Instead of dollar bills, they are called notes. There are only £5, £10, £20, and £50 notes. There are also coins, which are the penny (one pence), two pence, ten pence, and twenty pence coins. One U.S. dollar, as of right now, it about 0.75 pence. This changes every day, but over the past few months that I have been here, it has stayed pretty consistent. When I first got here it was around 0.82 pence per USD, but it has decreased, increased, and decreased over the past few months.
Personally, I enjoy the number being 0.75 because it is easier to convert. Every four pounds I spend is $5. So I usually take my purchase in pounds, divide it by four, and then add that number to the original number. So take 25 pounds and divide it by four. That is 6.25. Take 6.25 and add it to 25, making $31.25. Therefore 25 pounds is approximately $31.25. It is not too hard, just takes a little math! :)
Depending on where you purchase water, it varies. Naturally, water from a restaurant or café will cost more. It usually ranges from £2.50 to £3.50. Though, if I buy water, which I usually don't because the tap water here is really good, I buy it from Tesco Express. There’s a Tesco Express right below my accommodation, so it’s convenient for quick snacks or drinks. At Tesco, a 100ml Tesco-branded water bottle costs £0.75 (about $1 USD). You can also buy a 2 liter Tesco-branded water bottle for £0.80. A 24-pack of 100ml Ice Valley water bottles costs £4.50 (around $5.63).
