Short answer: Colombia’s currency is the Colombian peso (COP). In late 2026, one euro buys around 3,500 pesos and one US dollar around 3,150 pesos. Cards are widely accepted in cities, hotels and restaurants, but you will still need cash for markets, small shops, taxis and rural areas. This guide explains how to pay, how to get cash without high fees, what to tip and what things cost.
Exchange rates change daily – check a current converter before you travel. After a strong rise of the peso in 2026, Colombia is noticeably more expensive for European visitors than a year earlier.
Reading Colombian prices
Prices are written with a dollar-like sign – $ – but they are in pesos. A menu showing “$25.000” means 25,000 pesos (about 7 euros), not 25,000 dollars. Colombians use a dot for thousands. Notes come in 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000 and 100,000 pesos. Try to carry small notes: taxi drivers and small shops often cannot change 50,000 or 100,000 notes.
Cards: where you can and can’t use them
- Widely accepted: hotels, most restaurants, supermarkets, shopping centres, domestic airlines and app taxis. Visa and Mastercard work best; American Express is accepted less often.
- Cash only, usually: street food, markets, small village shops, many taxis, boat transfers, tips and entrance fees in rural areas.
- When paying by card, you are often asked how many instalments (cuotas) you want – answer “una” (one). Never let your card out of sight.
- Always pay in pesos. If a card terminal or cash machine offers to charge you in euros or dollars, decline: this “dynamic currency conversion” uses a poor exchange rate.
Getting cash: cash machines (ATMs)
Withdrawing pesos from a cash machine with your debit or credit card is usually the easiest and cheapest way to get cash. A few tips:
- Tell your bank before you travel, and check your card’s foreign withdrawal fees. Travel-friendly cards (for example from online banks) can save a lot.
- Local fees: most Colombian cash machines charge foreign cards a fixed fee per withdrawal. Because the fee is per withdrawal, it is cheaper to take out larger amounts less often.
- Withdrawal limits vary by bank. Some machines allow only around 600,000 pesos per withdrawal with a foreign card; others, such as Davivienda or Servibanca machines, often allow more.
- Safety: use cash machines during the day, inside banks or shopping centres. Check the card slot for anything unusual, cover your PIN and put your money away before leaving the machine. Read our guide Is Colombia safe? for more city tips.
Bringing euros or dollars
You can exchange euros and US dollars at exchange offices (casas de cambio) in the cities and at airports – airport rates are usually worse. Bring clean, undamaged notes, as worn notes are often refused. Only change money at official offices, never on the street. Up to the equivalent of USD 10,000 can be brought into the country without declaring it.
Tipping in Colombia
- Restaurants: many restaurants add a suggested tip of 10% to the bill, shown as “servicio voluntario” or “propina sugerida”. It is voluntary – the waiter must ask whether you want to include it. If the service was good, include it; there is no need to tip on top.
- Guides and drivers: tips are not obligatory but appreciated for good service on day trips and multi-day tours.
- Taxis: tipping is not expected; rounding up is a nice gesture.
- Hotels: a small tip for porters and housekeeping is welcome.
VAT (IVA) and tax refunds for tourists
Colombia’s VAT (IVA) is 19%. Foreign tourists who are not resident in Colombia can, under current rules, be exempt from IVA on hotel accommodation and some tourist services when they show their passport with the entry stamp or the immigration record. Ask at check-in whether the exemption is applied. Tourists can also reclaim IVA on some purchases of goods above a minimum amount, at the DIAN desk at the airport before departure. A tax reform discussed in 2026 could change these rules, so check before you travel.
What things cost (approximate, late 2026)
Prices vary a lot between regions and seasons – Cartagena and the islands are the most expensive, small towns in the Andes the cheapest. As a rough guide:
- Black coffee (tinto) at a stall: 2,000–4,000 pesos
- Set lunch (menú del día) in a local restaurant: 15,000–30,000 pesos
- Main course in a good city restaurant: 40,000–90,000 pesos
- Bottle of water or soft drink in a shop: 2,500–5,000 pesos
- Short app-taxi ride in the city: 10,000–25,000 pesos
- Domestic flight: from about 200,000 pesos one way, much more in high season
On our tailor-made trips, accommodation, transfers, guided excursions and the meals listed in your programme are included in the price – so you only need money for extra meals, drinks, souvenirs and tips.
Quick checklist
- Two cards from different banks (in case one is blocked), and your bank informed of your trip
- Always choose to pay in pesos, never in euros or dollars
- Small notes for taxis, markets and rural areas
- Cash machines only during the day, inside banks or shopping centres
- Check whether the 10% “servicio voluntario” is already on your restaurant bill
Plan your trip with us
Would you like a clear budget for your trip? Tell us your dates and interests, and we will send you a tailor-made itinerary with a transparent price. Read also our guides to the best time to visit Colombia and entry requirements and health, ask for your itinerary or write to us on WhatsApp.
Last updated: November 2026. Exchange rates, fees and tax rules change – please check current information before you travel.
