How to Change Currency on Airbnb (Desktop, iPhone and Android)

If you’re seeing prices in the wrong currency on Airbnb, you can usually fix it in under a minute. This guide shows how to change currency on Airbnb on desktop and in the app, plus what you can still change during checkout, and what happens once you’ve already paid.

1. Quick answer (fastest way)

Desktop: Airbnb menu → Languages & currency → Currency → select your preferred currency.
Airbnb app (iPhone/Android): Profile/Account → Settings (or Preferences) → Currency → select your preferred currency.
During booking: On the checkout screen, tap the currency next to the total under price details and switch it there.

Practical note: If a payment is already completed, you can’t retroactively change the currency for that payment. See Airbnb Help Centre: Change your currency for Airbnb’s latest wording and UI labels.

2. Change currency on Airbnb desktop

If you’re browsing on a laptop or desktop browser, this is the cleanest method because it updates the currency display across search results and listings.

2.1 Step-by-step (desktop)

1. Go to Airbnb on your browser and make sure you’re signed in.
2. Open the main menu (top-right, usually your profile icon).
3. Select Languages & currency.
4. Under Currency, choose the currency you want to display.
5. Refresh the page and check a listing price to confirm the change.

2.2 What this actually changes

• Airbnb will show nightly prices, cleaning fees, and totals in your selected currency across most pages.
• It does not guarantee what your bank charges, or whether your card adds foreign exchange fees.

Hosting later, or already listing a place? It’s worth sanity-checking the numbers before you change anything else.

3. Change currency in the Airbnb app (iPhone and Android)

Airbnb tweaks its app menus fairly often, so the wording may look slightly different depending on your version. The destination is usually still the same: Settings/Preferences → Currency.

3.1 Step-by-step (most common path)

1. Open the Airbnb app and make sure you’re signed in.
2. Tap your profile icon (often bottom-right).
3. Tap Settings (sometimes called Preferences).
4. Look for Currency (it may sit under a “Global” or “Account” section).
5. Select your currency and return to browsing.

3.2 If you cannot find “Currency”

Try these quick checks:

• Use the in-app search (if available) and search “currency”.
• Look for Languages & currency as a combined menu item.
• Check whether you’re in the guest booking flow or host mode. Some menus shift slightly.

4. Change currency during checkout (when you are about to book)

If you only need to switch currency for one booking, changing it at checkout is often faster than changing your default account setting.

4.1 Step-by-step (checkout)

1. Go to your booking details and continue to the checkout screen.
2. Under the total, open Price details.
3. Tap the currency shown next to the total.
4. Select your preferred currency and confirm.

Important: This is still a “before payment” change. Airbnb’s own guidance is clearest here. Refer to Airbnb Help Centre: Change your currency for the latest limits and examples.

5. Why Airbnb keeps showing prices in USD (or the “wrong” currency)

This is common, and it’s usually one of these causes.

5.1 Your currency setting did not save

• Log out and log back in.
• Update the currency again.
• Refresh the page or fully close and reopen the app.

5.2 You are seeing a “default” currency based on location or device

Sometimes Airbnb will infer a currency based on:

• your browsing locale,
• your device language/region settings,
• your IP location (especially if you travel or use VPNs).

If you want it locked, change it in your Airbnb account settings (Sections 2 and 3), not just during browsing.

5.3 The currency you want is not available

Airbnb only shows currencies it can process payments in. If you cannot find your currency, it may not be supported for checkout in your region. This is also covered in Airbnb Help Centre: Change your currency.

If pricing looks odd in one currency, it can throw off your expectations for what hosting actually earns.

6. Exchange rates, card fees, and what you actually get charged

Changing Airbnb’s display currency helps you compare prices, but your final cost can still vary.

6.1 Airbnb currency conversion vs your bank

• If you pay in a currency that differs from your card’s base currency, your bank may apply a foreign exchange rate and possibly a fee.

Airbnb notes that cross-currency bookings and third-party charges can affect totals, see Airbnb Help Centre: Supported currencies and currency fees.

• In some cases, paying in the listing’s local currency can be cheaper than paying in a converted currency, depending on your bank.

6.2 A simple way to sanity-check the total

Before you confirm a booking:

• take a screenshot of the total in your chosen currency,
• then compare it with your bank or card provider’s exchange rate policy.

If anything looks off, switch currency in checkout (Section 4) and compare again.

7. If you are a host, currency settings matter even more

If you host on Airbnb (or you’re considering it), currency affects how you think about:

• pricing strategy,
• competitiveness versus nearby listings,
• what your payout looks like once fees and exchange rates are applied.

If you are hosting and want to move from guessing to real numbers, look at Airbnb hosting income estimate and how professional management affects pricing, cleaning, and occupancy.

8. FAQ (common questions people actually search)

8.1 Why is my Airbnb in dollars?

Most of the time it is because your Airbnb currency setting is set to USD, or Airbnb is inferring USD from your device/locale. Change it in Languages & currency on desktop, or Settings → Currency in the app (Sections 2 and 3).

8.2 How do I change Airbnb to pounds (GBP)?

Set your account currency to GBP in your settings (desktop: Languages & currency → Currency). Then refresh and check a listing price to confirm it has updated.

8.3 Can I change currency after booking on Airbnb?

You can usually change the currency you view prices in, and in some cases adjust currency for upcoming steps during checkout. But once a payment is completed, you generally cannot change the currency for that completed payment. Airbnb explains the boundaries in Airbnb Help Centre: Change your currency.

8.4 Why can’t I find my currency in the list?

Airbnb does not offer every currency for payment processing in every region. If it is missing, it may not be supported for checkout where you are. Check Airbnb Help Centre: Change your currency for the latest list behaviour.

8.5 Will changing currency change the final price?

It changes the display and the way the total is shown, but your bank’s exchange rate and fees can still affect what you pay. Always check your card’s foreign exchange policy if you want a precise total.

Thinking about short-let management as a business model, not just a single property?

9. Summary

To change currency on Airbnb, update it in your account settings (desktop: Languages & currency → Currency, app: Settings → Currency). If you only need it for one booking, you can often switch currency during checkout under price details. If prices keep flipping back to USD, refresh the app, check your account settings again, and compare with Airbnb Help Centre: Change your currency to confirm the latest UI labels.