Cambodian Currency

Which currency is used in Cambodia?
The Cambodian currency is the Riel but US dollars are widely accepted and exchanged. This is in no way `black market´ or unofficial; the Cambodia Tourist Visa payment must be made in US dollars and cannot be settled in Riel.

Thai Baht are accepted at border crossings with Thailand.

Exchange rate (approx)

1 USD = 4,000 KHR ( Riel )

The Riel per US$ exchange rate on the streets of Siem Reap has been stable at around 4,100 - but most shops will round this down to 4,000 for ease. When receiving change from a dollar, the cents will be returned to you in Riel - if you give a 10 dollar note for a US$2.50 item, you will usually get 7 dollars and 2,000 Riel change.

Travel budgeting
Cambodia is an inexpensive place to vacation.Some example costs for day to day living:
- A large bottle of water from a supermarket - around US$0.50 to US$1.00
- A can of Angkor Beer (excellent by the way)- around US$0.50 to US$1.00
Meals are roughly:
- Breakfast from US$0.50 to US$5
- Lunch from US$2 to US$5
- Dinner from US$2 to US$10.
For more information, check out our Cambodia travel costs page.

If you are concerned about the total costs for a holiday in Cambodia you perhaps should consider one of our sample itineraries so that your costs are known up-front. All transportation, hotels, entry fees and guided tours are included and you can even ask us to add meals to the package as you prefer.

Damaged or Torn Cambodian currency
Even slightly torn US dollar bills will not be accepted by many places and banks. Reject any torn, well worn or damaged US dollar bills which you recieve in change.

Featured Tours

VIEW MORE

Angkor Wat Without Crowds

5 Days – From $1,011 pp

View Tour

VIEW MORE

Gems of Indochina

9 Days – From $2,609 pp

View Tour

VIEW MORE

Ancient & Modern Capitals

7 Days – From $1,565 pp

View Tour

VIEW MORE

Cambodia In Style

10 Days – From $5,870 pp

View Tour

Not sure when to travel? Talk to us, our Travel Advisors live in the region, and can give expert
travel advice and current weather information.

Talk To Us

Travel Advice
DO carry plenty of US$1 notes: Most daily transactions are conducted in cash and you should carry plenty of US$1 bills with you. A surprising number of things cost US$1; 2 flutes for US$1, 10 bracelets for US$1, 10 post cards for US$1 etc.

DO NOT carry more that US$10,000 into or out of the country.

DO NOT change dollars into Riel, particularly at the borders - there is no point, and you may get a poor exchange rate.

Banks and ATMs

Banking hours are generally from 8am until 3pm Monday to Friday. ATMs now operate in Siem Reap,Phnom Penh and most other cities and give $US for a $2-4 fee per transaction.

Most banks will exchange travellers cheques of most major currencies for withdrawal in US$. Generally commission is charged at 2% by the bank. Credit card cash withdrawals also incur a 2% charge.

Credit card use in Cambodia

Visa or Mastercard are accepted in many hotels and most souvenir shops but in only the largest restaurants.

You should carry enough Cambodian money or US Dollars (in fairly small denominations) to cover your immediate costs. Note also that American Express is not as widely accepted. It is the custom to pass on Cambodian bank transaction fees to the customer on credit card transactions.