The Colombian Peso (COP) is the official currency in Colombia. Here are the approximate conversion rates, but it’s always best to check online, as conversion rates change daily:
- 1 GBP roughly equals 4,000 COP
- 1 EUR roughly equals 3,500 COP
- 1 USD roughly equals 3,000 COP
- 1 USD roughly equals 2,300 COP
- 1 AUD roughly equals 2,200 COP
Purchasing Power
Expect to pay 10,000 – 12,000 COP for a meal at an inexpensive restaurant and 30,000 – 50,000 COP at a mid-range restaurant. A 30-minute taxi ride in major cities can cost 15,000 – 30,000 COP. A bottle of water will cost about 2,500 COP.
ATMs
ATMs are available in all of the large and medium-sized cities. It might be difficult to find ATMs in rural areas and small towns. It’s best to travel with cash while visiting Colombia because many small restaurants and shops do not take credit cards despite the size of the city.
Before You Travel
Travellers should inform their banks of travel plans before arriving to Colombia or any other foreign country. Banks sometimes suspect fraud and freeze credit and debit cards if they are used outside of their regular country.