At all borders I have found that the money changers offer rates which are within very close range of all others and not far off the official rate .They are constantly reading on the internet exchange rates. At banks you may also have to pay an addditional service fee and wait in long lines- if you can find an open bank at your tim e of search.
Also , change your leftover pesos or other Moneda Nacional if you are NOT comeing back thru that country, otherwise just store them for the return leg. The local hotels will often accept payment in US dollars but they work with a n exchange rate seriously skewed in their favour, so ask prices and pay in the national currency.
Change US dollars at the border guys only if you absolutely need cash. The best is to just change a small amount needed to see you thru until you hit the nearest bank machine, then take out the amount of local currency you will need from your home bank account. This is a better deal even with the service charges.
Panama and El Salvador use the US dollar and ABMs dispense cash in US dollars.
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