Turkmen manat black market exchange rates

[Silvio]

In april 2018 we got 15 Manat for 1 USD in Ashgabat.

[steven]

RFE/RL reports an astounding 29 manat for 1$ in Dashoguz in June.

https://eurasianet.org/s/turkmenistans-mommy-issues

[dzi]

We changed 1$ for 16.50 -18 manats in two different bazars in Ashgabat. Someone told us, that could be 20, but it's not easy to get it.

[Mrloes]

We changed 1 USD for 16 in Mary (check with the guys hanging around the railway station) and Ashgabat (taxi driver at the stand opposite of the train station) in the end of June.

[laghubhara]

We changed 1USD to 16 Manat at Ashgabat Russian Bazaar and Mary Bazaar (the one in the south of the city) in August 2018. We met other travelers who said they exchanged for 17 Manat, but we don't know where.

[Adrian]

I received 18.5 manat for $1 at the Dashoguz Farmers Market on Sept 24th. From the train station, this is one block west (across) and two blocks south (down). I walked around the market for a while seeing if anyone would approach me but attracted no interest. I then wandered towards the stores with more expensive electrical goods and approached some men. One of these took me to another part of the bazaar where I made the exchange. A word of warning, the chap whom I exchanged with blatantly tried to cheat me. I had planned to change $80 (enough for two people), but the exchange guy wanted the trade to be for $90. I didn’t really care. I handed over 4 x $20 notes which I had prepared and whilst getting the $10 note from my wallet, he hid one of the $20 I had given him and accused me of only giving him 3 notes ($60). A huge argument ensued, me versus maybe five local guys. I was adamant he was a cheat, they wanted me to give another $20. The argument was settled in my favour after maybe 2mins as I just walked off and no one followed me or argued further, a sure sign that they were trying to scam me. The scam hadn’t worked on this occasion. As for the actual trade, $90 @ 18.5 - all the manat notes were fine and accounted for.

[kimomydog]

Mary, October 12, 2018
1 USD = 20 manat
But after scam, 1 USD = 14 manat (it happens!)

Details on exchange and scam!

Just came back to the hotel from the bazaar in central Mary. Two guys will approach you near the left side of the bazaar building with the dome. They offered us 20 manat for 1 USD. We went for it and exchanged 35 USD, which equals 700 manat. They purposely gave us 650 manat, walked away...and then came back telling us they gave us the wrong amount. We counted the money and confirmed it was only 650. But then they wanted to count it to make sure. As one man did so, it appears that (after the fact - like a magic trick!) he took some bills and pocketed it while counting and giving us the extra 50 manat. We didnt count it afterwards (our mistake!). So we thought we left with 700 when in fact we left only with 500. Still much better than the bank, but sucks knowing we were scammed.

So...count your money after in front of them. We counted before and showed them, but he wanted the money himself to count. This is when the scam happens.

Or just walk away with a little less than what you hoped for, knowing that you got close to 1 USD = 20 manat and dont interact with them again.

[SHappe]

We changed our money twice in Turkmenistan.

Ashgabat - 18 manat to a dollar. 14 March
- we tried walking around the Russian Bazaar and had no luck. We asked at the hotel reception and she pointed us to the little store in there. The girl in there was nervous, but changed our money quickly and efficiently. The hotel is 'Paytagt' on 74 Magtymguly. When you walk in through the front door, the shop is on the right hand side.

Dashoguz - 15 manat to a dollar. 16 March
- At the bazaar there, we walked down the main bit. It was well after 5pm, so pretty much everything was closed or closing. A guy was standing on the corner and offered to change our money. He took us to a kebab store and quickly changed our dollars into manat. All present and accounted for - the guy counted it all out in front of us (and we double checked)

If you're coming to Turkmenistan from the Badjiran crossing, there's a guy on the Iranian side in the taxi office who changes Rials to manat at a rate that works out to be 15 to the dollar.
If you leave Turkmenistan at the Dashoguz crossing, there's a guy just after the no man's land (and before you get to Uzbekistan) who will change into Som. I'm not sure of that rate (we had no manat left), but the locals were using him.

[superbosy]

Hi guys,
can someone help me with this. i am in dubai and have some turkmenistan manat that need to be exchanged to uae dirham. the exchange center doesn't accept this currency. do you know any black market who can change it?
thanks

[TheVantasticBrice]

Ashgabat 1 usd 18 manat