Cambio Gales

Rates in Uruguayan pesos and USD make Cambio Gales easy

Cambio Gales sits in Montevideo’s Carrasco International Airport T1, in the main departures area after security, so you can sort cash without backtracking toward check-in. It posts rates in both UYU and USD on digital boards, which cuts down on rate math when you’re half-asleep before a 06:00 departure.

The counter typically opens early in the morning before the first 05:00–06:30 wave of flights and runs through the late-night departures bank around 23:00, lining up with Aerolíneas Argentinas, LATAM, and Copa schedules. If you’re landing on a late Pluna-era legacy slot or current regional arrival after 22:00, double-check hours on the airport site, because closing times can shift outside that main bank.

You can change major currencies here, mainly USD, EUR, BRL, and ARS, into Uruguayan pesos or back again, with a minimum exchange that usually sits around the equivalent of USD 20. Expect airport spreads to be noticeably worse than downtown Montevideo casas de cambio on Avenida 18 de Julio, so this place works best for topping up small amounts instead of converting your whole trip budget.

Card payments for buying foreign currency sometimes add a 3–5% bank fee on top of Cambio Gales’ own spread, while cash transactions in USD or EUR generally price closer to the posted board rate. If you already pulled pesos from the lone departures-side ATM near gate 6, you probably only need Cambio Gales for leftover BRL or ARS you don’t want to carry home.

One practical tip: if your taxi from Ciudad Vieja drops you at MVD with time to spare, compare the rate on your driver’s receipt against Cambio Gales’ board; if the gap is bigger than about 8–10%, just exchange the minimum here and plan a proper swap at a city casa de cambio next time.