With the introduction of the new £5 note making headlines, currency expert International Currency Exchange (ICE) conducted research to find out just how much a simple fiver would get you around the world.
If you’re on the hunt for a booze cruise it seems the place to spend your £5 is in Vietnam, where the equivalent value of money can buy an eye watering 10.9 pints of beer. This is compared to Australia, where you can get just a measly 1.1 pints to quench your thirst.
The price of a pint of milk tells a similar story. Your £5 won’t go very far in New Zealand, where you will only get 3.3 pints of milk, however, dairy fans can rejoice in Poland, where you will get a mighty 10.1 pints for their fiver.
How much the equivalent of a £5 note can buy you abroad:
| Country | Value | Beers | Milk | Bottled water | Coffee | One way bus ticket | Big Macs |
| Austria | €5.62 | 1.9 | 5.3 | 8.3 | 2 | 2.6 | 1.8 |
| Australia | A$8 | 1.1 | 5.6 | 5.2 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 1.5 |
| Canada | C$ 8.11 | 1.7 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 1.4 |
| Denmark | 41.83kr | 1.06 | 6.8 | 4.3 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 1.5 |
| India | 409.11IR | 5.7 | 9.5 | 15 | 4.7 | 24 | 2.7 |
| Japan | 635.29JPY | 1.4 | 3.4 | 4.7 | 1.7 | 3.2 | 1.9 |
| Poland | 24.33zł | 3.9 | 10.1 | 13.2 | 3.3 | 7.2 | 2.7 |
| Mexico | MEX$114.06 | 5.3 | 7.6 | 8.6 | 15.4 | 33.5 | 2.8 |
| New Zealand | NZ$8.53 | 1.6 | 3.3 | 4.2 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 1.6 |
| South Africa | R85.88 | 5.05 | 6.6 | 6.2 | 4 | 7 | 3.1 |
| Thailand | ฿214.85 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 13.5 | 3.3 | 10.7 | 1.9 |
| United Arab Emirates | 22.47AED | 0 | 4.04 | 10.1 | 1.4 | 4.5 | 2.5 |
| United Kingdom | £5.00 | 1.7 | 5.6 | 5.2 | 2 | 2.1 | 1.9 |
| United States | $6.12 | 1.9 | 6.8 | 3.5 | 1.6 | 2.7 | 1.3 |
| Vietnam | 136,477.97VND | 10.9 | 4.4 | 11.9 | 3.8 | 19.5 | 2.6 |
- Based on the price of a one way local bus journey
- Based on a 150ml – 200ml bottle
- Based on a pint of milk
- Based on a 330ml bottle
- Based on a medium size Cappuccino
- Each value is equivalent to 5 GBP (October 2016)
- Exchange rate XE 21/10/16
Commenting on the findings of the research, ICE CEO Koko Sarkari, said: “Holidays should be completely stress free, we advise people to do their research before they set off, making sure they are budgeting responsibly for the duration of their trip.
“Looking at how much a £5 note can get you around the world is a strong indicator of how expensive your trip will be, and it’s important to remember the smaller day to day items you’ll buy on your travels can often add up to a lot of money.”
For more tips on how to save money while travelling, simply head to International Currency Exchange’s blog: https://www.iceplc.com/blog/
