Regional guide

For US travelers

Money in Asia, country by country.

Asia is the most cash first region we cover. Cards work at hotels, malls and mid range restaurants in the cities, and locals lean on QR payment apps, but street food, markets, tuk tuks and autorickshaws, temples and small shops still want local notes, so a stack of cash is your main tool almost everywhere. Two costs catch first timers here: several countries charge a flat fee on every foreign card withdrawal, steepest in Thailand, and a few want a visa or e-visa arranged and paid before you fly.

One rule holds everywhere here: always pay in the local currency, never dollars, on any card terminal or ATM, and pull cash from a bank ATM rather than an airport counter. Below is every country we cover in Asia, with a quick read on how card friendly it is and what to watch, then a full money guide for each. Start with where you are headed.

CambodiaCambodia runs on US dollars, so there is barely anything to convert: pay and withdraw in clean, newer dollar bills, take your change in riel, keep small notes for markets and tuk-tuks, and just decline any screen that offers to lock in a rate.Cash-firstWatch ATM feesChinaChina runs on mobile QR payments, and the big shift for visitors is that Alipay and WeChat Pay now let you link a foreign Visa or Mastercard, no Chinese bank account needed. Set both up before you fly, carry some yuan as a backup, and bring a card for hotels. Two more things to sort before you go: a visa, and a way around the Great Firewall.Cards in citiesHong KongOne of the easiest places anywhere to pay by card or phone, with a little cash kept back for taxis, red minibuses and the market stalls, an Octopus card for everything that moves, and Hong Kong dollars chosen over US dollars every time.Card-friendlyIndiaThe country runs on QR-code payments, but cash still rules the street and cards fill the gap.Cash-firstTourist tax to expectWatch ATM feesIndonesiaBali runs more on cash and QR codes than tourists expect, plus a one-time entry levy on top.Cash-firstTourist tax to expectJapanJapan is more card-friendly than its reputation, but cash still rules the small stuff.Cards in citiesTourist tax to expectLaosLaos is a cash-first country where the kip rules daily life, so bring a fee-friendly debit card, pull kip in small amounts from a bank ATM because limits are low, keep clean US dollars or Thai baht as backup, and pay in kip rather than dollars.Cash-firstWatch ATM feesSingaporeAbout as cashless as a city gets: tap a Visa or Mastercard for almost everything, straight onto the train and bus gates too, carry only a few dollars for hawker stalls and wet markets, always choose Singapore dollars over US dollars, and remember the 9% GST is refundable on the things you shop for and carry home.Card-friendlySouth KoreaOne of the most card-friendly places anywhere, with one catch worth knowing: foreign cards are sometimes refused at self-order kiosks and unmarked ATMs, so tap freely, keep a little won for the gaps, put a T-money card in your pocket, and always choose won over dollars.Card-friendlySri LankaSri Lanka runs largely on cash in rupees, so plan to pull LKR from a bank ATM on arrival, keep small notes for tuk-tuks, markets and tips, and decline any screen that offers to charge you in dollars. Your mandatory ETA is now free for US travelers, but you still must get it before you fly.Cash-firstTaiwanCard-friendly in the cities, but night markets, small eateries and the old streets still run on cash, so tap where you can, keep a stack of New Taiwan dollars for the stalls, load an EasyCard for transit, and always choose New Taiwan dollars over US dollars.Cards in citiesThailandThailand is cash-first once you step outside the malls.Cash-firstWatch ATM feesVietnamDay to day, Vietnam leans heavily on cash.Cash-firstTourist tax to expectWatch ATM fees

Compare across countries: the cost of a day, ranked,where Americans travel most, and how tipping compares to home.