You’re standing at a kiosk in Pearson or maybe just staring at a digital checkout screen, and you see it. Ten bucks. It’s the price of a fancy latte in Toronto or a mediocre sandwich in Buffalo. But when you try to flip 10 canadian dollars to us currency, the number that pops back at you is always a bit of a moving target.
Right now, as of mid-January 2026, the loonie is hovering around the 0.72 mark.
Basically, if you have a crisp ten-dollar bill with Viola Desmond’s face on it, it’s worth about $7.20 USD. But honestly? You’re probably not going to get exactly $7.20. Between the "hidden" fees, the mid-market spread, and the way banks like to take their little cut, that tenner might actually only buy you $6.80 worth of stuff across the border.
It’s annoying. I get it.
The Real Math Behind 10 Canadian Dollars to US
Most people just Google the rate and think that’s the end of it. It’s not. The rate you see on a search engine is the "interbank rate." That’s the price big banks use when they trade millions with each other. For regular people like us, we get the "retail rate."
If the official rate says 10 CAD is $7.20 USD, a typical airport exchange booth might only give you $6.50.
Why the massive gap? They have to pay for the rent at the airport, the staff, and the insurance to hold all that cash. Even "no-fee" digital apps usually bake a 1% or 2% margin into the exchange rate itself. It’s a bit of a shell game.
Why Does the Loonie Keep Shifting?
The Canadian dollar is what economists call a "commodity currency." That’s a fancy way of saying its value is tethered to the stuff Canada pulls out of the ground.
- Oil Prices: When Western Canadian Select (WCS) or Brent crude goes up, the loonie usually follows.
- Interest Rates: If the Bank of Canada raises rates faster than the Federal Reserve in the US, investors flock to Canada to get better returns. This drives the CAD up.
- Risk Appetite: Historically, the US dollar is the world’s "safe haven." When the global economy looks shaky, people dump the loonie and buy Greenbacks, even if Canada’s economy is doing just fine.
Throughout 2025, we saw the loonie dip as low as 69 cents and peak briefly near 73 cents. It's been a volatile ride. For a small amount like 10 canadian dollars to us conversions, these shifts might only mean a few cents difference. But if you’re moving thousands for a down payment or a car, those decimals start to look like mountains.
Where to Actually Get the Best Rate
If you've got ten bucks in Canadian coins (two toonies and six loonies, maybe?), your options are limited. Most US banks won't even touch foreign coins. They only want the bills.
Digital Wallets vs. Physical Cash
Apps like Wise or Revolut are generally the gold standard now. They use the real mid-market rate and just charge a transparent fee. For $10 CAD, the fee might be 15 cents. You end up with more money in your pocket than if you went to a big bank like RBC or TD, which might have a minimum spread that eats your lunch.
If you’re physically in the US and need to spend that $10 CAD, your best bet is actually just to use a credit card with no foreign transaction fees. The card network (Visa or Mastercard) usually gives a much better rate than any physical booth.
The Weird Psychology of the Ten-Dollar Bill
There is something psychologically painful about seeing $10 turn into $7. It feels like you lost money. But remember, purchasing power parity (PPP) is a thing. In some parts of the US, that $7.20 USD actually buys more than the $10 CAD did back home. Milk might be cheaper. Gas definitely is.
💡 You might also like: Finding Varo ATMs Near Me: How to Avoid Those Annoying Fees
Actionable Steps for Your Money
If you need to move money across the border, don't just wing it.
- Check the Live Spot Rate: Use a reliable tracker to see what the "true" price is before you buy.
- Avoid Airport Kiosks: They are, quite literally, the most expensive way to trade money.
- Use a No-FX Credit Card: Cards like the Scotiabank Passport or the Chase Sapphire (for Americans) don't add that extra 2.5% fee on top of the exchange.
- Hold Small Change: If you only have $10 CAD in coins, just save them for your next trip to Canada or give them to a friend heading north. The cost of converting physical small change is almost never worth the effort.
The loonie’s dance with the US dollar isn't ending anytime soon. While 10 canadian dollars to us might seem like a small calculation, it’s a tiny window into a massive global financial machine that never stops moving.