How to read USD to BRL
USD to BRL is the number of BRL (Brazilian Real) that 1 USD (US Dollar) buys.
The European Central Bank publishes its reference rates against the euro, so USD to BRL is a cross rate, derived from the two published figures for USD and BRL. The rate for this pair is (BRL per EUR) ÷ (USD per EUR).
Who converts USD to BRL
The dollar to real pair matters for Brazilian exporters and importers, for tourists visiting Rio or São Paulo, for investors following emerging markets and for anyone paying for foreign services such as software subscriptions. Brazil has its own tax on foreign exchange operations, called IOF, so the rate you see is only part of what a card payment or transfer abroad can cost.
Facts about this pair
- USD is ISO 4217 code 840 and BRL is code 986; 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 BRL is rounded to 2 decimal places.
- The reverse pair is the reciprocal: the BRL to USD rate is 1 divided by the USD to BRL rate, apart from rounding.
Brazilian prices are often shown with instalments, called parcelas, so a large purchase may be quoted as a monthly amount. If you are comparing a foreign price with a Brazilian one, convert the full price, not the instalment, and check whether the instalments carry interest.
The US Dollar and the Brazilian Real
| Detail | US Dollar | Brazilian Real |
|---|---|---|
| ISO code | USD | BRL |
| Symbol | $ | R$ |
| Central bank | The Federal Reserve System | The Banco Central do Brasil |
| Minor unit | cent, 1/100 of the main unit | centavo, 1/100 of the main unit |
| Used in | The United States and its territories, and it is official or widely used in some other economies such as Ecuador and El Salvador | Brazil |
It is the most widely held reserve currency, and many commodities, including crude oil, are priced in it. The current real was introduced in 1994 as part of a plan to end a long period of very high inflation.
Getting a fair rate on USD to BRL
When you pay in dollars with a Brazilian card, the final charge combines the exchange rate, the card issuer's spread and IOF. Add those up from your statement to see the real price and compare the base rate with the figure on this page.
Brazil has a fast instant-payment system called Pix, which is mainly for domestic accounts, so visitors usually rely on cards and cash. When you plan a trip, convert a daily budget into reais with this page and add a margin for the card issuer's spread and the IOF tax. Exchange houses in major cities may offer better rates than airport counters, but compare more than one before handing over cash.
The real, plural reais, uses the code BRL and the symbol R$. In Brazil the decimal separator is a comma and thousands are separated with a dot, which is the reverse of US style, so read figures carefully.
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 is the USD to BRL rate?
It is the number of Brazilian reais for one US dollar, shown live in the converter above with the date of the European Central Bank reference rate it comes from.
Does this rate include IOF tax?
No. The reference rate is a mid-market figure with no taxes, fees or margins. IOF and any bank charges are added on top in real transactions.
Why does the rate stay the same on some days?
Reference rates are published once per working day. Weekends and holidays reuse the last published figure until the next publication.
How do I convert reais to dollars?
Use the swap button above, then enter the amount in reais. The converter returns the dollar value at the same reference rate.
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