sen, 5 sen, 10 sen, 20 sen, 50 sen and $1 denominations. At the time of writing, the exchange rate was around RM5.80 to GBP1, RM3.50 to US$1. There is no black market. If entering Malaysia from Thailand, you will find your daily budget remains pretty much unchanged, but approaching from Indonesia, costs will take a step up. In Peninsular Malaysia , if you stay in basic accommodation, use local transport and eat at roadside stalls, you can manage on GBP10/US$14 a day. With air-conditioned rooms, decent restaurants and the occasional beer, your daily budget becomes a more realistic GBP20/US$28. You'll find living costs roughly similar in East Malaysia , though room rates are around thirty percent more expensive. Moreover, transport in Sarawak and Sabah can be expensive, since you may decide to charter your own boat, and adequately exploring some of the major national parks can require paying upfront for guides or tours. Sterling and US dollar travellers' cheques can be cashed at Malaysian banks, licensed moneychangers and some hotels. Ban Hin Lee Bank (BHL) doesn't charge any commission for changing American Express travellers' cheques, but can only be found in major cities. Licensed moneychangers' kiosks in bigger towns tend to open until around 6pm, and sometimes at weekends; some hotels will exchange money at all hours. It's not difficult to change money in Sabah or Sarawak, though if travelling by river in the interior, you should carry a fair bit of cash, in smallish denominations. Major credit cards are accepted in most hotels and large shops, but beware of illegal surcharges. Banks will advance cash against major credit cards, and with American Express, Visa and MasterCard, you can withdraw money from automatic teller machines (ATMs) in big cities. Wiring money to Malaysia is straightforward. In KL, the best banks to use are Bank of America, 1st Floor, Wisma Stephens, galan Raja Chulan, Golden Triangle (tel 03/202 1133) and the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, 2 Lebuh Ampang, Little India (tel 03/230 0744).
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