Cheapest Coins than the Real: The Complete Ranking of the 10 Weakest Coins in 2025

When you receive your salary and find out that in the coming months it will buy less than it does today, you start to understand what billions of people in countries with currencies cheaper than the real experience. The Brazilian real has already been criticized for its instability, but the truth is that it remains much stronger than dozens of currencies around the globe. In 2025, a global scenario marked by persistent inflation, political crises, economic instability, and international sanctions turned some currencies into symbols of absolute fragility. While we complain here in Brazil about devaluation, there are nations where the population deals with currencies so cheap that they need hundreds of thousands of units to buy a simple dollar.

But what really makes a currency become so devalued? And why do some currencies cheaper than the real continue to lose value? In this article, you will discover not only the 10 weakest currencies in the world but also understand the mechanisms behind this sharp decline and what it means for those thinking about investing, traveling, or simply understanding how the global economy works.

Why Do Some Currencies Become Cheaper Than the Real: Determining Factors

When you follow the financial market, you quickly realize that weak currencies never appear by chance. They are always the result of a combination of factors that destroy investor confidence and weaken economies. Here are the main ones:

Uncontrolled inflation: In Brazil, when inflation exceeds 5% per year, it already causes concern. Now imagine countries where prices double every month. This phenomenon, called hyperinflation, literally erodes people’s purchasing power and devalues the currency to the point of becoming practically useless.

Chronic political instability: Coups, internal wars, and governments that change constantly destroy legal security. When there is no predictability, investors simply flee, and the national currency turns into colored paper with no real value.

International economic sanctions: When the world closes its doors to a country, cutting off its access to the global financial system, the local currency becomes isolated. The result? It becomes virtually useless for international transactions, plunging further in value.

Insufficient international reserves: A weak Central Bank, without enough dollars and gold, cannot defend the currency in the market. Without these “weapons,” devaluation is only a matter of time.

Mass capital flight: When even citizens prefer to store dollars informally instead of the national currency, you know the situation is critical. This loss of confidence accelerates the decline.

These combined factors create currencies that become drastically cheaper than the real. And that’s exactly what you will see next.

Meet the 10 Currencies Cheaper Than the Real in 2025

Based on market data and international economic reports from 2025, here are the currencies that currently have the lowest global purchasing power:

1. Lebanese Pound (LBP) – The Most Dramatic Collapse

If there’s a champion in devaluation, it’s the Lebanese Pound. Officially, the rate should be 1,507.5 pounds per dollar, but that quote exists only on paper. In the real market, you need more than 90,000 pounds to buy 1 US dollar. The situation is so critical that banks limit withdrawals, shops reject the local currency, and many services only accept dollars. Ride-share drivers in Beirut now charge in foreign currency because no one trusts the Lebanese pound anymore.

2. Iranian Rial (IRR) – Economic Isolation

American sanctions have turned the rial into a third-world currency. To get an idea: with just R$100, you become a “millionaire” in rials. The government tries to control the exchange rate, but in practice, there are multiple parallel rates. Interestingly, young Iranians are adopting cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum to preserve their capital, as the national currency continues to collapse.

3. Vietnamese Dong (VND) – Historical Weakness

Vietnam has a growing economy, but the dong remains historically weak due to monetary policy decisions. When you withdraw 1 million dong at an ATM, you get a stack of notes as big as a book. Great for tourists (with US$50, you feel like a millionaire), but for Vietnamese, it means imports are very expensive and international purchasing power is extremely limited.

4. Lao Kip (LAK) – Small Economy

Laos faces a complicated situation: a small economy, dependence on imports, and constant inflation. The kip is so weak that at the border with Thailand, merchants prefer to accept the stronger Thai baht.

5. Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) – The Giant with a Weak Currency

Paradoxically, Indonesia is Southeast Asia’s largest economy, but the rupiah has never strengthened. Historically weak since 1998, it remains among the most devalued currencies worldwide. For Brazilian tourists, this means Bali continues to be extremely affordable.

6. Uzbek Sum (UZS) – Incomplete Reforms

Uzbekistan has implemented important economic reforms, but the sum still reflects decades of a closed economy. Despite efforts to attract investments, the currency remains devalued and weak.

7. Guinean Franc (GNF) – Wealth Unconverted

Guinea is rich in gold and bauxite, but political instability and corruption prevent this wealth from translating into a strong currency. It’s the classic case of resource-rich but poorly governed country.

8. Paraguayan Guarani (PYG) – The Traditional Neighbor

Our neighbor Paraguay maintains a relatively stable economy, but the guarani has always been weak. For Brazilians, this ensures that Ciudad del Este remains a shopping paradise with high purchasing power.

9. Malagasy Ariary (MGA) – The Isolated Nation

Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world, and the ariary reflects this reality. Imports become prohibitively expensive, and the population has virtually zero international purchasing power.

10. Burundian Franc (BIF) – The Worst Scenario

Closing the ranking, we have a currency so weak that for large transactions, people literally carry entire bags of money. Chronic political instability in Burundi directly reflects in the collapse of the national currency.

How These Data Impact Your Purchasing Power

The ranking of currencies cheaper than the real is not just a financial curiosity. It’s a direct reflection of how politics, trust, and economic stability determine the fate of an entire economy. For Brazilian investors and citizens, some clear practical lessons emerge:

First, understand that fragile economies with extremely cheap currencies pose enormous risks. A devalued currency may seem like a buying opportunity, but the truth is that most of these countries face deep structural crises.

Second, recognize that there are real opportunities in tourism. Destinations with currencies much cheaper than the real can be financially advantageous for those arriving with dollars or euros and wanting to maximize their purchasing power.

Third, use this knowledge as practical learning. Watching currencies collapse helps you understand the real effects of inflation, corruption, and political-economic instability on people’s lives. Staying alert to these factors is essential to understanding the importance of trust, stability, and good governance for any economy—and for your future as an investor.

The truth is that keeping your capital safe in a world of unstable currencies requires diversification. Investing in assets that cross borders and are not directly affected by local inflation is an increasingly common strategy among smart investors.

Want to understand even more how money transforms into power or fragility around the world? Follow our content and discover not only which currencies are cheaper than the real but also the strongest ones, where hidden opportunities are, and how to prepare to take advantage of them.