French Guiana sits on the northern coast of South America, between Suriname and Brazil. Its neighbours use the Surinamese dollar and the Brazilian real. French Guiana uses neither. It is an overseas department of France and an outermost region of the European Union, so the currency here is the euro, exactly as in Paris or Lisbon. That single fact settles most money questions before you land.
What still needs explaining is the practical side: where cards work and where they do not, how far to trust an ATM inland, why a supermarket trolley costs more than in mainland France, and what a stay really costs. This is general information, not financial advice — for anything about your own card, fees or limits, ask your bank.
The euro, in South America
French Guiana belongs to the euro area. The notes and coins are the same ones used across the eurozone, and because the territory is French and EU soil, French consumer law, French banking rules and the same payment infrastructure apply. For visitors from the eurozone this is painless: nothing to change, no conversion to calculate.
For everyone else — the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil, Suriname — the advice is simple: where money is concerned, treat French Guiana as a European destination, not a South American one. Bureaux de change are very thin on the ground, even in Cayenne. Arrive with a working bank card and take cash from an ATM.
Paying by card, and where cash still matters
Card payment is the norm in Cayenne and Rémire-Montjoly. Supermarkets, petrol stations, pharmacies, restaurants and most shops take Visa and Mastercard without fuss. Contactless — sans contact in French — is standard for small amounts, and mobile payment works wherever the terminal accepts it. American Express is far less reliable; do not make it your only card. Cash still has a role, though. Keep notes and coins for:
- Markets, street food and the evening stalls around Cayenne.
- Craft stalls and roadside fruit sellers.
- Independent guides, boatmen and small excursion operators.
- Villages and river communities inland, where a card terminal may not exist.
- Small businesses that set a minimum spend for card payment.
A useful rule: card for the coast, cash for anything involving a boat, a track or a village. Carry small notes — breaking a large one in a small shop is not always possible.
ATMs: withdraw on the coast, before you go inland
Cash machines — distributeurs, or DAB — are easy to find in Cayenne and Rémire-Montjoly, at bank branches, near shopping areas and at the airport. Kourou and Saint-Laurent du Maroni have them too, so along the coast running out of cash is a minor inconvenience. Inland is different. Towards Roura, the Kaw marshes, the upper rivers and the smaller communes, machines become scarce or absent, and those that exist can be out of service or out of notes, worse at weekends. The habit that never fails: withdraw what you need while still in Cayenne or Rémire-Montjoly, and keep a reserve. If a machine offers to charge you in your home currency rather than euros, choose euros; its own conversion is rarely in your favour.
Arriving overland from Brazil or Suriname
Two land crossings bring travellers in: Oiapoque to Saint-Georges facing Brazil, and Albina to Saint-Laurent du Maroni facing Suriname. Both take you from a different currency zone into the euro.
Do not count on spending reais or Surinamese dollars once across: they are foreign currency here and shops are under no obligation to take them. Informal changers operate at the borders, but the rate is whatever they say it is and there is no recourse. The safer route is to arrive with a card that works in the EU and withdraw euros on the French Guiana side. Coming the other way, do not expect to spend leftover euros in Brazil or Suriname either.
Why prices are higher than in mainland France
Visitors from France notice it in the first supermarket, and food is where the gap is widest. Two things explain most of it. The first is imports: most consumer goods arrive by sea or air over a long distance for a small market, so freight, insurance and handling end up in the shelf price, and small volumes mean less bargaining power.
The second is octroi de mer, sometimes translated as dock dues: a tax specific to the French overseas regions, applied to imported goods and to some locally produced ones, with rates set regionally. It funds local authorities and shelters local production from imports — and it adds to what you pay at the till. French Guiana does not run the standard mainland VAT system either; the overseas departments have their own arrangements, with octroi de mer at the centre, so comparisons with the mainland are not like-for-like. Local and seasonal products — fish, tropical fruit, market vegetables — compare best, which is an argument for shopping at the covered market in Cayenne. Rules vary by product, so for anything binding, check with the French customs administration.
Tipping
French practice applies, and it is straightforward: service is included in the bill, and staff are paid a wage rather than depending on tips. You are not expected to add a percentage. Tipping is a gesture — the small change after a coffee, a rounded-up taxi fare, something for a guide who gave you a genuinely good day. If you come from a tipping culture, the adjustment to make is downwards.
Budgeting a stay: where the real savings are
Since groceries and restaurant meals both cost more here, the biggest lever on your budget is how you organise your accommodation.
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Everyday spending in Cayenne or Rémire-Montjoly | Card, including contactless. Keep cash for markets and small stalls. |
| Day trip to Roura, Kaw or the interior | Withdraw cash before leaving the coast. Do not count on an ATM. |
| Arriving overland from Brazil or Suriname | Withdraw euros on arrival. Reais and Surinamese dollars will not be accepted. |
| Arriving from outside the euro area | Bring a working Visa or Mastercard. Bureaux de change are very rare. |
| An ATM offers your home currency | Always choose euros. |
| Restaurant bill | Service is included. Round up if you wish, nothing more. |
| Stay of a week or more | Cook in the flat, and ask us for a weekly or monthly quote. |
Cook, at least sometimes. Every property we manage has a fully equipped kitchen, and cooking two dinners out of three with what the market has changes a week’s budget more than anything else. A studio such as Cocon Montabo, in the Montabo district of Cayenne, starts from 52,50 € a night with a fitted kitchen, Wi-Fi, parking and the beach close by — book it here.
Book direct, with no platform commission. Booked through us, the same property carries no booking-platform commission. Start from our booking page or the full list of properties.
Ask for a weekly or monthly rate. Long stays are quoted differently from a two-night weekend. For a work assignment, a course at the university campus in Baduel or a family visit, send us the dates and we will quote for the whole period. Our relocation and settling-in service is built for that, and our services page sets out what else we handle.
Match the property to the group. One larger place is usually cheaper per person than several small ones. L’écrin tropical, a modernised Creole house in central Cayenne with a garden and its original well, sleeps six from 150 € a night, within walking distance of the Place des Palmistes and the covered market (Airbnb · Booking). For a group heading out of town, Natura Lodge at Roura is privatised for your party alone, with an open kitchen and sleeping space for fourteen (Airbnb · Booking). By the sea, Kaz’Alizés at Rémire-Montjoly sits in a quiet residence with a pool, a hundred metres from the beach (Airbnb · Booking).
Frequently asked questions
Can I pay in dollars or Brazilian reais in French Guiana?
No. The euro is the currency, and foreign notes are not generally accepted in shops, restaurants or taxis. Exchange offices are very rare, so use a bank card and withdraw euros from an ATM.
Will my card work, and is contactless available?
Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted along the coast, and contactless is standard for everyday amounts. American Express is much less reliable. As this is part of the EU banking area, European cards behave normally. For your own limits and charges, ask your bank.
How much cash should I carry?
Enough for markets, small stalls, independent guides and anything involving a boat or a track. Along the coast you can top up easily. Before a day inland — Roura, Kaw, the rivers — withdraw in Cayenne or Rémire-Montjoly first, because machines there are scarce.
Why is food more expensive than in mainland France?
Most goods are imported over a long distance for a small market, which loads freight and handling onto the shelf price, and octroi de mer applies on top. Local and seasonal produce is where the difference narrows.
Planning a stay? Talk to us first
We manage verified properties in Cayenne, Rémire-Montjoly and Roura, we book direct with no platform commission, and we answer fast in French, English, Spanish and Portuguese. Send us your dates and your group size and we will quote — weekly and monthly rates included for long stays. A video walk-through before you commit is available on request.
Message us on WhatsApp, write to contact@amazon-conciergerie-guyane.com, or use our contact page. To browse first, our guide to where to stay in French Guiana runs through the neighbourhoods one by one.