Currency in Cyprus: what to use and how to exchange

Cyprus is split by currency as well as by the Green Line. South of the buffer zone — Larnaca, Limassol, Paphos, Ayia Napa and the southern part of Nicosia — everything is priced in euros. North of it, around Kyrenia, Famagusta and the Karpas, prices are in Turkish lira. If your trip stays in the south, you never need to think about a second currency.

For most visitors the practical setup is a card plus a modest cash float. Cards and contactless phone payments work at hotels, supermarkets, fuel stations, restaurants and most shops in the south. Cash still matters for parking machines, small village kiosks, some tavernas in the Troodos, and buses. A float of €50–100 in €5, €10 and €20 notes covers several days without forcing you to hunt for an ATM.

Getting euros is straightforward. Use a bank ATM and decline the machine's offer to convert the amount into your home currency — that "dynamic currency conversion" almost always costs more than letting your own bank do it. Airport exchange desks and hotel receptions are the most expensive places to change money; town-centre banks and ATMs are cheaper. If you arrive with US dollars, pounds or another currency, change a small amount at the airport only if you need cash immediately, then use an ATM in town.

In the north, lira is the default and cards are less universal outside hotels and larger restaurants. Many places will accept euros at an informal rate, but the rate is rarely in your favour. Withdraw lira from an ATM after crossing, or carry a little cash in both currencies. Note that some ATMs in the north are Turkish banks; check the fee screen before confirming.

Two smaller points. First, Cyprus is in the EU but not in the Schengen area, so there is no customs allowance change for eurozone travel — you are simply using the local currency. Second, if you are arriving from the UK, Ireland or anywhere outside the eurozone, tell your bank you are travelling so a card block does not strand you at the airport.