Money in Egypt: Egyptian Pounds, Cards, ATMs and US Dollars Explained

What currency does Egypt use?

Egypt uses the Egyptian pound (EGP), divided into 100 piastres, and you will see it written as LE (from the French livre égyptienne), E£ or ج.م on price tags. Prices in shops and restaurants are almost always in pounds, while some hotels, cruise companies and tour operators quote in US dollars or euros.

Notes run from small piastre denominations up to 200 pounds. The ones you will handle most are 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 EGP; the 10 and 20 now come as smaller plastic (polymer) notes alongside older paper versions, and both are legal tender. One-pound coins are common as change but have little use beyond rounding up.

Two things trip up first-time visitors. First, Eastern Arabic numerals appear on one side of each note, so learn the digits for 5 (٥) and 0 (٠) and you will read prices more confidently in markets. Second, a 50-piastre note and a 50-pound note both carry a large 50; check which one you are handed in change. Our guide to common scams covers that and other change tricks.

How much is the Egyptian pound worth?

We don't quote a fixed rate because the Egyptian pound floats and has lost a large share of its value against the Australian dollar over the past decade; check a live rate on your bank's app the week you travel. Egypt floated the pound in 2016 and again in early 2024, and each time it fell sharply in a matter of days.

What this means in practice:

• Prices in pounds keep rising. A menu or tip amount you read in a blog from even two years ago may now be out of date. Think in Australian-dollar value rather than a remembered pound figure.
• Don't change a large lump sum before you leave. Australian exchange counters rarely stock pounds, and when they do the rate is usually poor. Withdraw as you go instead.
• Ignore the black market. In past years a gap opened between the official and street rate. It narrowed after the 2024 float, and changing money informally is illegal and risky for visitors.
• Dollar-priced items are steadier. Hotels, Nile cruises and private tours are often priced in USD, which is why your package price doesn't drop when the pound weakens.

For a whole-trip budget in AUD, see our cost of an Egypt trip from Australia.

Should you use cash or cards in Egypt?

Use a card wherever there is a terminal and keep cash for everything small: in a typical day you might tap a card at a museum and a hotel restaurant, then spend pounds on tips, water, a felucca and a taxi.

Visa and Mastercard are the safe choices; American Express works in large hotels but is refused in many other places. Contactless payment is increasingly common in Cairo, Alexandria and the Red Sea resorts, and some terminals accept phone wallets, but don't rely on it in Upper Egypt or smaller towns. Card acceptance at ticket offices can change, so carry enough pounds to buy a ticket if a machine is down.

When a terminal asks whether to charge you in AUD or EGP, always choose EGP. Paying in Australian dollars triggers the merchant's own conversion (dynamic currency conversion), which is almost always worse than your bank's rate.

How do ATMs work in Egypt?

ATMs are easy to find in Cairo, Giza, Alexandria, Luxor, Aswan and the Red Sea resorts, accept Australian Visa and Mastercard debit and credit cards, and give you pounds at your bank's rate plus fees. They are scarce in the Western Desert oases and around Abu Simbel, so withdraw before heading out.

• Choose bank ATMs: machines attached to a branch of the National Bank of Egypt, Banque Misr, CIB or another major bank, ideally inside a hotel, mall or the bank lobby. If a machine keeps your card, you can go inside during banking hours (Sunday to Thursday) to retrieve it.
• Expect limits and fees: each machine caps how much you can withdraw per transaction, and many charge a local fee on top of your Australian bank's international fees. Limits vary by bank and change, so fewer, larger withdrawals usually cost less.
• Expect big notes: ATMs mostly dispense 100s and 200s. Break them straight away at a supermarket, pharmacy or your hotel reception, because a taxi driver or toilet attendant won't have change.
• Decline conversion: as with card terminals, if the screen offers to bill you in AUD, decline and continue in EGP.
• Be discreet: withdraw in daylight, shield your PIN and put the cash away before you step back onto the street.

Before you leave Australia, tell your bank you're travelling if it asks, check your daily withdrawal limit, and make sure your card's PIN is four digits (some older Egyptian machines may not accept longer PINs).

Are US dollars useful in Egypt?

Yes, as a backup and for larger tips, but not as your everyday money: carry somewhere around US$100–200 in mixed small notes rather than relying on dollars for daily spending.

Clean US$1, $5, $10 and $20 notes are welcomed by guides, drivers and cruise crews, and some travellers find it easier to budget their big end-of-trip tips in dollars. Dollars are also handy if your cards fail or a visa fee has to be paid in cash on arrival; visa fees and payment methods change, so confirm the current rules in our Egypt visa guide for Australians and on the official portal (visa2egypt.gov.eg).

A few cautions: torn, written-on or very old notes are often refused, so ask your Australian currency provider for recent-series notes in good condition. When a shop or stall quotes you in dollars, it is usually rounding in its own favour; ask for the price in pounds. Our tipping guide sets out what to give in dollars and what in pounds.

Australian dollars are a poor choice. Some banks and bureaux in Cairo will take them, but the rate is weak and you can't use them anywhere else. Euros and British pounds change more easily than AUD if you already have them.

Where should you change money in Egypt?

Change foreign cash only at banks, official exchange bureaux (look for a printed rate board) or your hotel, and keep the receipt. Cairo airport has bank counters in the arrivals halls that are open around the clock and offer reasonable rates, which is useful if you land late with only US dollars.

Never change money with someone who approaches you in the street or a market, however good the rate sounds. Apart from being illegal, it is a classic route to counterfeit notes or short-changing. Hotel rates are usually a little worse than a bank's but are convenient and safe for small amounts.

Egypt also has rules on how much cash, both foreign and Egyptian, you may carry in or out, and amounts above a threshold must be declared. Thresholds change, so check the current limits in Smartraveller's Egypt advice and our customs and duty-free guide before you travel with a large sum.

Which cards should Australians bring to Egypt?

Bring two cards from different banks or networks (one Visa, one Mastercard is ideal), at least one with no foreign transaction fee, and keep them in separate places.

• A low-fee debit or credit card: several Australian banks and fintech providers offer cards with no international transaction fee and reasonable ATM terms. Compare the fine print on ATM fees as well as purchases.
• Prepaid travel cards: most Australian travel money cards can't be loaded with Egyptian pounds, so you'll be converting from USD or AUD at every transaction. Check the conversion and ATM fees before choosing one over a normal low-fee card.
• A backup in the hotel safe: if your main card is lost, skimmed or swallowed by an ATM, the second card keeps you moving while you call your bank.
• Your bank's app and international phone number: you can lock a card instantly if something looks wrong. Card blocks for unusual activity happen; an Egyptian SIM or hotel Wi-Fi lets you clear them quickly (see our SIM and eSIM guide).

How much cash should you carry day to day?

On a guided day of sightseeing, most travellers need only a modest amount of cash in their pocket, mostly in 10, 20 and 50 EGP notes, with the rest of the day's money and cards left in the hotel or cabin safe.

A workable routine: each morning, count out the small notes you'll need for toilet attendants, a drink, a tip for the driver and a souvenir or two, and keep them in a front pocket separate from your wallet. That way you never pull out a thick wad of 200s in a market, which marks you as an easy target for inflated prices.

If you're travelling on a private tour, entry tickets, transfers and most meals are already paid, so your daily cash is mainly for tips, drinks and shopping. When haggling in the bazaars, having the exact amount ready helps you close a deal; our haggling guide explains how. For all the other first-trip essentials, start with our Egypt travel tips.