Live exchange rates for 170+ world currencies. Instant conversions for travel, business, and shopping.
Exchange rates reflect the relative supply and demand for two currencies in the global foreign exchange market. Several key forces move rates continuously:
The global forex market trades approximately $7.5 trillion per day, making it the world's largest and most liquid financial market.
The mid-market rate — also called the interbank rate or spot rate — is the midpoint between the buy price and sell price of a currency pair at any moment. It's the rate shown on Google Finance, Reuters, and this tool.
When you exchange money at a bank, bureau de change, or airport kiosk, you receive a worse rate than mid-market — typically 2–8% below it. This margin is the provider's profit. A $1,000 exchange at an airport kiosk charging 10% above mid-market costs you $100 in hidden fees you'll never see itemized on a receipt.
Services like Wise (formerly TransferWise) are known for offering rates close to mid-market with a small, transparent fee shown upfront — often significantly cheaper than bank wire transfers for international payments.
Currency pairs are grouped by trading volume and composition:
EUR/USD alone accounts for roughly 23% of total daily forex trading volume.
Exchange rates move most sharply around major economic announcements. For USD-based pairs, the key events are Federal Reserve interest rate decisions (FOMC meetings), Non-Farm Payroll reports (first Friday of each month), Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation data, and GDP growth figures. During these releases, rates can shift 0.5–2% within minutes.
If you're exchanging a significant amount of money, be aware of the economic calendar. Exchanges made immediately before or after major data releases carry more risk of getting a worse rate than expected.
Getting a good exchange rate while traveling requires some advance planning:
Businesses invoicing internationally deal with FX risk — the possibility that the currency they're paid in loses value before the payment converts. Common strategies include:
Currency "strength" by face value doesn't indicate economic health — it reflects historical denomination choices. The highest face-value currencies against USD include:
The lowest face-value currencies (like the Vietnamese Dong at ~25,000 per USD or the Indonesian Rupiah at ~16,000) are simply the result of never having been redenominated. Japan's yen at ~150/USD doesn't indicate weakness — Japan is the world's fourth-largest economy.
Rates on this tool are sourced from the Frankfurter API, which draws its data from the European Central Bank's (ECB) official daily reference rates. The ECB publishes rates once per business day for approximately 30 major currencies. Cross rates for other currencies are calculated from these bases.
These rates are informational and suitable for travel budgeting, international price comparisons, and general reference. For large financial transactions, always confirm the exact rate directly with your bank, payment processor, or licensed broker. Exchange rates shown here are not financial advice.
A currency quote such as EUR/USD 1.10 reads 'one euro costs 1.10 US dollars' — the first currency is the one being priced. The rate you see in a converter is the mid-market rate: the midpoint between what big banks are currently bidding and asking for a currency. It is the fairest single number that exists, and also a number almost no consumer transaction actually gives you.
Every real-world exchange adds a margin on top of the mid-market rate. Card networks are usually closest to fair; banks typically add a visible fee, a rate markup, or both; and airport kiosks are famously the most expensive way to change money, sometimes several percent worse than mid-market plus a fixed fee. The practical use of this converter is as a benchmark: convert your amount here first, then compare any offer against it — the difference is what the middleman is charging you.
Exchange rates change continuously while global markets are open, driven by interest-rate differences, inflation data, trade flows, and plain supply and demand. A quote is a snapshot: the rate at booking and the rate at settlement can differ, which is why card statements sometimes show a slightly different figure than you calculated on purchase day.
Suppose the mid-market rate prices your 500-euro purchase at $550. A card that adds a 3% foreign-transaction fee makes it $566.50; a kiosk running 6% off mid-market makes it about $583. Same purchase, up to $33 of difference — the reason travelers are told to decline 'dynamic currency conversion' and let the card network convert instead.
Why doesn't the converter match my bank's rate exactly?
The converter shows the mid-market benchmark. Banks and processors apply their own spread and fees on top, so their rate will always be somewhat worse for you than mid-market.
When do the rates here update?
Rates refresh regularly from market data. For a live trade or a large transfer, always confirm the executable rate with your provider at the moment of the transaction.
Should I pay in local currency or my home currency abroad?
Local currency, almost always. Choosing your home currency at the terminal triggers dynamic currency conversion, which typically uses a markedly worse rate than your card network would.
Last updated: August 9, 2026 · ConvertSnap editorial team. Conversion factors follow published international standards. Free to use, no signup — see about ConvertSnap.