Money: dollars, riel and cards
Cambodia runs on two currencies at once. Here is how that actually works at a market stall, a hotel desk and an ATM.
6 min read
The Cambodian riel is the official currency, but the US dollar is legal tender in practice and most prices you see as a visitor are quoted in dollars. The two circulate together at a fixed working rate of about 4,000 riel to the dollar, and riel functions as the small change. Once that clicks, paying for anything becomes simple.
How the two currencies share the job
You pay in dollars and receive change in riel for anything under a dollar. Hand over a five-dollar note for a 3.50 meal and you will get a dollar note plus 2,000 riel. Nobody uses US coins here at all, so the riel is not an optional souvenir — it is the only way to settle small amounts.
Keep a stack of 1,000, 2,000 and 5,000 riel notes for tuk-tuks, market stalls, water and coffee. Trying to pay a one-dollar fare with a fifty is a genuine problem, not an inconvenience.
Cash machines and fees
ATMs are everywhere in towns and dispense dollars, sometimes with a riel option. Nearly all charge a fixed withdrawal fee regardless of amount, so take out larger sums less often. Machines default to offering you the biggest notes; where there is a choice, ask for smaller denominations, because a fresh hundred is hard to break outside a hotel.
Cards, and where they stop working
Hotels, established restaurants, supermarkets and tour operators take Visa and Mastercard. Markets, tuk-tuks, family guesthouses, island bars and most of the countryside do not. Plan on cash being the default and the card being the exception, and never arrive on an island without enough cash for the whole stay — the machines there are unreliable and expensive when they work at all.
QR payments
Cambodia has one of the most widely adopted QR payment systems in the region, and you will see the same scan-to-pay sticker on a bank counter and a noodle cart. It is tied to local bank accounts, so it is mostly out of reach for a short visit — but it is why some vendors now look genuinely surprised when handed cash.
Tipping
Not obligatory and never demanded, but wages are low and tipping is genuinely appreciated. A dollar or two for a good tuk-tuk driver, five to ten percent in a sit-down restaurant, a few dollars a day for a guide, and something left for housekeeping at the end of a stay is a fair local standard.
Common questions
Should I change money before I arrive?
Only enough dollars for the visa and the first ride. Everything after that is easier from an ATM or by breaking dollars locally.
Can I pay my hotel in riel?
Usually yes, converted at the standard working rate, but dollars are what most properties quote and expect.
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Cambodia in a nutshell
A small country with an enormous history: what Cambodia actually feels like once you land, and how long you really need.
Visas and entry
e-Visa, visa on arrival or nothing at all: which one applies to you, what it costs, and the paperwork worth doing before you fly.
The best time to visit
Dry season, green season and the shoulder weeks nobody talks about — what each one actually looks like on the ground.
