Best Place to Exchange Money in Calgary

01Exchange

Where to change money in Calgary

Calforex, a specialist bureau, has two Calgary branches: downtown in CORE Shopping Centre and at Chinook Centre on Macleod Trail SW. Tourism Calgary says banks, trust companies and credit unions also exchange foreign currency, but check first whether a branch serves non-customers.

• Calforex, CORE Shopping Centre (downtown) ↗Ground floor, 317 7th Avenue SW, beside Indigo and facing Starbucks, with access from the 3rd Street LRT station. Calforex lists it as open 8.30am to 6pm on weekdays, 10am to 6pm on Saturdays and noon to 5pm on Sundays.
• Calforex, Chinook Centre ↗Unit 218, 6455 Macleod Trail SW: use Entrance 10 at the mall's north end and go up to Level 2. Open 10am to 9pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 7pm on Sundays and holidays.

02On arrival

Changing money at the airport

ICE lists three currency counters at Calgary International Airport (YYC). Before security, the arrivals counter by Door 16 is open 9am to 8pm, so late arrivals should plan to get Canadian dollars in the city. Beyond security, opposite the duty-free shops, the Concourse E counter for US flights is open 5am to 5pm and the Concourse D counter for other international departures 7am to 8pm (from 8am on Sundays). ICE also takes online orders for airport collection.

03Cash machines and cards

ATMs and cards in Calgary

A Canadian bank's ATM where you hold no account, or a privately owned 'white label' machine without big-bank branding, charges a convenience fee: C$1 to C$5 at banks and C$1.50 to C$5 at private machines, says the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, though its figures assume a Canadian account; your bank may add more. When a Calgary till or cash machine lets you choose, keep the payment in Canadian dollars rather than pounds, as the terminal's conversion is often dearer than your card's. Tourism Calgary says Mastercard, Visa and American Express are widely accepted.

04Getting around

Paying for transport in Calgary

An adult Calgary Transit fare is C$4.00 in 2026 and lasts 90 minutes on CTrain and buses; a day pass is C$12.65. Buy in the My Fare app (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Apple Pay or Google Pay) or at CTrain station machines, which take credit or debit cards, or coins (no notes). Calgary Transit's fare pages list no way to tap a bank card on board; if you pay cash on a bus, have the exact fare, as drivers give no change. The CTrain is free along 7th Avenue between City Hall/Bow Valley College and Downtown West/Kerby, but you need a fare beyond that stretch; council has put off deciding the zone's future until early 2027.

05Local know-how

Good to know

• Tourism Calgary puts the usual tip at about 15-20% of the pre-tax bill, depending on service, and 10-15% of the fare for taxi and ride-share drivers.
• On hotel bills, Alberta's tourism levy for stays under 28 days has been 6% since 1 April 2026, and Calgary Hotel Association members may add a destination marketing fee of up to 6%. Provincial rules require fees like this to be disclosed when you book, with full compliance due from 1 January 2027.