Haitian Gourde (HTG) Calculator

Haiti's Gourde in the Western Hemisphere's Poorest Economy

The Haitian gourde is the currency of the Western Hemisphere's poorest country, a nation that has endured a devastating earthquake in 2010, Hurricane Matthew in 2016, the assassination of its president in 2021, and ongoing gang violence that has made large parts of the capital Port-au-Prince inaccessible to normal life. The Banque de la Republique d'Haiti manages the gourde under a floating regime, and the currency has depreciated sharply against the dollar over the past decade, moving from roughly 40 HTG per dollar in 2014 to above 130 in recent periods.

Haiti's economy depends heavily on remittances from the large Haitian diaspora, concentrated in South Florida, New York, Boston, Montreal, and Paris. These transfers are the single largest source of foreign exchange and a lifeline for millions of families. The garment manufacturing sector, which produces T-shirts and textiles for export to the US under preferential trade agreements, provides formal employment and export revenue. Agriculture, particularly coffee and mangoes, contributes to both domestic food supply and exports.

Remittances and Survival

The remittance corridor between the US and Haiti is one of the most important in the Caribbean. Billions of dollars flow annually from the diaspora to families who depend on these transfers for food, housing, education, and healthcare. The exchange rate at the time of each transfer determines how many gourdes the recipient receives, and with the gourde weakening, each dollar buys more in local purchasing power.

Informal money transfer networks operate alongside formal services like Western Union, MoneyGram, and mobile-based platforms. The competition has reduced fees over time, but the urgency and desperation of many transfers means that senders are often less price-sensitive than in other corridors.

The security situation has severely impacted the economy and the currency. Gang control of Port-au-Prince's port and key roads has disrupted supply chains, driven up the cost of imported goods, and created fuel shortages that cascade through every sector. International organizations continue to operate but with significant security constraints.

Costs in Gourdes

Haiti is extremely cheap in dollar terms, though the low prices reflect extreme poverty rather than choice. A hotel in Petionville, the relatively safer hillside suburb of Port-au-Prince, costs 5,000 to 15,000 HTG per night. A meal at a restaurant runs 500 to 1,500 HTG. Street food including griot (fried pork) and diri ak djon djon (rice with black mushrooms) costs 100 to 300 HTG.

At 132 HTG per dollar, divide by 130 for quick math. A 10,000 HTG hotel is about $77. A 1,000 HTG meal is $7.70. Travel to Haiti is strongly discouraged by most governments due to the security situation, and visitors are almost exclusively diaspora members, aid workers, and missionaries.

USD/HTG Conversion

USD/HTG = 132 means one US dollar buys 132 Haitian gourdes. Converting $200 gives you 26,400 HTG. Converting 50,000 HTG gives you roughly $379. Cash in US dollars is the most practical currency. ATMs and card payments are unreliable. The formal banking system operates but with limitations imposed by the security environment. Dollar cash is accepted at many businesses, particularly in Petionville and areas serving the international community.

Haitian Culture and Resilience

Despite the devastating conditions, Haitis cultural contributions are extraordinary. Haitian art, particularly the vibrant paintings from the Saint-Soleil movement and the iron sculptures made from recycled oil drums in the village of Croix-des-Bouquets, are collected and exhibited worldwide. Haitian Vodou, often misrepresented in popular culture, is a complex syncretic religion that blends West African spiritual traditions with Catholic elements and plays a central role in community life. Haitian Creole cuisine, including griot, tassot (dried beef), accras (fritters), and sauce pois (bean sauce), is rich and distinctive. The Citadelle Laferriere, a massive mountaintop fortress built in the early 19th century to defend against French reconquest, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most impressive military structures in the Americas. These cultural treasures persist through every crisis, and the Haitian peoples resilience in the face of relentless hardship is itself one of the most remarkable stories in the Western Hemisphere.

The "Haitian dollar" is an informal unit of account still used in markets and negotiations, worth 5 gourdes. When a vendor quotes a price in "dollars" without specifying US, they typically mean Haitian dollars. So a "ten dollar" item costs 50 HTG, not 10 USD. This convention confuses visitors who assume the reference is to US dollars and end up paying five times the intended price. Clarifying whether a quoted price is in US dollars, Haitian dollars, or gourdes avoids misunderstandings.

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