World Bank RPW · 322 corridors · public dataset
How much does it cost
to send money abroad?
The real, quarterly cost of every World Bank remittance corridor, average price, cheapest provider, and the gap to the UN's 3% target. 322 country pairs, refreshed from Remittance Prices Worldwide.
- 6.7%
- Avg cost across 322 corridors
- 0.7%
- Cheapest corridor
- 113
- Countries linked
- 3%
- UN SDG 2030 target
The global picture
Across the 322 corridors we track, sending money abroad averages 6.7% - but the spread is enormous: the cheapest corridor runs 0.7% while the most expensive still exceeds 16%.
- 6.7%
- average cost, 322 tracked corridors
- 0.7%
- cheapest corridor on record
- 3%
- UN SDG 10.c target by 2030
- World Bank
- Remittance Prices Worldwide source
Every figure on this page is computed live from the World Bank RPW dataset, no estimates, no rounding away the outliers.
What sending money really costs
Average cost of a $200 transfer, percent, lower is cheaper for the sender
Where the 322 corridors fall
Number of tracked corridors in each cost band, most sit between the UN target and the global average
Find the cheapest way to send money home
PlainRemit tracks international money-transfer costs across 322 remittance corridors using the World Bank Remittance Prices Worldwide database. We help migrant workers, families, and businesses find the cheapest ways to send money abroad by comparing fees, exchange-rate margins, and delivery speeds.
Our guides explain how remittance fees work, compare digital services against traditional operators, and show how exchange-rate margins add hidden costs most senders never see.
Top corridors by volume
All rankings →| # | Corridor | Annual volume | Avg cost | Cheapest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States → Mexico | $58.9B | 5.1% | 1.3% |
| 2 | United States → India | $28.1B | 4.3% | 0.6% |
| 3 | United States → Guatemala | $18.5B | 4.9% | 1.1% |
| 4 | United States → Philippines | $16.0B | 4.9% | 1.1% |
| 5 | United Arab Emirates → India | $14.5B | 3.7% | 1.1% |
| 6 | United States → China | $14.2B | 5.9% | 1.8% |
| 7 | United States → Vietnam | $12.8B | 5.5% | 0.0% |
| 8 | Saudi Arabia → India | $11.2B | 5.8% | 2.7% |
Cheapest corridors
Full rankings →Browse by sending country
All 43 countries →About this data
How PlainRemit works, and why you can trust these numbers
What this site is
PlainRemit compares international money-transfer costs across 322 corridors and 113 countries, so you can see which routes and providers charge the least before you send money abroad.
Editorial process
- Source. Download the World Bank Remittance Prices Worldwide (RPW) database each quarter, a mystery-shopping survey of actual transfer quotes for a standardized $200 transfer.
- Verify. Combine RPW cost figures with World Bank World Development Indicators (WDI) bilateral flow volumes, without modifying, interpolating, or editorializing the underlying figures.
- Publish. Rank corridors and providers by total cost, and refresh the database within days of each new World Bank release.
Editorial independence & corrections
The PlainRemit is independent and accepts no payment, sponsorship, or promoted placement from any money transfer operator. Found an error or a stale corridor? File a correction via the contact page, and we respond within 72 hours and publish corrections with a visible revision note. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
Frequently asked
What is the cheapest way to send money internationally?
Digital fintech services typically offer the lowest fees, often under 1% on the cheapest corridors versus bank averages well above 6%. Costs vary by corridor. Check our corridor pages for specific country pairs.
Why are remittance fees so high for some corridors?
High fees are driven by limited competition, regulatory and compliance costs, thin digital infrastructure in receiving countries, and exchange-rate margins that aren't always transparent. Many Sub-Saharan Africa corridors still carry fees above 8%.
What is the UN SDG target for remittance costs?
UN Sustainable Development Goal 10.c targets reducing remittance costs to under 3% by 2030. The World Bank's reported global average remains around 6%, with many corridors still above 8 to 10%.
Where does this data come from?
PlainRemit uses the World Bank Remittance Prices Worldwide (RPW) database, tracking quarterly costs for 322 international corridors. Flow-volume data is from World Bank remittance statistics.