Monetary Units:
The U.S. monetary system follows the decimal system. The basic unit is the dollar “$”.The most widely used bills are in denominations of $1, $5, $10 and $20. Occasionally, a bill of $2, $50 or $100 may be seen.
Each dollar is divided into 100 cents. Currency in the form of a coin is: 1 cent (penny), 5 cents (nickel), 10 cents (dime), and 25 cents (quarter).
Value of a Dollar
Following is a list of average prices:
- Cup of coffee: $2.00
- Espresso-based Drink: $5.00+
- Hamburger, fries & drink: $9 – $11
- Lunch at a restaurant: $20+
- Movie Theater (cinema): $10 – $14
- Letter stamp in U.S. $.55 cents
Sales Tax:
Most states in the U.S. charge a sales tax on tangible personal property and services, such as clothing, restaurant and fast food meals, services, newspapers, books, toiletries, etc. The sales tax varies; in the state of Maryland it is 6%. Sales taxes are added at the register, so be prepared for your bill to be more than the price tag on an item. In Ocean City, an additional 1% sales tax is added. The state of Delaware has no sales tax.
Tipping:
Tipping, also known as gratuity, is giving a small amount of money to another person for a service. These are the most often tipped services:
Gratuity Services
- Waiter/waitress: 18% of food bill
- Barbers/hairdressers: 18% of bill
- Taxi drivers: 10% – 15% of fare
- Food delivery persons: No less than $5
You should
never tip police officers, physicians, government employees or university employees. It may be interpreted as a bribe, which is illegal. You
do not tip bus drivers, theater ushers, museum guides, salespeople, employees at fast food restaurants or hotel clerks.
Location:
Ocean City is located on the East Coast of Maryland, on the Delmarva Peninsula. Following is the distance from Ocean City to a few major metropolitan areas:
Other Locations outside Ocean City
- Baltimore, Maryland: 135 miles, 2.5 hour drive
- New York, NY: 235 miles, 4.5 hour drive
- Philadelphia, PA: 151 miles, 2.5 hour drive
- Washington, DC: 146 miles, 2.5 hour drive
