ATM & Currency

The ngultrum is pegged to the rupee, Indian notes are legal tender, and ATMs give you both.

Bhutan's money is the ngultrum (BTN or Nu.), pegged at par to the Indian rupee. Indian notes are legal tender throughout the country. This makes money in Bhutan unusually simple for visitors: you do not need to change your rupees, and you can run a combined Indian and Bhutanese balance. <h2>The peg, and why you will not see exchange rate swings</h2> The ngultrum is fixed to the rupee at 1&nbsp;BTN = 1&nbsp;INR. Bhutan's central bank does not set an independent monetary policy and does not issue its own currency. In practice, if you exchange or spend one, you are spending Indian rupees. Note the peg with the US dollar and the euro still move against both currencies. A dollar-based price in Bhutan therefore changes for foreign visitors as the rupee moves, even though the peg holds. <h2>Carrying and using Indian rupees</h2> Indian notes of any series are accepted across Bhutan for goods and services. Denominations of Rs&nbsp;500 and Rs&nbsp;2,000 are the ones you actually want to hold. Small change in Ngultrum is useful for taxis and small shops. Indian coins are rarely accepted. Cash is essential in the valleys, at teahouses, at village guesthouses and anywhere there is no terminal..