Money and exchange
Where to change dollars, euros and roubles, how to tell a fair rate from a tourist one, and where the ATMs are.
checked in August 2026The currency is the Georgian lari (₾, GEL). Notes come in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 ₾, plus coins: 1 lari = 100 tetri. Small shops and minibuses often cannot break a hundred, so keep small notes separate.
💱 How to change money without losing on it
- 1Do not change more at the airport than you need for the taxi: the rate there is a quarter worse than in town.
- 2Go where several exchange booths stand in a row — they compete, and the rate is immediately better.
- 3The further from the sea and the boulevard, the better the rate: on the seafront it is always a tourist rate.
- 4Check a rate aggregator before you go out — rico.ge, for instance, lists the city's exchange booths.
- 5Count the money before you step away from the window. Afterwards no one will hear you out.
💵 Currency by currency
Dollars and euros
Changed everywhere without questions, and the spread between booths is small. Notes must be intact and not older than 2006 — torn or taped ones are refused.
Roubles
Accepted, but the rate swings the most and differs noticeably between booths. Walk past two or three before changing a large amount.
🪙 Cryptocurrency
AllTrust.me — crypto exchange
Crypto to lari and back in Batumi: you come to the office and they quote the rate on the spot.
- Address:
- 111 Zurab Gorgiladze St
- Hours:
- daily 11:00–21:00
I change money here myself and recommend it 👍
Crypto ATMs and other exchanges
There are crypto ATMs around town, with fees starting around 1%. Some points ask for ID to register — check before you exchange.
ATMs stand downtown, in malls and by supermarkets — Bank of Georgia and TBC have the most. Some dispense dollars as well as lari. Both the ATM and your own bank charge for a withdrawal, so take out cash rarely and in larger amounts.
- National Bank of Georgia ↗ — today's official rate
- rico.ge ↗ — Batumi exchange rates in one place
💬 Telegram chats
Crypto chat ₿ Georgia
Crypto to lari and back: rates, trusted exchangers and warnings about the rest.