Currency and Money in Buenos Aires

Notes and coins

In Buenos Aires, you'll find 1, 2, 5, and 10 Argentine peso coins, as well as 25 and 50-cent coins. On the back of the coins, there are some monuments, as well as different species of trees native to Argentina.

There are notes of 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1000 and 2000 pesos, and have portraits of prominent people, as well as important monuments and natural landscapes of the country printed on them.

Card or cash?

It is common to pay in cash at shops and restaurants in Buenos Aires. You can also pay with an international credit card in most establishments, although the current exchange rate will be applied.

In places further outside the city centre, or in small independent shops, you may be asked to pay in cash or they may require a minimum spend to pay by card.

Where to exchange money

The best option to obtain Argentine pesos is to exchange euros or dollars at the exchange offices once in Buenos Aires. There are many official exchange offices in the capital and you can also get pesos in banks.

At the airport, exchange offices offer a less favourable rate, so our recommendation is to change money in the city centre or only exchange a small amount if you need money to get to the city.

On the streets of downtown Buenos Aires, you'll see people offering “dólar blue” (blue dollar), an unofficial currency exchange which is usually quite favourable.

Important information

Please bear in mind that you'll have to show your passport to change money in most of the banks and official exchange offices in Buenos Aires.

Exchange rate

100 ARS (US$ 0.09)