EUR to USD in August 2026: high, low, average
Updated September 26, 2026
The euro averaged 1.1593 US dollars in August 2026, based on 21 daily reference rates published by the European Central Bank between August 3 and August 31. That average sits well above July, when one euro bought 1.1417 dollars on average, and only slightly below August 2025, when the average was 1.1631.
If you exchanged euros for dollars during the month, the day you picked mattered by about 1.6%. The weakest fixing was 1.1515 on August 4 and the strongest was 1.1699 on August 21.
The month at a glance
- Average: 1.1593 USD per 1 EUR
- Low: 1.1515 on August 4
- High: 1.1699 on August 21
- First fixing: 1.1535 on August 3
- Last fixing: 1.1596 on August 31
- Change from first to last fixing: up 0.53%
- Inverse average: 0.8626 EUR per 1 USD
Looking only at the first and last day, August was a quiet month: the euro ended 0.53% higher than it started. The path between those two days tells a different story. For the first two weeks the rate hardly moved, sitting between 1.1515 and 1.1567. On August 19 it reached 1.1605, and on August 20 it jumped to 1.1681, the largest one-day gain of the month at 0.65%. The next day brought the monthly high of 1.1699. After that the euro gave back part of the rise and closed the month at 1.1596.
Up days and down days were almost evenly split: the rate rose on 10 fixings and fell on 11.
Daily EUR/USD reference rates in August 2026
| Date | USD per 1 EUR | Versus previous fixing |
|---|---|---|
| August 3 | 1.1535 | up |
| August 4 | 1.1515 | down |
| August 5 | 1.1554 | up |
| August 6 | 1.1542 | down |
| August 7 | 1.1535 | down |
| August 10 | 1.1555 | up |
| August 11 | 1.154 | down |
| August 12 | 1.1545 | up |
| August 13 | 1.1534 | down |
| August 14 | 1.1567 | up |
| August 17 | 1.1593 | up |
| August 18 | 1.1576 | down |
| August 19 | 1.1605 | up |
| August 20 | 1.1681 | up |
| August 21 | 1.1699 | up |
| August 24 | 1.1664 | down |
| August 25 | 1.1662 | down |
| August 26 | 1.1669 | up |
| August 27 | 1.1645 | down |
| August 28 | 1.1643 | down |
| August 31 | 1.1596 | down |
The ECB publishes one reference rate per currency on each TARGET business day, usually around 16:00 Central European Time. Weekends have no fixing, so August 2026 had 21 rates.
How August compares with July and with a year earlier
The monthly average rose by 1.54% against July 2026 (1.1593 against 1.1417). For someone paid in euros and spending in dollars, August was the better month of the two: every euro bought more dollars on average.
Against August 2025 the picture is almost flat. A year earlier the average was 1.1631, a little higher than this August. So the euro in August 2026 was back near the level it held a year before, after a softer July.
What the numbers mean for a traveller or freelancer
If you are paid in dollars and convert to euros, a lower EUR/USD rate works in your favour, because each dollar buys more euros. In August 2026 that favoured the start of the month: the 1.1515 low on August 4 gave the most euros per dollar. At the average, one dollar was worth 0.8626 euros.
If you hold euros and need dollars, for a trip to the United States or to pay a US supplier, the second half of the month was better. Around August 20 and 21 each euro bought between 1.1681 and 1.1699 dollars.
Keep in mind that banks, card networks and exchange offices add their own margin on top of these reference rates. The ECB rate is a benchmark for comparison and bookkeeping, and the rate you get at a counter will usually be less favourable.
What to do
- Check the exact rate for the day of your payment on the EUR/USD daily rates for August 2026 page.
- Compare the rate your bank or card charged with the ECB fixing for the same day. The gap is the margin you paid.
- For monthly bookkeeping, use the monthly average of 1.1593 if your accounting policy allows an average rate, or the rate of the transaction date if it requires the daily figure.
- See where the rate stands now on the EUR to USD exchange rate today page before planning the next transfer.
- For a quick calculation, open the 100 EUR to USD converter.
Questions and answers
What was the average EUR to USD rate in August 2026?
The ECB reference rate averaged 1.1593 US dollars per euro across 21 business days in August 2026.
When was the euro strongest against the dollar in August 2026?
The highest fixing was 1.1699 on August 21, 2026. The lowest was 1.1515 on August 4.
Did the euro rise or fall against the dollar in August 2026?
It rose. The first fixing was 1.1535 and the last was 1.1596, a gain of 0.53%, and the monthly average was 1.54% above July.