Malaysia Currency (Ringgit): Exchange Rate, Exchange, Bank Cards, What to Bring and Where to Exchange

Ringgit exchange rate today

The exchange rate of the Malaysian currency against world currencies is quite stable. Approximate exchange rate to ruble: 1 ringgit costs about 20 rubles. To quickly convert the price in ringgit to rubles, just multiply it by 2 and add a zero. For example, 20 ringgit is about 400 rubles.

Market exchange rate (Malaysian ringgit) for today (03/06/2026)

• 10 ринггит (MYR) = 184,18 rubles (RUB)
• 1 US dollar (USD) = 3,97 MYR
• 100 rubles (RUB) = 5,43 MYR
• 1 euro (EUR) = 4,62 MYR

Real currency exchange rate *

• 1 US dollar (USD) ≈ 3,89 - 3,96 MYR
• 1 euro (EUR) ≈ 4,53 - 4,61 MYR

* - The real exchange rate is calculated taking into account the fees charged by exchange offices and banks for the exchange. It can also be higher than the calculated one, but if you are offered an exchange rate lower than this, it's a reason to think about finding another place to exchange.

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* The calculator converts amounts based on official world currency exchange rates. When exchanging currency at exchange offices, the rate will differ slightly depending on the exchange office's commission.

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Video guide on money, currency and cards in Malaysia

What is the currency in Malaysia and how to pay

The national currency of Malaysia is the ringgit, also called the Malay dollar in older usage. The international currency code is RM or MYR. The ringgit is divided into 100 sen. The old currency – the Malay dollar – is not actually used today, but sometimes appears virtually on price tags, and when paying it is converted into ringgit.

Currently in circulation are banknotes and coins in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 ringgit of various issues. All Malaysian money features the portrait of the first supreme ruler of Malaysia – Tuanku Abdul Rahman.

Singapore dollars and Brunei dollars are also known here as "ringgit", so be careful when paying, especially in areas bordering those countries.

Payment in foreign currency is not common in Malaysia; the national currency is mainly used. Even if you see prices in US dollars (mostly for tourist services), the actual transaction will likely be in ringgit.

Where to exchange currency in Malaysia, where to find the best rates

You can exchange cash currency in Malaysia at banks or at independent exchange offices. We recommend exchange offices because their rates are usually better than banks. You can find them in all resorts and cities. We have noticed a trend that rates are better in cities and islands away from tourist areas. For example, on Langkawi it is better to exchange not in the tourist areas on Cenang or Tengah beaches, but in Kuah town, and on Penang in George Town. This way you save 1-2% of the amount.

If you start your trip in Kuala Lumpur, we advise exchanging most of your travel money there right away. KL has the best rates in the country and you can exchange almost any currency. Go straight to Mid Valley Megamall, which has several exchange offices with super favorable rates that differ only by fractions of a percent from the official market rate (Mid Valley Megamall on the map). Here you can also sell leftover ringgit at the best rate. Look for MaxMoney Mid Valley, My Money Master, MV Forex on the ground floor GF. There are other exchange offices in this mall, check and compare rates at the time of exchange. But be prepared to wait in line, sometimes up to an hour. And with that in mind, come early, not towards the end of the workday around 8:00 PM.

Another place with good rates in Kuala Lumpur is the exchange offices in the Little India neighborhood on Jalan Masjid India. Just don't confuse this area with the other Little India in the large Brickfields district; this is the Little India next to the tourist Chinatown area (Little India on the map).

Exchange at Kuala Lumpur Airport is much less favorable. Previously, we didn't notice a significant difference in exchange rates, but now it's huge. For example, for those who understand numbers, the spread on US dollars at KLIA Airport reaches 18%!!! That's a lot, so we recommend exchanging only the minimum for city transport or taxi, and exchange the rest on the spot.

Exchange at Langkawi Airport is even better than in KL. We recorded a spread on US dollars there of around 6%. So if you are flying to Langkawi with a connection through Kuala Lumpur Airport, better not exchange at KLIA, exchange your initial amount at Langkawi Airport, and the rest at the resorts or in Kuah town.

If you decide to exchange at banks, in most parts of the country they are open Monday – Friday from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM. On Saturdays, banks work only 2 hours from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM. On Sundays, banks are closed. In the states of Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, banks operate on a different schedule: Wednesday – Saturday from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM, on Thursdays: 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM, on Fridays closed. All banks in Malaysia are closed on the 1st Saturday of the month. Exchange offices set their own working hours and often start quite late, around 10-11 AM.

Which currency is better to bring to Malaysia

In Malaysia, almost all world currencies are exchanged, including the currencies of neighboring Asian countries: Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, India, China. You can exchange Australian dollars, British pounds.

You can even exchange rubles, but very few places. Moreover, we have only seen a reasonable rate for rubles in Kuala Lumpur at the famous exchange offices at Mid Valley Mall.

We have analyzed and compared real rates many times at different times and for different places, and here are the conclusions we have reached:

• It's best to bring US Dollars, Euros or Chinese Yuan. They always have the most favorable rates (i.e., the smallest spread, and thus the smallest losses), and they are easiest to exchange. The difference in profitability between these three currencies is minimal, literally tenths of a percent, provided you choose a more favorable exchange office rather than exchanging at the first one you see.
• Other world currencies are less profitable, but if you have pounds, baht, etc., you can travel with them, because you might lose more by double exchange (first to dollars or euros at home, then exchange here). However, you need to consider that on islands like Langkawi, Tioman, Pangkor and others, except Penang, you may have problems exchanging them, so be sure to bring a reserve in one of the first three currencies.

Here is a comparison at a given moment for four currencies against the official rate at Mid Valley Mall:

From these calculations, it can be seen that the most profitable option is the yuan, followed by dollars and euros. However, it is worth noting that these conditional "ideal" rates can only be found at Mid Valley Megamall, and at resorts they are 1-3% lower. And taking into account that in Russia there is also its own spread when buying these currencies (except USD), and it goes in the reverse order, the result is that there will be almost no noticeable difference between them when exchanging amounts up to 500 dollars.

Are old series US dollars accepted

Old series dollars without the security strip are accepted in Malaysia, but not everywhere and usually at a lower rate. If you exchange in Kuala Lumpur, you can find exchange without problems. But on Langkawi, Tioman and other islands and resorts, there will be a problem: they exchange at a rate 1-3% lower, require banknotes in perfect condition, and not every exchange office will accept them. Therefore, if you plan to start your trip not in Kuala Lumpur but go straight to the islands, we advise you to take euros or yuan. Even better, bring a reserve of different currencies, and exchange based on what offers and rates you find on the spot.

Can you exchange rubles

Yes, you can, but the rate is very poor, and you'll have to search quite a bit for places that accept rubles. During our last trip on the route Langkawi-Penang-Ipoh-Pangkor-Malacca-Kuala Lumpur, we constantly monitored this issue and only encountered ruble exchange in a few places. Moreover, it's not certain that they will actually accept them at any given moment, because even though rubles appear on the rate boards, they were not always willing to accept them.

The only exception where the ruble rate was somewhat acceptable is the aforementioned exchange offices at Mid Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur. But even there, the ruble rate will be worse than via an intermediate international currency. For example, if you know what a spread is, here the difference between the official market ruble rate and the buying rate was at the moment 5.7%, which is a lot. And on Langkawi, that difference reached 15%.

Bank cards and ATMs in Malaysia

Plastic cards are very common in Malaysia. ATMs are ubiquitous, and paying for purchases in restaurants, hotels, or shopping malls is no problem at all. But remember about precautions: Asian countries are considered high-risk countries by banks when using plastic cards, and Malaysia in particular.

The good news is that unlike, say, Thailand and Vietnam, where small stores add 3-5% to the purchase price when paying by card, and some stores (including 7-eleven) don't accept card payments for purchases under 200 or 300 baht, in Malaysia there are no such limits or fees. At least, we have never encountered that.

What about Russian cards?

• Mir cards

  Mir system cards do not work here in any form.

• UnionPay cards

  UnionPay cards only work from RSHB (Rosselkhozbank) and ATB. All other UnionPay cards issued earlier, including Gazprombank, Russian Standard, Tinkoff, etc., no longer work.

  In general, Russian UnionPay cards are accepted in very few places in Malaysia, but payment is made without additional commission. During our last month-long trip on a complex route, we were only able to use UnionPay for payment in isolated cases. For example, we paid with it at KK Super Mart chain supermarkets, at duty-free shops on Langkawi, at a cafe on Penang, at a large supermarket on Pangkor Island. But, for example, in Ipoh and Malacca, we could not pay with it anywhere at all, and in Kuala Lumpur, we only paid for the airport train. So we don't advise relying heavily on UnionPay payment in Malaysia.

  However, withdrawing cash with UnionPay is much better. There are many ATMs, and withdrawal works without issues. But there is a fee for withdrawal operations on the bank's side. For example, currently (2026) under the most popular "Svoia karta plius" tariff at RSHB, no commission will be charged for withdrawals from foreign ATMs only if you had expenses on the card of more than 30,000 rubles in the previous month. In other cases, the commission will be 4% of the amount and no less than 70 Chinese yuan for yuan-denominated cards, and 1.5% and no less than 250 rubles for ruble cards. So study the tariffs specific to your card and before each trip, as they are also changed unilaterally by banks without personal notification.

  We have detailed all calculations and comparisons of yuan, ruble and other UnionPay cards in a separate guide Which UnionPay RSHB card to choose: rubles, yuan, dollars or euros.

  But there is good news: ATMs of at least MayBank and CIMB do not charge a fee, which we have personally verified many times. This makes them a quite profitable option for obtaining cash in Malaysia compared to exchanging via cash dollars, euros, and yuan.

  As a result, our algorithm for using a card to minimize losses on fees is as follows:

  • Use a UnionPay card in yuan; it is most profitable to top up its account by purchasing through a brokerage account.
  • Pay with UnionPay whenever possible, as it is more profitable than withdrawing cash.
  • If you withdraw cash, to minimize the commission, withdraw at least 1000 ringgit at a time from a yuan card, and at least 880 ringgit from a ruble card.
  • Withdraw from ATMs of MayBank, CIMB and possibly others, but never withdraw from Euronet ATMs.

And here are the conditions for UnionPay cards as of 2026:

Are there e-wallets for tourists?

Yes, currently the Touch N Go (TNG) e-wallet is actively developing in Malaysia. It is registered to a SIM card, topped up via bank card, cash, or even P2P transfer from crypto exchanges (unofficially). It allows payments in stores, transport, museums, etc. (more than 2 million payment points), as well as transferring payment to other wallets for payment in cafes and markets.

But for now, Touch N Go only works for citizens of certain Asian countries. They promise to expand the list of available countries in the future. You can check your country here – https://www.touchngo.com.my/consumer/international-tourists/

Can you exchange cryptocurrency for cash?

Although cryptocurrency is not prohibited by law in Malaysia, officially converting crypto into cash directly is impossible here; you would have to use workarounds.

There are international illegal exchange networks through Telegram chats or "darknet" sites, private money changers, but there is a high risk of fraud. They deceive using fairly simple traditional methods:

• They send a link supposedly for an AML check of the wallet's cleanliness, and you lose access and your money.
• They ask you to send crypto for an AML check for cleanliness, and you lose your money.
• They ask you to transfer money to a wallet in advance and promise to give you cash through an ATM or send a courier, hiding behind fake reviews on Telegram and supposedly high authority.
• They scam using a "triangle" scheme. A courier comes with cash, you transfer the money, and then he claims you sent it somewhere wrong and he knows nothing, and leaves with the money.
• Exchange based on a "friend's" recommendation. Supposedly an "admin" or another participant in a tourist chat recommends an exchanger where they personally exchanged and which is trustworthy. You then transfer the crypto and receive nothing.

Fraudsters are probably not limited to these methods; these are just the ones we have personally encountered. Whether it's worth taking such risks is up to you, but we don't advise it.

Tipping

Tipping is not customary in Malaysia. Sometimes, when paying at cafes and restaurants, taxes and service charges are added to the menu price, but that is more the exception.

Nevertheless, if you really liked the service, you can tip. Bellboys in hotels and housekeeping staff can be given a few ringgit. When paying for a taxi, you can round up the fare. In a restaurant, you can leave the change of 1-2 ringgit.

If they refuse the tip and insist on giving you the change (which happens not so rarely), don't insist either and take the change.