What do I need to know about the currency?

The currency in Indonesia is the rupiah. Indonesian banknotes come in denominations of Rp.1,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000 and 100.000.

Coins in circulation include the Rp 1,000 (gold and silver colored), Rp 500, 100, 50 and 25 coins. The last three were all minted in aluminum in the late 90s. To confuse us all … old issue and recent issue coins are still in circulation. There are two kinds (each) of the Rp 500, 100, 50 and 25 coins currently in circulation. The Rp 50 and Rp 25 coins are mostly used outside large urban centers where prices of goods are lower. Occasionally one sees old Rp 100 notes, although there are very few left in circulation.