One of the most important questions for any traveler is about currency and money in the Dominican Republic, and how do payments work? This article will tell you everything you need to know before your trip. You’ll find tips on how to save money, what currency to bring, where to exchange it, and which payment methods are accepted.
Table of contents
Currency and Money in the Dominican Republic
Let’s start with the essential information about the local money in the Dominican Republic: exchange rate, denominations, and a bit of history.
Key Facts About Dominican Currency
- The official currency of the Dominican Republic is the Dominican Peso.
- As of mid-2025, the exchange rate is approximately 60 pesos per 1 US dollar.
- One Dominican peso (hereafter just “peso”) is divided into 100 centavos. However, centavos are no longer used in everyday transactions; the smallest coin in circulation is 1 peso.
- Current denominations in use:
- Banknotes: 50, 100, 200, 500, 1,000, and 2,000 pesos.
The most useful denominations for daily use are the 50 and 100 peso bills. Small change is essential in this country. - Coins: 1, 5, 10, and 25 pesos.
- Banknotes: 50, 100, 200, 500, 1,000, and 2,000 pesos.
- Price tags often show the peso as DOP or RD$, and sometimes just as $—don’t be alarmed, this is perfectly normal.
What Currency Is in Use Today?
This part gets particularly interesting—first, a bit of historical context.
- From 1905 to 1937, the US dollar was the sole official currency in the country.
- Between 1937 and 1947, the government introduced the peso alongside the dollar, so both currencies were legal tender.
- Since 1947, the Dominican peso has been the country’s exclusive official currency.
Fun fact:
From 1947 to 1961, the Dominican peso was an exact copy of the US dollar in terms of design. After 1961, the country introduced its own design, which—with some updates—is still in use today.
Because of this long-standing relationship with the US dollar, and due to inflation and the relative instability of the peso, US dollars are widely accepted throughout the Dominican Republic.
In fact, locals often prefer dollars over pesos.
US dollars are accepted for:
- Taxis
- Hotels
- Restaurants
- Nearly all grocery stores (though it’s best to double-check)
- Tours and excursions
- Car rentals and toll roads. Read all about car rental and personal experience at the link.
- Gas stations
- Entrance fees to tourist attractions
In short: You can get by just fine using US dollars without ever exchanging them for pesos.
Interesting fact:
The only place we were not able to pay in dollars was the entrance to Bahía de las Águilas National Park—they strictly required pesos. However, all other parks and municipal offices accepted dollars without issue. (See our guide to top attractions in the country.)
Where to Exchange Currency
You can exchange money either at banks or private exchange offices, commonly found in tourist areas. Outside major tourist hubs, exchange rates tend to be fairly consistent.
No commission fees are charged for currency exchange.
Important:
To exchange money at a bank, you must present your passport, and you’ll receive a receipt. Keep this receipt—you’ll need it if you want to exchange pesos back into your original currency before leaving. Without it, they won’t let you convert the remaining pesos.
The most popular and reliable bank is Banco Popular Dominicana (blue logo), with branches in nearly every city. It’s safe and well-staffed, often with armed security on-site.
Private exchange offices don’t require a passport, and the whole transaction takes about 30 seconds. Scams and fraud are rare in this sector.
Good to know:
You can easily exchange US and Canadian dollars, and some Latin American currencies. Euros are not recommended—they’re less commonly accepted and harder to exchange.
Bank Cards, Payment Terminals, and ATMs
Let’s start with ATMs.
Yes, ATMs are available, and you can withdraw cash. But it’s strongly recommended to use ATMs attached to banks.
Why? Because card-skimming scams are not uncommon—devices can be used to steal your PIN and card details.
See our guide on tourist safety in the Dominican Republic.
Card Payments and Terminals
Overall, the card situation is not ideal, but also not terrible.
You can use your card to pay in:
- Major grocery stores (see our supermarket guide)
- Car rental offices
- Gas stations
- Some restaurants and cafés
- Larger hotels
You cannot use cards in:
- Local markets
- Taxis
- For tours and excursions
- Small shops and souvenir stands
Currency and Money in the Dominican Republic: Tips & Travel Hacks
This section offers useful advice and smart travel tips that can help you save a little money and make your trip smoother.
Bring Only US Dollars — Leave the Euros at Home
Always fly to the Dominican Republic with US dollars. Do not bring euros. While you can exchange them, the euro-to-peso exchange rate is often very unfavorable — and sometimes it’s simply treated as equal to the dollar, which is a loss for you.
When you pay in dollars, your change will always be given in pesos, and often at a less favorable rate than the official one.
For Small Purchases, Always Use Pesos
It’s much more cost-effective to use pesos for small transactions, so keep some local cash on hand at all times.
Watch Out for Short Change in Dollars
It’s common that if your change is less than 1 dollar, it simply won’t be returned to you.
But when you pay in pesos, you’ll get the exact change — down to the last peso.
Bring Small Denominations of US Dollars
Before your trip, exchange a couple hundred dollars into small bills — $1s, $5s, and $10s.
This will come in handy for paying in cash, haggling on excursions, paying for taxis, and generally in many day-to-day situations.
And by the way — all US dollars are accepted, regardless of the year they were printed.
A Real Travel Story
This tip ties directly into our advice: always keep small peso bills for minor purchases. Here’s our experience.
We were driving to the airport. No pesos left in our pocket. The road is a toll road, and the toll is 60 pesos.
The exchange rate is 57 pesos per dollar.
At the booth, I handed the attendant $1, and they signaled it wasn’t enough. I handed another dollar.
In return, I got 30 pesos in change — instead of the correct 54 pesos. Arguing was pointless. If you want the fair rate, pay in pesos.
Can You Take Pesos Out of the Country?
Officially, it’s illegal to take Dominican pesos out of the country.
In practice, no one checks, and you’ll have no problem bringing home a few coins or bills if you’re a collector or just want a souvenir.
Final Thoughts
Everything a tourist needs to know about money and currency in the Dominican Republic is summed up right here.
To recap:
- Bring US dollars — not euros
- Carry small-denomination dollar bills
- Always have small pesos on hand for day-to-day spending
- Be careful which ATMs you use, and stick to those located at banks
Wishing you a favorable exchange rate and smooth travels in the Dominican Republic!
Resources to help you plan your dream trip to Dominican Republic
- Cheap Flights and best deals
- Car rental: DiscoverCars – a largest international resource
- Hotels and apartments:
- Tripadvisor – compares prices among a dozen other services and platforms and offers to choose the best one.
- Trip.com – large online booking platform.
- Vacation packages: CheapOair – cheap packages from all US cities.
- Tours, excursions and extreme activities:
- GetYourGuide – more than 800+ tours and water activities.
- Viator – 3500+ tours and excursions in Dominican.
- Comprehensive travel insurance: EKTA
- Internet and Calls:
- Airalo – eSIM with internet package.
- Drimsim – universal SIM card (or eSIM) in any country in the world.
- Taxis and airport transfers: Intui.Travel
Thank you for the information, it was very helpful, but I would advise checking the exchange rates of nearby banks and private exchange offices online before exchanging in a bank, as the rates can vary greatly even between different banks. We exchanged at Popular Bank in February 2022 and at that time the rate there was the lowest at 55.95 for 1 dollar (as I later found out).
Thank you, Elena. And yes, the Dominican Republic is a country where the currency exchange market is not particularly regulated by the government, and each exchange office sets its own rates. There will not be a difference of 20% between different exchange offices, but in general, going to several banks and choosing the best rate can help save a few dollars on the exchange.
Thank you! I can add to the outcome of the trip to the Dominican Republic. In La Romana, I withdrew from my bank card twice from ATMs (once from Popular and once from Scotiabank) 5000 and 10000 pesos. Both ATMs charged me a commission of 300 pesos. I didn’t find any banks or exchange offices in La Romana (the information on maps.me and google.maps is not up-to-date). The most favorable exchange rate for dollars to pesos was at the exchange office near the OLE supermarket in Boca Chica – 55.75 pesos per dollar.
Ildar thank you for your useful comment