Ivory Coast currency: a guide to the West African CFA Franc

In the heart of West Africa lies a hidden gem waiting to be discovered: Ivory Coast. It is a land that seamlessly weaves together history, culture, and natural beauty. Remember that to travel to Ivory Coast you will need an Ivory Coast visa. Are you traveling to Ivory Coast? Then you need to learn all about the Ivory Coast currency: the West African CFA Franc. 

What is Ivory Coast currency? 

Ivory Coast is a member of the six states that form the West African Economic and Monetary Union, so its official currency is the West African CFA franc.

What is the best way to get West African CFA Franc?

Before your trip, you can exchange your money, but it is really convenient and it is advisable to bring euros in cash to change in banks, hotels and exchange bureaus in Abidjan. The rest may well be travel checks that can be exchanged for money at the big banks in the city of Abidjan.

In your daily transactions, you can operate with different currencies and notes. The recommendation is to use cash with low values to allow for simple changes.

The use of credit cards is discouraged because cybercrimes have been detected in networks where numbers are used for online purchases. It is necessary to declare currencies when entering the country. If failing to do so, then only 500 thousand francs (CFA) could be taken out.

What is the exchange rate from dollar to West African CFA Francs? 

If you are going to trade your USD for Francs, you can expect to get a conversion from US dollar to West African CFA Franc like this one:  1 US Dollar = 608.661 West African CFA Franc.

What is the exchange rate from Ivory Coast currency to Pounds? 

If you are going to trade British Pounds for Francs, you can expect to get a conversion like this one: 1 British Pound = 754.7369 West African CFA Franc.

Is there any other currencies in Ivory Coast?

Although the West African CFA Franc is attached to the value of the euro, the euro itself isn't accepted in Ivory Coast. 

Cost of living in Ivory Coast

If you are thinking of moving from the city or visiting the Ivory Coast, the first thing to do is calculate the cost of living. You must know how much the products, goods and services cost whether you travel for leisure, for work or spending a season there. To start you should know that the net salary of a worker could be around 660.20 CFA which is equivalent to about 330 dollars. 

A cheap menu per person can be around 2,250.00 CFA, a bottle of water around 288.89 CFA, a liter of milk around 950.00 CFA and a ticket for local transport around 300.00 CFA.

Travelling by car or taxi is the most frequent way of moving through the country, especially among the upper-middle class population and tourists. It should be noted that not all taxis have a meter and it is recommended to haggle or negotiate the price. An average journey ranges between 1,000 and 2,000 CFA francs. Also, there are group taxis (woro-woro) whose fare depends on the distance. Taxes and tips are included in the prices of hotels and restaurants.

The usual thing to do is to give a tip (100 or 200 CFA francs) to the valet or waiters.

Who benefits from the West African CFA Franc?

It is really necessary to emphasize that this currency is stable and has allowed the economy of the country to experience good growth. In fact, entrepreneurs in the region can conduct their business with great ease by having a common currency for both the local public and tourism.