Myanmar Money, ATMs and Card Usages
Credit cards and ATMs is at the start-up stage, cash is king while traveling in Myanmar. Local currency is Kyat (pronouce: chat). USD is nationwide accepted with many requirements of note conditions.The official Burmese currency is the Kyat (MMK) and you should plan to use this in most parts of the country, although USD is also widely accepted. Exchange rates fluctuate so we recommend keeping USD and exchanging as you travel.
Tipping and Donations
Myanmar, once the cheapest country in Southeast Asia, has recently been subject to some hefty price hikes due to a boom in travel to the region. At a pinch, shoestring travelers can get by on a budget of approximately US$60 a day for a cheap guesthouse (no aircon and dubious hygiene), travel on local buses and meals at local street food stalls and tea houses. Travelers wanting access to air conditioned hotel rooms, meals at western-style restaurants and taxi rides should budget closer to $150 per day. Luxury hotels in Yangon and Bagan can be as expensive as anywhere in the western world. 
Tipping as known in the West is not customary in Myanmar, though little extra ‘presents’ are sometimes expected (even if they’re not asked for) in exchange for a service (such as unlocking a locked temple at Bagan, helping move a bag at the airport or showing you around the ‘sights’ of a village).
It’s a good idea to keep some small notes (K50, K100, K200) when visiting a religious temple or monastery, as donations may be asked for. Also, you may wish to leave a donation.
In the past, many travellers have offered a little ‘tea money’ to officials in order to help expedite bureaucratic services such as visa extensions or getting a seat on a ‘sold out’ flight. You shouldn’t have to do this. If you overstay your visa, you’ll often pay a $3 ‘fee’ for the paperwork, in addition to the $3 per day penalty.
Burmese Bank Notes
Myanmar’s national currency, the kyat (pronounced chat, and abbreviated K) is divided into the following banknotes: K1, K5, K10, K20, K50, K100, K200, K500 and K1000. Travellers should ensure they arrive in Myanmar with their entire travel budget in US dollars, as ATMs are still very hard to come by (although this may change). The bills should be unmarked and in excellent condition, as money changers are reluctant to deal with damaged notes.US dollars can be changed at Yangon airport, banks (which give the best exchange rates) and some hotels (which charge more but can be handy at a pinch). Black market money changers are prolific on the streets of major tourist hubs, but generally give a much worse price for Kyat.
Burmese money usages
Many guesthouses and hotels quote prices in US dollars. These places usually accept kyat, but at a slightly disadvantageous rate (perhaps a difference of K50 or K100 to the dollar). Some hotels, shops and government ferry clerks give change in kyat or with torn US bills that you can’t use elsewhere in Myanmar. If you’re counting pennies, bring lots of small dollar bills – ones, fives and 10s – and use them to pay for your hotel.Government-run services (such as archaeological sites, museums and ferries) and flights are paid for in US dollars or FEC notes, not euros.
Items such as meals, bus tickets, trishaw or taxi rides, bottles of water or beer and market items are usually quoted in kyat.
Any amounts over $2000 per person are supposed to be declared upon arrival.
Don’t expect to change any rumpled, torn US dollar bills. Moneychangers accept only crisp, clean (and mostly uncreased) bills, and tend to only take the ‘new’ US dollar bills (with the larger full-frame heads).
ATMs, Credit cards & traveler cheque
Myanmar is only just starting to introduce ATMs, and even then only in Yangon and major tourist hubs. Currently these should not be relied upon, and travelers should bring enough US dollars to cover their entire trip when they enter Myanmar.
Need a credit card bailout? Fly to Bangkok! Credit cards and travelers cheques are essentially useless in Myanmar. Surprised tourists in Yangon found themselves helpless when trying to use them. However, a couple of high-end hotels in Yangon and Mandalay are able to accept credit cards, and sometimes give cash back. This is done via a processing system linked outside the country, usually in Singapore, and is at the mercy of internet connections.
Note: credit card usage situation now can be changed as Myanmar is in rapid progress of opening. Please contact to our Experts for most updated information
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