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Everyday Calculators

Currency converter

Live daily rates between the world's main currencies.

  • Answers as you type
  • Runs entirely in your browser
  • Free, no sign-up

Amount in USD

…

1 EUR buys
— USD
1 USD buys
— EUR
Rates dated
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European Central Bank reference rates, published once each working day. Banks and card networks add a spread, so the rate you actually get is usually 0.5–3% worse.

100 EUR in other currencies

USD — US dollar
—
GBP — British pound
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SEK — Swedish krona
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NOK — Norwegian krone
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DKK — Danish krone
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CHF — Swiss franc
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PLN — Polish złoty
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CAD — Canadian dollar
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AUD — Australian dollar
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JPY — Japanese yen
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INR — Indian rupee
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BRL — Brazilian real
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ZAR — South African rand
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How it works

Type an amount, pick two currencies and see the conversion instantly, plus the same amount in every other supported currency. Rates come from the European Central Bank's daily reference publication, fetched on our server so your browser never talks to a third party.

Converted = Amount × (Rate to target ÷ Rate from source)

Example: At 1 EUR = 1.09 USD, 250 EUR converts to 272.50 USD, and 100 USD comes back as 91.74 EUR.

How reference rates differ from the rate you actually get, and how to work out the real cost of a transfer or a card payment abroad.

The rate you see is not the rate you get

This converter uses the European Central Bank's published daily reference rates. They are the cleanest public benchmark available — the mid-market rate, sitting exactly between what buyers and sellers were quoting. No consumer actually trades at the mid-market rate. Banks, bureaux and apps all add a margin, and that margin is where their money is made.

So the correct way to use a converter is as a yardstick, not a quote. Convert your amount here, then compare it with the number your provider offers. The gap between the two is your true cost, whether or not the provider calls it a fee.

Where the cost hides

  • Spread. A provider quoting a rate 2% away from mid-market takes 2% of your money whether or not it advertises a fee.
  • Fixed fees. Fine on large transfers, punishing on small ones. A 5 fee on 100 is 5%.
  • Dynamic currency conversion. When a foreign card terminal asks whether to charge in your home currency, saying yes hands the conversion to the merchant's provider at a rate you did not choose. Always pay in the local currency.
  • Weekend and out-of-hours markups. Reference rates are published on business days; many providers widen their spread when markets are closed.
  • Cash. Airport bureaux carry the widest spreads of any consumer channel.

Working out the real cost

The arithmetic is simple. Convert the amount at the mid-market rate here, then subtract what you were actually quoted, then express the difference as a percentage of the mid-market figure. Anything under about 0.5% is competitive for a mainstream transfer; anything above 3% is expensive.

Same 1,000 conversion, three channels
ChannelTypical total costWhat you are paying for
Mid-market reference0%Benchmark only — not obtainable
Specialist transfer app0.3% – 1%Spread, sometimes a small fixed fee
High-street bank transfer2% – 4%Wide spread plus a fixed fee
Card payment abroad0% – 3%Card scheme rate plus issuer markup
Airport cash exchange5% – 12%Convenience and location
Same 1,000 conversion, three channels — Indicative ranges to show relative scale. Always check your own provider's live quote.

Why rates move

Exchange rates reflect relative interest rates, inflation, trade flows and market expectations about all three. Short-term moves are mostly noise; the swings that matter to a household budget usually follow central bank decisions or inflation data. For a one-off holiday, timing the market is not worth the stress. For a large transfer — a property purchase, say — the difference between a good and a bad day can be thousands, which is why forward contracts exist.

Reference rates are published once per business day, so the figures here will not track intraday movement. For anything time-critical, treat the number as an estimate accurate to within a fraction of a percent.

Questions people ask

How often are the rates updated?

Once every working day, around 16:00 Central European Time, when the European Central Bank publishes its reference rates. Weekends and holidays reuse the last published set.

Why is my bank's rate different?

Reference rates are a mid-market benchmark with no margin. Banks, card networks and bureaux add a spread — usually 0.5% to 3% — plus any fixed fee.

Can I use this rate for accounting?

For most bookkeeping the ECB daily rate is an accepted source, but check your local rules — some tax authorities require their own published rate for the day of the transaction.

Why does my bank's rate differ from the one shown here?

Because this is the mid-market reference rate and your bank adds a margin to it. The difference is the cost of the service, even when the transaction is advertised as fee-free.

How often do the rates update?

The European Central Bank publishes reference rates once each business day, in the afternoon, Central European Time. There is no update at weekends or on Eurosystem holidays.

Should I pay in local currency or my own when abroad?

Local currency, essentially always. Choosing your home currency triggers dynamic currency conversion at the terminal operator's rate, which is usually several percent worse than your card issuer's.

Is it better to take cash or use a card?

A card with low or no foreign transaction fees usually beats cash, because card schemes convert close to the wholesale rate. Carry a modest amount of cash for places that do not take cards.

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