Wise Best exchange rate
Wise debit card
45k0.43%-0.65% conversion fee
The best travel card for Sri Lanka
Cards, cash and FX fees for Australian travellers.
Cards, cash and FX fees for Australian travellers. Sri Lanka is very good value for Australians. Bring some cash - the rupee is a closed currency and cannot be bought before you arrive.
Mostly - cards work in cities and tourist areas in Sri Lanka, but you still need cash outside them.
5 travel card options for Sri Lanka, 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 Sri Lanka
Can you pay by card in Sri Lanka?
Good in Colombo hotels and tourist restaurants, limited outside them. Most day-to-day spending is cash.
Cash and ATMs in Sri Lanka
Commercial Bank, Sampath and HNB ATMs accept Australian cards. Withdrawal fees are common - take larger amounts less often.
Carry the equivalent of AUD $100-$200 in rupees. Sri Lanka is a cash economy outside the capital.
Do you tip in Sri Lanka?
Expected in tourist settings. Around 10% in restaurants where service is not included, a few hundred rupees for a driver per day, and small notes for hotel staff.
Worth knowing about paying in Sri Lanka
You cannot buy rupees in Australia or take them home - change on arrival and spend down before departure.
Before you pay for anything in Sri Lanka
Pay in Sri Lankan rupee or Australian dollars?
The terminal will offer you both. One of them is materially more expensive.
How much cash to take overseas
What Sri Lanka 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 Sri Lanka
Rs230 LKR 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 Sri Lanka essentials
Sri Lanka visa and entry rules
Passport, visa, arrival cards and customs rules for Australian passport holders.
Flights to Sri Lanka
Search fares from Australia, then sort the rest of the trip.
Sri Lanka eSIM plans
Instant data, no physical SIM required.
Sri Lanka travel insurance
Medical, cancellation and luggage cover for Australian travellers.
Sri Lanka airport transfers
Trains, buses, private transfers and taxis compared.
Driving in Sri Lanka
International Driving Permit rules and car hire for Australians.
Sri Lanka travel essentials
Adapters, plugs, tap water, tipping and health basics.
Things to do in Sri Lanka
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.
Planning Sri Lanka?
We will send you the Sri Lanka 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.