How to read AUD to USD
AUD to USD is the number of USD (US Dollar) that 1 AUD (Australian Dollar) buys. The opposite direction is USD to AUD.
The European Central Bank publishes its reference rates against the euro, so AUD to USD is a cross rate, derived from the two published figures for AUD and USD. The rate for this pair is (USD per EUR) ÷ (AUD per EUR).
Who converts AUD to USD
This is the same exchange as US dollars to Australian dollars, seen from the Australian side. People in Australia use it to price overseas purchases, to budget for trips to the United States, to send money to family abroad and to judge the value of US dollar income, such as freelance work or investments. Starting from Australian dollars makes the result a US dollar amount that you can compare directly with American price tags.
Facts about this pair
- AUD is ISO 4217 code 036 and USD is code 840; the three letter codes are what the converter and the ECB use to tell currencies apart.
- Both currencies are written with 2 decimal places in ISO 4217, so a result in USD is rounded to 2 decimal places.
- The reverse pair is the reciprocal: the USD to AUD rate is 1 divided by the AUD to USD rate, apart from rounding.
Australians who buy US goods online should also check import rules and whether the seller will ship to Australia at all. Low-value goods may be taxed differently from larger orders, and carrier fees can add to the total. Convert the item price with this page and treat tax and shipping as separate lines on top.
The Australian Dollar and the US Dollar
| Detail | Australian Dollar | US Dollar |
|---|---|---|
| ISO code | AUD | USD |
| Symbol | A$ | $ |
| Central bank | The Reserve Bank of Australia | The Federal Reserve System |
| Minor unit | cent, 1/100 of the main unit | cent, 1/100 of the main unit |
| Used in | Australia and its external territories, plus Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu | The United States and its territories, and it is official or widely used in some other economies such as Ecuador and El Salvador |
Australian banknotes are printed on polymer rather than paper. It is the most widely held reserve currency, and many commodities, including crude oil, are priced in it.
Getting a fair rate on AUD to USD
Australian banks and card issuers usually add a foreign transaction fee to purchases made in US dollars. Add that percentage to the reference rate on this page to estimate the true cost of an overseas purchase.
When you travel to the United States, remember that prices on menus and shelves normally exclude tax, and tips are customary in restaurants. So the real cost is above the converted sticker price. Convert your daily budget using this page, then add a margin of tax and tip for eating out. That gives a more honest figure than a straight conversion of the listed price.
AUD to USD states US dollars per 1 Australian dollar, while USD to AUD states Australian dollars per 1 US dollar. The two figures are reciprocals of each other, not the same number, so check the direction before comparing quotes.
Where the rate comes from
The rate loads in your browser from Frankfurter, which republishes European Central Bank reference rates. They are published on working days for information only, and a bank is not obliged to deal at them. If the service cannot be reached the page shows no number, except a rate saved in your browser within six hours, marked as cached. How the rates work is explained on the currency pairs page. Nothing here is financial advice.
FAQ
What does AUD to USD mean?
It is the amount of US dollars you receive for one Australian dollar. A result smaller than your starting amount means the Australian dollar buys less than one US dollar.
Why is the AUD to USD figure below one?
Because it states US dollars per Australian dollar, and in recent years the Australian dollar has been worth less than the US dollar. That has not always held, since the two traded near or above parity around 2010 to 2013, and the number moves with the market.
How is this different from USD to AUD?
They describe the same exchange from opposite sides. Multiply by the USD to AUD rate in one direction, or by its inverse in the other.
Are the figures rounded?
Results show two decimals for the dollar and more digits for very small amounts. The calculation uses the full-precision reference rate.
More currency pairs
Other pairs on this site, each with its own latest rate and notes:
- USD to AUD: the same exchange read the other way.
- EUR to USD: another route into USD.
- GBP to USD: another route into USD.
- CNY to USD: another route into USD.
- JPY to USD: another route into USD.
- CAD to USD: another route into USD.
- USD to CNY: a related pair.
- USD to TRY: a related pair.
- All currency pairs: the full list.
- Currency converter: choose any two of the supported currencies.