Piloting a virtual aircraft in an instrument flight simulator software program is obviously much less expensive than piloting an actual airplane.
And it overs numerous other time-saving, skill-building, and money-saving advantages as well:

• You don't have to pay for aviation fuel.
  
• You don't have to pay for airplane rental fees.
  
• You don't have to worry about putting wear and tear on an actual airplane.
  
• You can save time with a simulator that would otherwise have been spent on preflighting an airplane, fueling it up, taxiing for takeoff, and obtaining air traffic control clearances.
  
• You can save time and accelerate your flight training.
  The more time you spend practicing with the instrument flight simulator, the less likely you will need to repeat and practice your lessons in the air.
  Thus you will be less likely to fly "remedial" flight lessons.
  You will progress much faster in your training, saving you time and money on training fees.
  
• A flight simulator empowers you to train whenever you want, since you are not subject to the weather, aircraft availability, or availability of an instructor.
  
• Without a simulator, you are subject to delays due to weather, availability of the aircraft or the instructor, and your own budgetary constraints which may hold you back from expediting your training.
  

But is operating an instrument flight simulator the same experience as flying in actual instrument conditions? The answer is "yes".
From an operational standpoint, there is no difference between the two types of flight experiences, because the instrument panel in a simulator program is an exact mock up of its real-world counterpart, and behaves exactly the same way as the real deal.