Wise Best exchange rate
Wise debit card
45k0.43%-0.65% conversion fee
The best travel card for Cambodia
Cards, cash and FX fees for Australian travellers.
Cards, cash and FX fees for Australian travellers. Cambodia runs on US dollars in practice. ATMs dispense USD, prices are quoted in USD, and riel is used as small change below a dollar. Bring clean, untorn USD notes - damaged ones get refused.
Rarely - Cambodia runs on cash, and card acceptance is the exception rather than the rule.
5 travel card options for Cambodia, compared
Revolut No weekday FX fee
Revolut Standard
30k0% FX fee
Compare only
ING Orange Everyday
Orange Everyday
22k0% with monthly criteria
ubank Spend
Spend account
9k0% international fee
Macquarie Transaction Account
Transaction account
6k0% international fee
Prices are indicative, shown in AUD and refreshed from provider APIs where available. Always confirm the final price on the provider's site - it is the price that applies. We may earn a commission if you buy through our links, which never changes what you pay. Partners are listed before providers who pay us nothing, as our terms set out; sorting by price ignores all of that and orders on the number alone. How we make money.
Compared side by side
| Card | FX fee | ATM | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wise Partner | 0.43%-0.65% conversion fee | 2 free withdrawals/month up to $350, then 1.75% | $0 |
| Revolut | 0% on weekdays, up to 1% on weekends | $350/month fee-free, then 2% | $0 |
| ING Orange Everyday | Rebated if you meet the monthly criteria | International ATM fees rebated with criteria met | $0 |
| ubank Spend | 0% international transaction fee | $0 from ubank, ATM operator fees may apply | $0 |
| Macquarie Transaction Account | 0% foreign transaction fee | $0 from Macquarie | $0 |
Paying for things in Cambodia
Can you pay by card in Cambodia?
Hotels, tourist restaurants and larger shops in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap take cards. Markets, tuk-tuks and rural Cambodia are cash-only.
Cash and ATMs in Cambodia
ATMs dispense US dollars and charge USD $4-$6 per withdrawal. Take out larger amounts less often.
Carry USD $100-$200 in clean, small notes. This is a cash economy that happens to use someone else's currency.
Do you tip in Cambodia?
Not traditional but increasingly expected in tourist areas. USD $1-$2 for a tuk-tuk driver, 10% in a tourist restaurant, and a few dollars a day for a guide.
Worth knowing about paying in Cambodia
Prices are quoted in USD and change under a dollar comes back in riel. Both circulate freely - do not try to convert one to the other.
Before you pay for anything in Cambodia
Pay in Cambodian riel or Australian dollars?
The terminal will offer you both. One of them is materially more expensive.
How much cash to take overseas
What Cambodia needs in cash, next to 35 other destinations.
How to avoid ATM fees overseas
Three fees stack on a withdrawal. Two of them are avoidable outright.
What one Australian dollar buys in Cambodia
៛2800 KHR per AUD
Last recorded rate
These are mid-market rates - the rate banks trade at, published by the European Central Bank. It is not what you will be offered. Expect a card or exchange service to take 0.5% to 5% off it, which is exactly what our travel money comparison is for. Past movement doesn't predict future rates, and none of this is financial advice.
View the numbers as a table
More Cambodia essentials
Cambodia visa and entry rules
Passport, visa, arrival cards and customs rules for Australian passport holders.
Flights to Cambodia
Search fares from Australia, then sort the rest of the trip.
Cambodia eSIM plans
Instant data, no physical SIM required.
Cambodia travel insurance
Medical, cancellation and luggage cover for Australian travellers.
Cambodia airport transfers
Trains, buses, private transfers and taxis compared.
Driving in Cambodia
International Driving Permit rules and car hire for Australians.
Cambodia travel essentials
Adapters, plugs, tap water, tipping and health basics.
Things to do in Cambodia
Attractions, tours and passes worth booking ahead.
Further reading: Travel money for Australians: cards, cash and the fees nobody mentions
How these comparisons are made
Cards are compared on the three fees that actually cost travellers money - the FX margin, ATM fees and account fees - using each issuer's published rates. Jamie has personally spent on travel cards recommended here while overseas. Cash-versus-card guidance is researched per destination rather than copied between pages, because a card strategy that works in Stockholm fails in Osaka. Read the full editorial policy.
Cambodia money & payments FAQs
Do Australians need a visa for Cambodia?
Yes. Australians need a tourist visa, which costs USD $30 either as an e-Visa applied for online before you travel, or on arrival at the airport paid in cash. It allows a 30-day stay and can be extended once.
Should I get the e-Visa or a visa on arrival for Cambodia?
Both cost USD $30. The e-Visa saves you queuing and paying cash at the airport, and it removes the risk of being asked for an unofficial extra fee, which is more common at land borders than at the airport. Apply at least three business days ahead.
Do I need US dollars in Cambodia?
Yes. Cambodia runs on US dollars in practice - ATMs dispense them, prices are quoted in them, and riel is used only as small change under a dollar. Bring clean, untorn notes, because damaged US currency is routinely refused.
Planning Cambodia?
We will send you the Cambodia guide as it grows - what to book before you go, which eSIM and travel card are worth it there, and what things actually cost in Australian dollars.