Ari's Planet

For the 40 days I was in Nepal, I spent about 81500 NPR. I just added up my ATM withdrawals to get this number. This came to $1294.49 USD in ATM withdrawals at an exchange rate of 62.96 NPR/USD. I also paid $30 USD for my visa. I stayed in Nepal from 11/13 to 12/23 or 40 days, so I spent $33 USD/day, or about $990/month, which is a bit more expensive than I would have thought. I only bought a few dollars worth of souvenirs. My expenses were food, lodging, transport, some trekking gear (warm gloves, hat, water bottle), Internet use, a few short international calls ($0.50 per minute), and DVD burning for my photographs.

The going exchange rate on the street was 62.50 when I arrived down to around 62.17 later, so my ATM withdrawals were not far off. XE.com had the exchange rate listed at 65 at one time during my stay, but this rate is not what is available on the street. My bank charges a hefty $5 surcharge per international withdrawal. I made five ATM withdrawals, so my bank ripped me off for $25. This changes the effective exchange rate to 61.77 NPR/USD. Suddenly ATM withdrawals look less good! The last days I was in the US I was visiting my friend and he mentioned opening an account with HSBC, which has branches in Asia, so reducing the withdrawal fee. It was too late to go and do this, so I have been using my old bank account. I would like to find a more international-friendly bank with lower charges and a good exchange rate.