Exchange Rate Margin Calculator
Work out the margin a currency provider is charging by comparing their offered rate against the mid-market rate.
Check the RBA or a currency comparison site for the current reference rate.
Your results
Calculation breakdown
- Margin
- ((Mid-market rate − Offered rate) ÷ Mid-market rate) × 100
Worked example
If the mid-market rate is 0.66 and your bank offers 0.645, the margin they're charging is about 2.27%.
Assumptions
- Both rates are manual inputs you should check against a live source such as the RBA.
- A negative result would mean the offered rate is better than mid-market, which is unusual.
How this calculator works
Enter the mid-market exchange rate and the rate actually offered by your bank or currency provider to see the margin they're charging as a percentage. This helps you compare currency providers beyond just their advertised fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I find the mid-market rate?
The Reserve Bank of Australia publishes daily reference exchange rates, and many financial news sites and currency comparison tools also show mid-market rates.
Is a small margin always better?
Generally a lower margin means a better deal, but also check for any separate flat transfer fees when comparing providers overall.
Does the margin change between providers?
Yes significantly — banks often have wider margins than specialist money transfer services, so it's worth comparing before a large transfer.
Results are estimates only and are not financial, tax, legal or credit advice.