Indian Overseas Bank (Colombo Branch)
SWIFT code IOBALKLX
- Currencies quoted
- 6
- Best buying rate for
- None today
- Best selling rate for
- None today
All Currencies Today
CurrencyEach rate's position among the banks quoting that currency today. Best means no bank beats it.BuyingBank buys → You sellYou hand over Currency → you get rupees. Higher is better.SellingBank sells → You buyYou hand over rupees → you get Currency. Lower is better.30 days
- USD / LKRUS DollarBuying328.0011 of 20Selling336.505 of 20View USD 30-day history
- EUR / LKREuroBuying364.6917 of 20Selling378.358 of 20View EUR 30-day history
- GBP / LKRPound SterlingBuying438.5710 of 19Selling452.106 of 19View GBP 30-day history
- INR / LKRIndian RupeeBuying3.40009 of 16Selling3.600010 of 16View INR 30-day history
- SGD / LKRSingapore DollarBuying253.8115 of 18Selling266.1413 of 18View SGD 30-day history
- CHF / LKRSwiss FrancBuying395.4712 of 16Selling414.0211 of 16View CHF 30-day history
Banks do not publish new rates at weekends. On a Saturday or Sunday these are Friday's closing rates.
Rates are sourced from bank websites and may differ from counter rates. Always verify with your bank before transacting.
Common questions about exchange rates
What is the difference between the buying and selling rate?
The buying rate is the rate the bank buys at, so it is the rate you sell at. That is the one that matters when money is sent to you. The selling rate is the rate the bank sells at, so it is the rate you buy at. That is what matters before you travel. Banks name both rates from their own side of the counter, which is why they read backwards at first. The selling rate is always the higher of the two; the gap is the bank's margin.
Why does every bank quote a different rate?
Each bank sets its own rate from its own stock of foreign currency and its own margin. The gap between the highest and the lowest is real money. On USD 1,000 it is often more than LKR 3,000, which is why it is worth checking before you go.
Is the rate the same for cash and for a transfer?
Often not. Banks usually pay a little more for money that arrives as a transfer than for notes handed over the counter, and charge a little less for a transfer than for notes. The rates here are transfer (TT) rates, or a bank's cash rate for a currency it quotes only in notes, so changing cash at the counter will usually come out slightly worse.
Why is the Central Bank rate different from the banks?
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka publishes an indicative reference rate for the market. It is not a rate you can transact at, because no counter will trade at it. That is why it is shown separately and left out of the best-rate comparison.
Do exchange rates change at weekends?
No. Banks publish rates on weekdays only and keep serving Friday's closing rates through Saturday and Sunday, so a weekend figure is Friday's number rather than a new one.
How often are these rates updated?
We check every bank's published rate card every 30 minutes while Sri Lankan banks are open. Most banks reprice once or twice a day.