Dollars vs. Rupees

Most of the Indians say “do not convert dollars to rupees when you are in USA or else you will be disappointed”.
Recently I had been to states where I had the experience of using dollars, from car parking to drinking water. Some say a dollar is like a rupee when you are in America, but let’s analyze and see how far this statement is true or false.

If some one is American and earns his salary in dollars then things are different. But an American says a ticket to US open (Tennis) is costly ($100 to $500).If we say $100=Rs100 then for two evening matches it’s quite cheap but why people say it’s costly? A bottle of mineral water(200ml) in a whole sale shop costs 14 cent but in restaurants and retail shops it’s $2.5.One mineral bottle in India cost fromRs12 to Rs16 for one liter. If one bottle costs$2.5 for 200 ml then for a liter it costs $12.5 which is equivalent to Rs12?
No, it’s not that simple. If you earn in rupees and spend in dollars then it’s a tough job.Vise versa is not true. One who purchases in rupees but earns in dollars things are pretty cheap for him or her. But reverse is not true.

A car to park for a few hours costs $10 to $14 dollars in USA. A visit to a park or garden (Longwood gardens) costs you some thing like $10 to$16 .A lock mechanic charges you $ 100 for breaking or unlocking a lock of a house. This is costly if you convert it in to rupee (Rs4100). For out side house maintenance you cough up $300 per month which varies from place to place. If you are earning in dollars then all these charges are acceptable to you but if you earn in rupees and pay these charges then you have to earnRs.5 to 10 lacks per month to maintain your house and family.

The problem or no problem one can say is that’s the rule of the game you rob me and I rob you, that’s how the economy of that country runs.
A dollar has the same purchasing capacity in USA or any where in the world but not the rupee. One dollar can fetch you half kg of best variety of apple but one rupee can’t even buy you a single apple any where in the world.
A small surgery on a dog can cost you $500 to$600 which is equivalent to Appox.Rs20 to Rs.24 thousand, Americans say it’s costly!! How come? Because of this confusion and our craze for dollars Americans take advantage of this and have started out sourcing work to Indian subcontinent.

The conclusion of my study on dollars VS Rupee is-- if you are earning in plenty ($5000) a week in India or any where then cost is immaterial to you. Once you start converting things looks very different to you, then in that case it’s better not to go out to costly countries but visit different parts of India. Our tourist spots have poor communication facilities and are not maintained, that’s the problem or else I can proudly say we have one of the best tourist places in the world. Our public transport system is excellent in India compared to other places in the world as far as cost factors are concerned.

So readers’ thank you for reading this article. I thing you will agree or not I don’t know but one dollar is not one rupee in USA and one rupee is not one dollar in India. If you are earning in rupees then dollars become costly but if you earn in dollars rupees are cheap for you. Have a nice time in USA start earning in dollars not in rupees.

Sanjoy Kumar Satpathy
B/188sector18
Rourkela,India