Trinidad and Tobago Currency: A Travel Money Guide

Before my first trip to Port of Spain, I spent a ridiculous amount of time worrying about money. Would my card work? Should I carry cash? Was the exchange rate going to shake out in my favor? In the end, the whole thing was far more straightforward than I feared. Here is what I learned so you do not have to figure it out the hard way.

What Currency Does Trinidad and Tobago Use?

The official currency is the Trinidad and Tobago dollar, usually written TT$ and coded TTD. You will see the symbol $ printed on notes and in store prices, and it can feel confusing at first because locals often just say dollar and assume you know they mean the Trinidad one. When I first walked into a supermarket and saw a sandwich priced at 20 dollars, I almost had a heart attack before I remembered the exchange rate.

The notes come in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100. They are colourful polymer notes, and each one has a different colour so they are easy to tell apart once you get used to them. I found it easiest to sort them by colour in my wallet before heading out for the day.

The Exchange Rate

The Trinidad and Tobago dollar trades in a fairly tight range against the US dollar. It has hovered around 6.7 to 6.8 Trinidad dollars for one US dollar for years now. The rate barely moves, which is good news for planning a budget. If you are arriving from the US, the math is easy. Ten US dollars gives you about 68 Trinidad dollars.

Other currencies get a less friendly rate. I found that euros and pounds convert decently at the banks but worse at airport kiosks. The lesson is simple. If you are coming from outside the US, change most of your money at a bank or exchange house in Port of Spain rather than at Piarco International Airport.

Cash Versus Cards

Cards are accepted far more widely in Trinidad than I expected. Major hotels, nicer restaurants, supermarkets and shopping malls all take Visa and Mastercard without any trouble. Small street vendors, markets and the famous doubles and roti shops are strictly cash only. You need cash for the small moments that matter, the beachside snack, the roadside fruit, the taxi that will not take a card.

ATMs and Fees

Bank ATMs are everywhere in Port of Spain and the main towns. I recommend using ATMs attached to the big banks, Republic Bank, Scotiabank, RBC, rather than the independent machines you can find in convenience stores. The bank ATMs are more reliable and less likely to have withdrawn.

Expect a fee for using a foreign card. My bank charged a flat fee plus a percentage on top, and Trinidad’s banks also charge their own foreign card fee. These stack up quickly. Before I left home I opened a no foreign transaction fee card and it saved me a surprising amount over two weeks.

Tips for Managing Money on the Ground

Here are the pieces of advice I wish someone had given me. First, take some US dollars with you even if you do not plan to use them, they are an easy backup and many places accept them. Second, do not change money at the airport if you can avoid it, the rates are worse and you only need a little cash to get into town. Third, keep smaller notes. Vendors and taxis always seem short on change for big bills.

Is It Safe to Carry Cash?

Petty crime on the streets is real, particularly in Port of Spain at night, so do not flash large sums. Keep a day budget in your pocket and the rest safely stashed at your hotel. I carried a money belt for my passport and main cash and only ever pulled out what I needed. That balance between practicality and safety served me well across the island.

Final Thoughts

Trinidad and Tobago uses its own dollar, the rates are stable, and a mix of cards and cash will see you through every situation. Bring a no fee card, a little backup cash in US dollars, and change the rest at a bank. Once the money side is sorted, you can actually relax and enjoy the food, the music and the people, which are the real treasures of this twin-island nation.

One more habit saved me a real amount: I asked my guesthouse about cash before I ever stepped out. Several hotels exchange at a fair rate and will steer you away from the airport kiosks, and one even helped me convert without tracking down a bank. For a late night when an ATM was out of order, that folded nicely into my plan. I also learned that some of the bigger supermarkets offer cash back with a card purchase, a clever way to top up small bills while doing my grocery run. Add these details to the basics above and the money side of your trip becomes almost boring, which is exactly how you want it.