Remittance Calculator: Compare Money Transfer Costs

Rates update hourly. Last reviewed: October 26, 2026.

How to use the remittance calculator

Enter the amount you want to send in US dollars and choose the destination currency. The calculator ranks every option by how much your recipient actually receives, which is the only number that captures both the fee and the exchange rate markup. The best option is highlighted, and every other row shows how much less it delivers.

The mid-market rate at the top is the benchmark: the real exchange rate with no markup. The gap between it and each provider's rate is a hidden fee, often larger than the visible one.

What the stablecoin route is

For Mexico, Argentina and Colombia, the calculator adds a stablecoin route: buy USDT with dollars, send it on the Tron network, and sell it for local currency on Bitso, a regulated exchange serving those markets. It uses Bitso's live USDT bid price for each currency, and hides the route automatically when the exchange order book is too thin to give a reliable price, which is currently the case for Brazil.

The route makes three fee assumptions, shown in full under "How we calculate the stablecoin route": a trading fee to buy USDT, a flat network and withdrawal fee, and Bitso's published taker fee to sell. These are typical retail costs, not guarantees. Your exchange, payment method and trading volume will change them.

What the live data shows: in our tests on October 26, 2026, the stablecoin route cost about 2.3% to 3.1% all-in for Mexico and Colombia, which placed it mid-table rather than first. Specialist providers running promotional rates delivered more. Argentina is the exception: the route led every provider, because the market "crypto dollar" rate trades well above the official exchange rate.

The honest catch: the stablecoin route requires both sender and recipient to hold exchange accounts, and the recipient has to sell and withdraw to a bank themselves. Traditional providers deliver straight to a bank account or cash pickup, which is worth paying for if your recipient is not comfortable with crypto.

Where the data comes from

Provider quotes come from Wise's comparison data, which collects live prices from providers including Western Union, Remitly, Xoom and PayPal. Stablecoin prices come from Bitso's public ticker, and the mid-market benchmark from ExchangeRate-API. Each source shows its collection time in the results, and the stablecoin row is labelled as an estimate.

For country guides, see sending money to Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic.

FAQ

What is the cheapest way to send money to Mexico from the US?

It changes daily, which is why the calculator uses live rates. In our October 2026 data, specialist providers such as Xoom, Western Union and WorldRemit delivered more than US banks, which apply larger exchange rate markups. The stablecoin route placed mid-table at about 2.3% to 2.6% all-in.

Is sending money with stablecoins cheaper than Western Union?

It depends on the country. In our October 2026 tests the stablecoin route cost about 2.3% to 3.1% for Mexico and Colombia, roughly level with Western Union and behind the best promotional rates. For Argentina it beat every provider because of the gap between market and official exchange rates.

How accurate is this remittance calculator?

Provider quotes reflect what each provider displayed when the comparison data was collected, and stablecoin prices are live exchange quotes, so results are close but not binding. Rates move constantly and fees vary with payment method. Always confirm the final amount on the provider's own quote screen before sending.

Why does the recipient amount matter more than the fee?

Many providers advertise low or zero fees but apply a weaker exchange rate, which costs more than a visible fee would. The amount received combines both costs into one number, so it is the only fair way to compare providers. That is how the calculator ranks every option.

Which countries does the calculator cover?

The calculator compares providers for US dollar transfers to Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, India and Nigeria. The stablecoin route is available for Mexico, Argentina and Colombia, where Bitso's order books are deep enough for a reliable live price. Brazil shows providers only until that changes.