Malta Currency & Money Guide: Euro, Cards, Cash & Tipping

Sorting out money before a trip can feel like the boring bit, but a few minutes now saves you real cash on the ground. The good news is that handling Malta currency is simple: the island uses the Euro, prices are clearly marked, and you can tap a card or phone for almost everything. There are just a handful of local quirks worth knowing, and we will walk you through all of them.

This guide covers what currency Malta uses, the cash versus card question, where to find fair ATMs, how to exchange money without getting stung, typical prices in € for everyday things, tipping etiquette, and a realistic daily budget. We live and host guests here in Sliema, so everything below is the practical version, not the brochure version.

What currency does Malta use?

Malta uses the Euro (€). It joined the Eurozone on 1 January 2008, replacing the old Maltese Lira. So if you have travelled anywhere in France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Greece or any of the other Euro countries, your money works exactly the same way here. There is no separate Maltese currency to buy and no border faff.

Notes come in €5, €10, €20, €50, €100, €200 and €500, though you will rarely see anything above a €50 in everyday shops and many cafes dislike breaking a €100 for a coffee. Coins run from 1 cent up to €2. Malta mints its own coin designs (you will spot the Maltese Cross and a prehistoric temple altar on the backs), but they are legal tender across the whole Eurozone, and any Euro coin from another country spends perfectly fine here too.

One small thing to know: the old Maltese Lira is long gone and cannot be spent. If a market trader or relative hands you Lira notes as a curiosity, treat them as souvenirs, not money.

Cash or card in Malta: how do people pay?

Card payments are widely accepted across Malta. In Sliema, St Julian’s, Valletta and the main tourist areas you can tap a contactless card or phone for almost everything: restaurants, supermarkets, pharmacies, taxis, museums, ferries and bars. Visa and Mastercard are universal, and contactless works up to around €50 per tap before you are asked for a PIN. Apple Pay and Google Pay are commonly accepted too.

That said, Malta is not a fully cashless place, and a little cash makes life smoother. Some smaller establishments set a minimum card spend of €5 to €10, the traditional village pastizzeria selling pastizzi for under €1 will want coins, open-air markets and the Sunday Marsaxlokk fish market run on cash, and tips are almost always handed over in notes and coins. Older buses and a few kiosks still prefer cash as well.

Our honest advice: use your card or phone as the main way to pay, and carry €40 to €60 in small notes and coins as a backup for the cash-only moments. That balance keeps you safe (less cash to lose) while never leaving you stuck at a kiosk that does not take cards.

• Pay by card or phone for: restaurants, supermarkets, taxis, museums, the Sliema to Valletta ferry, larger shops and most bars.
• Keep cash for: buses on older routes, pastizzerias and village kiosks, the Marsaxlokk and Ta’ Qali markets, public toilets, beach kiosks and all tipping.

ATMs in Malta and how to dodge the fees

There are plenty of ATMs in Malta, and the towns you are most likely to stay in have them on most main streets. Sliema in particular is well served, with bank machines along Tower Road and around the Ferries. The trick is choosing the right machine.

Stick to ATMs attached to actual banks: Bank of Valletta (BOV), HSBC and APS are the main ones. These bank machines generally do not add their own access fee for foreign cards, so the only charge you might see is whatever your home bank applies. Machines inside or beside supermarkets and shopping centres are usually fine too, and tend to be safer at night.

What to avoid: the standalone blue and yellow Euronet machines that cluster in busy tourist spots. They are notorious for high per-transaction fees and poor built-in exchange rates, and they push Dynamic Currency Conversion hard. If a machine asks whether you want to be charged in your home currency, always say no and pick Euro, as covered in the Insider Tip above. Withdrawing one larger amount rather than several small ones also keeps any fixed fees down.

Exchanging money in Malta: where to do it (and where not to)

If you are coming from a Euro country, you do not need to exchange anything. If you are arriving with pounds, dollars or another currency, you have a few options, and they are not all equal. As a rough guide to how much value you lose against the real mid-market rate:

The pattern is clear: for most travellers, the cheapest way to get Euros is simply to withdraw them from a bank ATM once you arrive, or to spend on a card that does not add foreign-transaction fees. The exchange desks at Malta International Airport offer some of the worst rates on the island, so resist the urge to change a big sum there. If you want a little cash in hand the moment you land, change just enough to get you going and use an ATM in town for the rest.

A modern travel card or app (the kind that gives you near mid-market rates and fee-free spending) is the neatest solution of all, and pairs well with carrying a small float of cash.

Typical prices in Malta: what things actually cost

Prices vary between a local village bar and a seafront terrace in Sliema or St Julian’s, but the table below gives a realistic snapshot of what you will pay for everyday things. Treat these as a guide for budgeting rather than fixed figures.

On the buses, it helps to know how the Tallinja system works. A single ticket bought from the driver costs €2.50 in summer (mid-June to mid-October) and €2.00 in winter, and it is valid for two hours with free transfers. If you are using the bus a lot, the Tallinja Explore Card gives seven days of unlimited travel across Malta and Gozo for €25 (€7 for children aged 4 to 10), which quickly pays for itself. You can buy one at the airport, Valletta bus station, and in summer at the Sliema Ferries kiosk. For the bigger picture on costs, our breakdown of how expensive Malta is goes into more detail.

Tipping in Malta: what is expected

Tipping in Malta is appreciated but relaxed. It is nowhere near as expected or as large as in North America, and nobody will chase you down the street for forgetting. The general rule is to reward good service with a modest amount, usually in cash.

In restaurants, 5 to 10 percent is normal for a meal where the service was good, but first check your bill, because some places already add a service charge. If they have, you do not need to add more. In cafes and bars, rounding up to the nearest Euro or leaving the small change is plenty.

• Restaurants: 5 to 10% for good service, only if no service charge is already included.
• Cafes and bars: round up to the nearest € or leave the coins.
• Taxis: round the fare up to the nearest €5, or leave €1 to €2.
• Tour guides: €5 to €10 per person for a full-day tour.
• Hotel porters and housekeeping: €1 to €2 per bag or per night.

Because tips are nearly always given in cash, this is one of the main reasons to keep a few small notes and coins on you even though you can tap a card almost everywhere else.

How much money do you need per day in Malta?

A comfortable mid-range trip works out at roughly €100 to €160 per person per day once you are on the island, covering food, drinks, local transport, the odd attraction and a few treats. That figure assumes you are eating out, taking a boat trip or two and enjoying yourself, not just surviving.

You can do Malta for less. Budget travellers who shop at local supermarkets, lean on the €25 Explore Card for transport and pick free things to do (the Sliema seafront promenade, Valletta’s streets, the Blue Grotto viewpoint) can keep daily spending closer to €50 to €70 beyond accommodation. At the other end, fine dining and private boat charters push it well past €200. One big saver many guests overlook: a a self-catering villa in Sliema means you can cook breakfast and the odd dinner at home, which trims the food bill considerably over a week.

For cash, you do not need to carry much. We suggest withdrawing €50 to €100 on arrival, keeping around €40 to €60 in small notes on you day to day, and topping up from a bank ATM as needed. There is no advantage to walking around Malta with hundreds of Euros in your pocket when cards work nearly everywhere.

Quick money-saving tips for Malta

A few habits make a real difference to what you spend without making the trip feel tight. These are the ones we pass on to guests most often.

• Always pay and withdraw in Euro, never your home currency, to dodge the DCC markup.
• Use bank ATMs (BOV, HSBC, APS) and avoid the blue Euronet machines.
• Skip the airport and hotel exchange desks for anything more than pocket change.
• Get the €25 Tallinja Explore Card if you plan to use buses more than a few times.
• Take the €1.50 Sliema to Valletta ferry instead of a taxi when the route suits you.
• Eat lunch where the office workers do, and save the seafront terraces for one or two special evenings.
• Refill a water bottle rather than buying small bottles all day.
• Self-cater some meals so eating out becomes a choice, not a daily expense. See our notes on villa prices.

Frequently Asked Questions