Home › Calculators › Currency Converter
Currency Converter
Convert an amount from one currency to another, or build a theoretical cross rate from two USD legs while keeping bid and ask sides separate.
Conversion
Result
See what a real trade would cost you
Before you place this, compare brokers on the one number that matters — the all-in cost of spread and commission — using our open, for-sale-proof methodology.
Compare broker trading costs →Disclosure. Some outbound links may be affiliate links; they never change a calculator’s result. How we make money.
Educational tools for non-US traders · not directed at US persons.
A direct currency conversion is amount × rate, where the rate is target currency per 1 source currency. Cross rates through USD depend on where USD sits in each leg: multiply when one leg is X/USD and the other USD/Y, divide when both USD legs sit on the same side, and use the opposite quote side in the denominator for bid/ask.
How it works
What this calculator does
Direct mode converts an amount with a rate you provide. Cross mode calculates the theoretical rate for a pair that is not quoted directly, using two USD legs. It is an education tool for checking the arithmetic, not a live market data feed.
Direct conversion formula
converted = amount × rate
The rate must be written as target currency per 1 source currency. If 1 source unit is worth 1.20 target units, 1,000 converts to 1,000 × 1.20 = 1,200.
USD cross-rate formulas
There are three common USD-position cases:
- Case 1:
X/Y = X/USD × USD/Y. Example:EUR/JPY = EUR/USD × USD/JPY. - Case 2:
X/Y = USD/Y ÷ USD/X. Example: EUR/JPY from USD/EUR and USD/JPY. - Case 3:
X/Y = X/USD ÷ Y/USD. Example: EUR/JPY from EUR/USD and JPY/USD.
For bid/ask, multiplication uses bid with bid and ask with ask. Division is the common trap: the bid is numerator bid ÷ denominator ask, and the ask is numerator ask ÷ denominator bid.
Worked example - direct conversion
With an amount of 1,000 and a direct rate of 1.20, the result is 1,000 × 1.20 = 1,200. The calculator does not infer the pair direction; the rate direction is the user's responsibility.
Worked example - EUR/JPY through USD
Using USD/EUR 1.2191-1.2193 and USD/JPY 109.744-109.756, this is case 2. The EUR/JPY bid is 109.744 / 1.2193 = 90.01; the ask is 109.756 / 1.2191 = 90.03. The mid is the average of bid and ask.
Common mistakes
- Using mids for everything. Bid/ask math must keep the side of the quote. Using only mids hides the spread.
- Dividing by the wrong side. In cross-rate division, the denominator switches sides: bid uses denominator ask, ask uses denominator bid.
- Forgetting inverse quotes. Taking a reciprocal flips bid and ask: the inverse bid is
1 / ask, not1 / bid. - Treating theory as the live quote. A cross rate built from two legs is a theoretical implied price. The direct market quote can differ.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert one currency amount to another?
converted = amount × rate, where the rate is target currency per 1 source currency. For example, 1,000 at 1.20 converts to 1,200.