The Legend of Zelda is one of the most well-known video game franchises of all time. Though its protagonist, Link, is best known for his role as the hero of Hyrule, saving Zelda and defeating the evil Ganon, each title has a fair amount of gameplay variety for players to enjoy. In addition to smashing every clay pot in sight, Hyrule boasts a diverse landscape to explore, NPCs to engage with, and the collecting of many items - including Rupees, the series' currency.
In each game, players amass Rupees in order to purchase items such as weapons or healing potions. Rupees can be acquired by helping Link defeat enemies, explore dungeons, and find treasure chests, in addition to (of course) breaking clay pots. The color of each gemstone indicates its value; for example, a green Rupee is worth one, blue Rupees are worth five, red are worth 20, and purple are valued at a whopping 50. This is the standard measurement throughout the franchise, though there is some variation with other colors such as orange, silver, and gold in various games.
Rupee quantities that can be carried at one time are limited until purse upgrades are purchased. If a purse limit is reached, Link is forced to leave any found Rupees behind, regardless of their value. Purse upgrades are generally also required in order for players to save Rupees to purchase top-quality items. As players manage their in-game money, the question of how much Zelda's Rupees are actually worth soon arises. Fortunately, there's an answer to that question.
Zelda's Rupees Aren't That Valuable
Barbara Davidson's recent NetCredit study converts the value of in-game currency to that of the real world. Her method looked at items for purchase in each respective game, compared that cost to that of a real world equivalent, and calculated the value from there. Davidson saw that a boomerang in The Legend of Zelda cost 300 Rupees. A real boomerang can range in cost from $15 to $90, the average price landing around $30. Davidson used a boomerang price of $28.89 to calculate that Rupees in The Legend of Zelda are worth approximately $0.0963.
Nine cents seems like a low number, but it certainly explains why Rupees are found in such abundance throughout Hyrule. It also makes seemingly egregious prices, like a 300 Rupee boomerang, seem much more reasonable. Conversely, it makes other Zelda item costs seem like a great deal - a magical shield is 150 Rupees, a mere $13.5. Real shields typically run $100 or higher, and those (presumably) don't even contain magical properties. Through purse upgrades, players in The Legend of Zelda can gain immense wealth, one Rupee at a time, even if the currency itself isn't as valuable as some others.
Source: NetCredit