Where to Find the Best Currency Exchange Rates in the Sydney CBD
Beat the money changer rates with a prepaid travel card
Going to a currency exchange before a holiday can be exciting, but you will often be paying hidden fees that are baked into the exchange rate.
With a prepaid travel card from Wise, you get the market exchange rate (the one you see on Google) with low fees and complete transparency.
Currency Exchange in the Sydney CBD
Why the CBD? The money changers with the best rates are located in Sydney's city centre, because there is more competition between those places and customers like you can shop around for the best deal.
Coronavirus Update: Many currency exchange stores such as Travel Money Oz or WeXchange have temporarily closed their doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If you want to exchange money at places in the Sydney CBD around Christmas and New Years, there is a good chance some of your options will be closed or have limited opening hours.
Check this page regularly for updates for when travel money stores open again.
Prior to the lockdown, we walked around Sydney CBD comparing foreign exchange rates over 11 money changers. Then we compared their travel money rates to what you can get by ordering online and picking it up at those places in the CBD.
Read on to find out the best currency exchange rates in Sydney.
Where is the best place to exchange money in Sydney
There is no money changer that is a clear winner for having the best exchange rate on every currency and amount. We found a variety of fees ranging from a small percentage to a fixed rate. So make yourself aware of these when choosing a provider.
We also found that different providers exceeded with different currencies. Major currencies can generally be found at places in the CBD. These include US dollars, Euros or Japanese Yen. For some currencies, ordering online can still return a better deal. Especially if there isn't stock at those places in the CBD. Your own research is pivotal.
Use our guide to find out where and when you can buy travel money in the best places in Sydney's CBD. Opening hours can change, so check this page regularly:
| Money Changer | Address | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| S Money | Wharf 6, Circular Quay, Sydney CBD | 1300 501 080 |
| United Currency Exchange | Shop 14, 1 Dixon Street, Haymarket, NSW, 2000 | (02) 8964 6914 |
| Changjiang Currency Exchange | 13 Goulburn Street, Haymarket, NSW, 2000 | (02) 8883 1888 |
| Currency Exchange International | 569 George Street, Haymarket, NSW, 2000 | (02) 9269 0400 |
| City Exchange Mart | 636 George St, Sydney NSW 2000 | (02) 9283 9695 |
| Travelmate | 525 George Street, Haymarket. NSW 2000 | (02) 8021 0945 |
| Travel Money Oz | Mid City Centre, 197 Pitt St, Sydney NSW 2000 | 1300 035 797 |
| Bloom Forex | 389-391 Sussex St, Haymarket NSW 2000 | (02) 9304 0191 |
| City Forex | Shop K1, Town Hall Square, 464-480 Kent St , Sydney NSW 2000 |
(02) 9269 0115 |
| Travelex | Shop 15C Lower ground, 2/455 George St, Sydney NSW 2000 | (02) 9264 1267 |
| Crown Currency | Shop 2021, Level 2 Westfield Sydney Cnr Pitt Street Mall &, Market St, Sydney NSW 2000 | (02) 8278 7980 |
How we rated the best places to exchange money
Many of you might be wondering how we came up with our scores out of ten. After our exhaustive walk around the Sydney CBD, we chose 5 categories to judge on, based on what we thought would be most valuable to you, the consumer. They were:
- Exchange Rate - At the end of the day, this is the most important category. The better the exchange rate, the higher the score.
- Customer Service - We all appreciate good customer service, service that is friendly, courteous and knowledgeable.
- Stock of Currency - Being able to walk away with your nominated currency immediately is a prerequisite for most customers. So we asked each money changer if they had a number of common and less popular currencies on hand.
- Safety - This score was based from the location of the store and the security offered.
- Payment Options - We asked all the money changers what type of payments they accepted to score them.
After we choose our categories we weighted them based on importance within the transaction. It is no surprise that exchange rate was weighted the heaviest (40%), customer service was next (20%), stock of currency (15%), followed by safety (15%) and finally payment options (10%).
Compare the best online exchange rates
Please note this table shows the rate you'll get and doesn't include any extra fees you'll be charged. The Currency Shop sources its data from foreign exchange providers and has taken reasonable steps to ensure that such data is accurate. There is a risk that the foreign exchange prices quoted on The Currency Shop may be inaccurate, not available to the User, or available but with additional fees and charges. For more details, read our Terms and Conditions
Money exchange reviews
Travel Money Oz Review
Good service and convenient locations in the city. Their exchange rates are good but not great but their stock and range of currencies is excellent.
- Read more ⟶
- 3 min read
Unimoni (formally UAE Exchange)
Matter of fact service in an easy to access location on the ground floor of the Westfield on Pitt Street. They had the second best rates to buy US dollars and the best rate to sell Euros.
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- 2 min read
Travelex
Solid service in a safe environment, inside a HSBC branch. Their payment options are good but they charge for card transactions and their stock of currency is limited.
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- 6 min read
ANZ Foreign Exchange
Prompt, friendly and helpful service inside the safety of the ANZ branch. Rates and fees were competitive and the range of stock on hand was good.
- Read more ⟶
- 5 min read
Commonwealth Bank
Horrible exchange rates, higher fees than any money changer and a limited range of currencies. Unfortunately, the service was disinterested and blunt.
- Read more ⟶
- 2 min read
WeXchange
It's a little hard to find. You need to enter the building and go to the third floor. Excellent service, pretty good exchange rates and a solid stock of currencies on hand.
- Read more ⟶
- 2 min read
