Remittance Cost Index — What Fees Take From a USD 200 Transfer

A transparent, reproducible snapshot of how much a recipient actually loses on a USD 200 transfer across 14 major corridors. Instead of naming providers, we model the two things every provider charges: a fixed fee and a margin hidden in the exchange rate.

The index table

Each column shows the local-currency amount the recipient receives on the same USD 200 at a stated all-in cost. "Lost at 3%" is the difference between the mid-market value and the 3% case — in other words, money that never leaves the sending country.

Corridor	Mid-market	At 0%	At 1%	At 2%	At 3%	Lost at 3%
USD → PKR	276.6900	55,338	54,784	54,231	53,677	1,661
GBP → PKR	370.8981	74,179	73,437	72,696	71,954	2,225
EUR → PKR	309.8432	61,968	61,348	60,729	60,109	1,859
SAR → PKR	73.7840	14,756	14,609	14,461	14,314	442
AED → PKR	75.3924	15,078	14,927	14,776	14,626	452
USD → INR	94.9300	18,986	18,796	18,606	18,416	570
GBP → INR	127.2520	25,450	25,195	24,941	24,686	764
USD → BDT	124.3900	24,878	24,629	24,380	24,131	747
USD → PHP	63.4300	12,686	12,559	12,432	12,305	381
USD → NGN	1,345.87	269,174	266,482	263,790	261,098	8,076
USD → EGP	55.4200	11,084	10,973	10,862	10,751	333
USD → IDR	18,144.90	3,628,980	3,592,690	3,556,400	3,520,110	108,870
USD → KES	129.9800	25,995	25,736	25,476	25,216	779
USD → LKR	332.3200	66,464	65,799	65,134	64,470	1,994

All-in cost = fixed fee + exchange-rate margin, expressed as a percentage of the amount sent. Ranges in the market typically run from about 0.5% (best online providers) to 6%+ (bank wires).

How this index is calculated

1. Mid-market rates are pulled from our open data endpoints on 3 November 2026.
2. For each corridor we apply four cost scenarios: 0%, 1%, 2% and 3% of the amount sent.
3. Recipient amount = USD 200 × mid-market rate × (1 − cost). No provider-specific fees are assumed, so nothing here is a quote.

This is deliberately provider-neutral. If you want to check a real quote against the index, use the implied-rate method: recipient amount ÷ amount sent = implied rate; then compare it with the mid-market rate on the pair page.

What the numbers usually show

• The gap between 1% and 3% dwarfs most advertised fees. On USD 200 that is roughly two-thirds of the total cost in most corridors.
• Corridors with more competition cost less. High-volume routes (USD→PHP, USD→INR, Gulf→PKR) tend to price tighter than smaller ones.
• Small transfers are the most expensive in percentage terms, because fixed fees do not scale down.

Cite this index

Journalists, researchers and bloggers are welcome to cite or embed this page. Please link back to the source URL:

GlobalFxcc, "Remittance Cost Index", 3 November 2026, https://globalfxcc.com/remittance-cost-index

Use the underlying data

• Free exchange-rate JSON endpoints
• Embeddable live rate widget
• Transfer cost framework
• Why zero-fee transfers are not free

Methodology note: this index is an independent cost model, not a survey of provider pricing. It is designed to be reproducible: same rates plus same cost assumptions equal the same numbers. Update cadence: every build.