GLOBAL RESEARCH · 2026 · EDITION I
Travel ATM Fee Index 2026.
The most comprehensive analysis of foreign ATM withdrawal
fees ever published. 182 countries. 12 regions.
Every number tells a unique story.
GLOBAL RESEARCH · 2026 · EDITION I
Travel ATM Fee Index 2026.
The most comprehensive
analysis of foreign ATM
withdrawal fees ever published.
182 countries. 12 continental regions.
Every number tells a unique story.
GLOBAL RESEARCH · 2026 · EDITION I
Travel ATM Fee Index 2026.
The most comprehensive analysis of
foreign ATM withdrawal fees ever published.
182 countries. 12 regions.
Every number tells a unique story.
Every year, travellers around the world pay billions in ATM fees. To pay 13.98% for one withdrawal abroad or nothing, is knowing where to look.
Withdrawing cash abroad feels like a gamble. You insert your card, accept what the machine tells you, and move on. No sign on the door, no clue if ATMs next to each other charge differently.
The Travel ATM Fee Index 2026 is the first comprehensive study to map that difference for ATM Access Fees (‘ATM Fee’) – for 182 countries, territories and dependencies (172 with active ATMs, 10 with no ATMs).
At a glance
THE WORLD’S HIGHEST ATM FEE
13.98%
at an ATM in Turkey.
THE WORLD’S LOWEST ATM FEE
0.03%
at an ATM in Georgia.
MOST COMMON ATM FEE ABROAD
$5.87
if you don’t use a fee-free ATM.
FREE ATMS WORLDWIDE
35.3%
of all major ATMs globally (i.e. over 1 in 3 ATMs) charge 0 fees to foreign cardholders.
COUNTRIES WITH A FEE-FREE OPTION
61.63%
of countries in the world have at least one fee-free ATM option for travellers.
SAME ATM, DIFFERENT FEE
Visa versus
Mastercard, Amex, etc. 19.78% of ATMs charge different fees based on card network used.
- Most expensive region: is South America with average ATM fee of 2.83%. 70% of countries have no fee-free options.
- Friendliest regions: are Western Europe and West Asia with average ATM fee of 0.64% and 0.89%. 78% of countries have fee-free options.
- The hidden truth: is that four out of the five countries that have ATMs charging ⁓10% ATM fees, also have a fee-free option for travellers.
The world ranked, by what it costs to withdraw your own cash.
The top 20 most expensive countries
Rankings reveal the following countries to charge the highest average ATM fee to travellers. Countries São Tomé & Príncipe, Turkey, Gambia, Tanzania and Lebanon rank the highest with average ATM fee of 4.31% to 7.33%. These are followed by Peru, Suriname, Chile, Uruguay, Laos and Colombia charging an average ATM fee of 3.23% to 3.78%.
The top 20 cheapest countries
Rankings reveal the following countries to charge the lowest ATM fees to travellers. Countries Hong Kong, Lithuania, Saudi Arabia, and Estonia charge an average ATM fee of 0.02% to 0.04%. These are followed by Israel, Bermuda, Bulgaria, Brunei, Mongolia and Jamaica charging an average ATM fee of 0.06% to 0.09%.
So if a foreign cardholder withdraws $200 from an ATM in Turkey, expect to pay an average ATM fee of $12.58. The same in Hong Kong would be a maximum of 4 cents.
Travellers are paying 10%+ in ATM fees, in countries, where a fee-free option is right next door.
Rankings reveal that five countries namely Turkey, Algeria, Tanzania, Colombia and Peru have the worst ATMs on earth, where some of them charge 〜10% or more ATM fee per transaction.
Analysis shows that in four of these countries, there is at least one fee-free option for foreign cardholders, with wide national presence.
The Index also finds that in 61.63% of countries globally (i.e. in nearly 2 out of 3 countries) a fee-free alternative exists, that travellers can take advantage of.
Regional ATM fee rankings
South America is the most expensive region on earth – average ATM fee of 2.82% for travellers – nearly 4.5× more than Western Europe (0.64%) and Australia & Oceania (0.61%), the cheapest.
Eastern Europe is the data’s biggest contradiction – 1.37% average fee, fee-free options in 82.61% of countries, yet home to the highest ATM fees on earth. Western Europe has 0.64% average fee and half of its countries charge nothing across every major bank.
South Asia & Central Asia with 1.35% while South East Asia & East Asia (1.07%) split cleanly – East Asia is largely fee-free, South East Asia largely isn’t.
West Asia (0.89%) has the best multi-option coverage globally, with many countries offering two or more fee-free ATM options for foreign cardholders.
South America rankings
World’s most expensive region. Average ATM fee is 4.5× of the cheapest. Only 30% of countries have fee-free options.
Colombia charges an average ATM fee of 9.67%, Suriname 9.37%. Chile is the tourist trap – cheapest ATM charges 2.5%, most expensive 4.6%.
Bolivia and Peru are traveller friendly – with fee-free options widely present. This is despite Peru having the highest average fee of 3.78%.
Seven out of ten countries have no fee-free option – Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Suriname, and Uruguay. $6.16 is the typical ATM fee here.
Central America rankings
In countries where fees are high, no fee-free options exist. Where fee-free exists (62.5% of countries), ATM fees are lower anyway.
Mexico, the most visited country, charges ees as high as $11.42 at popular ATMs and $1.2 at some with limited presence. No fee-free options.
Panama’s major banks standardise a high fee of ⁓$6.80. Guatemala’s average fee is 3.15%, up to $6.55. Neither have fee-free options.
On the other hand, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras have lower fees of 0.31% to 1.88%, yet all have fee-free options.
Western Europe rankings
The world’s friendliest region to travellers for ATMs. 14 out of 28 countries analysed charge zero ATM fees to foreign travellers.
Fourteen countries have $0 ATM fees across major banks, including Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Portugal, Switzerland, and the UK.
Spain, among the most visited countries, charges up to $8.22 per withdrawal. Despite 18+ ATM networks, only three are fee-free with limited presence.
The Nordics are split. Norway and Sweden have free ATMs; Iceland, Denmark, and Finland don’t. Iceland is the worst – average ATM fees is just 1.09%, but exchange rates can push fee to $31.06 per withdrawal.
Eastern Europe rankings
The highest fee-free option coverage on earth (82.61% of countries), yet also home to the three highest fee ATMs in the world.
Turkey has the world’s three most expensive ATMs, charging 11.99%, 12.09%, and 13.98%; most others charge 8%+. Yet five major banks charge $0 – defining story of how right information can save travellers.
Moldova fees range from 1.69% to 3.75%. In Czechia, typical ATM fees are $8.16, though the average fee is just 0.17% due to high withdrawal limits.
The Baltics – Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia – have near-zero fees, while Armenia, Serbia, and Hungary also offer fee-free ATMs.
South East Asia & East Asia rankings
Sharp split for the 17 countries analysed in the region – East Asia is largely fee-free while Southeast Asia largely isn’t.
Thailand charges $10.87 per ATM withdrawal – the highest absolute fee in Southeast Asia – with no fee-free option. Vietnam follows closely, with fees reaching 8%. Both are the most visited countries.
East Asia is a different picture. Taiwan, Macao, and Hong Kong all offer fee-free options, with average fees below 0.2%.
South Asia & Central Asia rankings
No region on earth varies this wildly on ATM – between the countries, and within them. 12 countries analysed in the region.
Himalayan corridor is uniformly expensive: Pakistan, Nepal, and Bhutan all charge $3.18–$3.58 per withdrawal, with no fee-free ones. India & Sri Lanka, by contrast, charge upto $3, with equal fee-free options.
Central Asia is more forgiving. Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan charge typical fees of $1.71, but they have fee-free widely available.
Most travellers think an ATM fee is the same for all travellers. It isn’t always so.
The card you use. The type of ATM machine you use. The location of the ATM – all these factors matter. Because the same bank’s ATM can charge different travellers varied ATM fees based on these.
Six factors that impact these choices are: Card’s network and issuing company, card’s alliance or tie-up, ATM’s location, card’s issuing country, card’s operating company, and type of card (debit or credit card).
North America rankings
Fee-free options exist in both countries. Yet most travellers end up paying ATM fees.
US major bank ATMs charge $3.5–5 per transaction at branches, up to $6.95 at supermarkets and gas stations. Fee-free options exist but with very limited presence.
Canada is more consistent. Most banks charge 0.5–1%. One fee-free option exists, but with limited national presence.
Caribbean rankings
A one-percent average ATM fee misleads. Two-thirds of the islands don’t a have fee-free ATM.
Dominican Republic and Jamaica, two most visited islands here – one averages 2.7%, none fee-free and the other averages 0.09% with four.
Sint Maarten charges $10+ across all major banks – the highest absolute ATM fee in the region. Martinique and Guadeloupe, both French territories, charge nothing.
Australia & Oceania rankings
Lowest average ATM fee in the world. Yet also the worst fee-free option availability on earth.
Australia charges 0.15%–1.88% of the ATM’s maximum transaction limit across every major bank. Nearly no fee-free options exist despite being a top travel destination.
New Zealand has a fee-free option, but at a regional bank with limited presence. Fiji tells two stories – one charges $4.58, another nothing.
West Asia rankings
Many countries here don’t just offer fee-free options. They’ve removed ATM fees entirely.
Lebanon is an outlier – 4.31% average ATM fee and low limits result in $ 20-50 per withdrawal.
Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Israel charge nothing or near-nothing.
North Africa rankings
Four countries. Four different fee structures. The right bank in each changes everything.
Four completely different fee structures. Algeria charges up to 10% at the worst ATM, yet has a fee-free option. Egypt charges nothing.
Morocco, a top destination, has no fee-free option. Tunisia has one, making choice critical.
Sub Saharan Africa rankings
Many countries have fee-free options. But those attracting most tourists (safaris & hubs), don’t.
Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda (safari circuit countries) charge $2.68–5.92. South Africa, top hub, has none fee-free with a $3.05 typical fee.
Kenya, Eswatini, Botswana, Ethiopia, and Zambia charge up to $3.2 but all have fee-free options.
DISCLAIMER
Data, findings, and charts from this report may be referenced in publications, articles, or other media, provided clear attribution is given to the Travel ATM Fee Index 2026 or ATM Fee Saver (atmfeesaver.com). Reproduction in full or in part without attribution is not permitted.
ATM fee data reflects information available at the time of research and is subject to change without notice. ATM fees and providing fee-free options are at the sole discretion of the respective banks and ATM operators.
All ‘$’ values referenced in the report are in USD.
Exchange rates used for conversions are indicative and based on rates at the time of research. Actual fees will vary based on prevailing rates at the time of transaction.
This report is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Any person or entity referring to this report is advised to verify current ATM fees with their home bank and the relevant ATM operator before travelling.
For detailed methodology and disclaimers, refer to the Travel ATM Fee Index 2026 report.
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