Do travelers in Batumi need a local bank card/account, or is it cheaper to use cash and exchange money into lari?
Based on 2 discussions with 3 participants · Last activity: 9 days ago
TL;DR
From the discussion, if a card or account is already costing around 30 lari in fees, many travelers feel it’s not worth it and prefer using cash exchanged into lari. It’s also recommended not to keep all funds in one place and to plan where to get lari at a better rate.
What the community said
If your card or account is already charging about 30 lari, people in the discussion felt that getting another banking product in Batumi may not be worth it. With that level of fee, it can be simpler to rely on cash and exchange money as needed.
9 days ago 30 lari
One practical tip was to plan ahead for buying lari at a nearby exchange office, especially for your first days in town. According to the chat, rates have not increased everywhere, so it can sometimes be cheaper to buy some currency at home and exchange the rest in Batumi.
9 days ago lari, exchange office
Another recurring recommendation was not to keep all your money in one place. Even if you use a bank card, it’s safer to split funds between cash and different payment methods in case one card stops working or extra fees appear.
9 days ago