Currency in Brazil: BRL Send & Spend FX Guide
Resources for Expats, Travelers and Entrepreneurs Navigating Life and Trade in Brazil with the Brazilian real.
What's in this Brazil currency guide?
What currency is used in Brazil?
The official currency of Brazil (country code: BR) is the Brazilian real, with symbol R$ and currency code BRL.
What is a good Brazilian real exchange rate?
The BestExchangeRates.com currency comparison table below helps you see the total cost of your currency transaction by showing the exchange rates offered by different providers. It also makes it easy to spot potential savings from market-leading FX services compared to bank rates.
To see a full list of rates, enter your transaction type, currencies and amount then click ‘GET RATES’:
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Frequently Asked Questions
What currency should I use in Brazil?
The domestic currency in Brazil is the Brazilian real.
What is the Brazilian real currency code and symbol?
The three letter currency code for the Brazilian real is BRL — symbol is R$.
What does the Brazilian real look like?
Here is an example Brazilian real banknote:
Which countries use the Brazilian real?
It is the domestic currency in Brazil.
Is the Brazilian real a closed currency?
No, the Brazilian real is freely available and convertible. See guide: What is a closed currency?
What are equivalent amounts of CNY and BRL?
Here are some popular conversion amounts for CNY to BRL (Chinese yuan to Brazilian real)*.
*Converted at the current CNYBRL interbank exchange rate. Calculate actual payout amounts for Send Money and Travel Money exchange rates.
Travel money for Brazil
Using Wise for Brazilian real travel money is a smart choice for savvy travelers. With its competitive exchange rates and low fees, Wise allows you to convert and manage multiple currencies effortlessly.
Be careful when using your own bank's Debit/Credit Card, as your bank may also charge an extra 3% as an “Overseas Transaction Charge” plus “Overseas ATM” fees for withdrawing cash on top of the standard Visa/Mastercard 2.5% from market mid-rate.
For card purchases, if you are offered a choice of currencies always select to Pay in Brazilian real otherwise you will typically get much worst dynamic currency conversion (DCC) exchange rates.
If you really want Brazilian real cash before departure, you can save money by ordering online. You generally get better rates and can pick up the BRL cash locally or even on travel day at the airport.
USD/BRL Market Data
The below interactive chart displays the USD/BRL change and UP📈 DOWN📉 trends over the past 1 Year.
Send Money to Brazil - Best Rates
To get a good (and fair) exchange rate when sending money to Brazil you need to find and compare exchange rates for International Money Transfers (IMTs).
The available FX rates for sending money abroad can be very different to the mid-market (wholesale) rate which you see reported online and in the News.
You should especially compare your own bank's exchange rates to those available from Money Transfer specialists to see how much you can save - we make that calculation easy in the below table.
Get a better deal for foreign transfers to Brazil
When sending money to Brazil it’s important to compare your bank’s rates & fees with those we have negotiated with our partner money transfer providers. To get a better deal you should follow these 4 simple steps :
- Open an account with a BER reviewed FX provider (id docs may be required)
- You specify the local or Brazilian real amount you want to transfer
- Make a local currency domestic transfer for the requested amount to the provider's bank account in your country
- Once your funds are received by the provider the converted BRL amount will be transfered to the recipient account you specify in Brazil.
Use the above calculator to compare the exchange rates of FX specialist providers rates versus your bank's standard rates you can hopefully save around 5% and maybe more - end result is more Brazilian real deposited into the recipient bank account and less margins and fees kept by the banks!
