Serbia
Currency in Serbia: what to use and how to exchange
Serbia uses the Serbian dinar (RSD), about 117 to €1 (2026 estimate). Bring some euro cash for exchange, take dinars from a bank ATM, and pay by card in Belgrade and Novi Sad hotels and restaurants. Outside the cities, carry dinars: many small places are cash-only.
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GuideSerbia
Key facts
- Currency
- Serbian dinar (RSD); prices in dinars
- Rough ratecheck
- About 117 RSD to €1 (2026 estimate); the euro is not legal tender
- Best value
- Bank or licensed exchange office (menjačnica) cash exchange, or a bank ATM
- Cards
- Accepted in Belgrade and Novi Sad hotels, supermarkets and most restaurants; patchy in villages
- Cash needed for
- Buses, markets, small cafés, taxis, rural guesthouses
- Euros
- Widely accepted for exchange, not for everyday payment
- Airport rate
- Usually the weakest; change only a small amount on arrival
Details
Serbia is not in the eurozone, so everything you buy is priced in dinars. Banknotes run from 10 to 5,000 RSD and coins from 1 to 20 RSD; small coins are worth little, so don't hoard them. The euro is the easiest foreign currency to exchange, and rates in Belgrade and Novi Sad are close to the mid-market rate at banks and licensed exchange offices (menjačnica).
Change money in the city, not at the airport or a hotel desk. Airport and hotel rates are typically several percent worse, so take enough dinars for the first bus or taxi and exchange the rest in town. Compare two or three offices on the same street; the spread between them is small but real. Always count your money before leaving the counter and keep the receipt.
ATMs are common in cities and at larger petrol stations. Use a bank-branded machine, choose to be charged in dinars rather than your home currency, and decline the ATM's own conversion. Withdraw larger amounts less often to limit fixed fees. Card acceptance is good in Belgrade and Novi Sad, weaker in smaller towns and villages, where cash still rules.
If you are coming from a neighbouring country, spend your remaining dinars before you leave: the dinar is hard to exchange outside Serbia and rates abroad are poor. Keep a few hundred dinars for the bus or a coffee on your way out.
Summary table
| Situation | Best move | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Arriving at Belgrade airport | Change a small amount or use an ATM | Airport rates are usually the weakest |
| Staying in Belgrade or Novi Sad | Card for hotels and meals, cash for markets and taxis | Cards widely accepted |
| Small towns and villages | Carry dinars | Many places are cash-only |
| Need a large amount | Bank ATM, charged in dinars | Decline the machine's own conversion |
| Leaving Serbia | Spend or exchange leftover dinars before the border | Poor rates outside the country |
Tips
- Ask for the price in dinars; quoting in euros is common in tourist areas but you still pay in dinars.
- Keep small notes and coins for buses, bakeries and toilets.
- Tell your bank you are travelling so your card is not blocked.
- Check the rate on your phone before you exchange, then compare it with the counter rate.
- Tipping is about 10% in restaurants; round up in cafés and taxis.
Questions people ask
What currency is used in Serbia?
The Serbian dinar (RSD). The euro is not legal tender, though it is the easiest currency to exchange. Expect roughly 117 RSD to €1 (2026 estimate); check the rate before you change money.
Where is the best place to exchange money in Serbia?
Banks and licensed exchange offices (menjačnica) in Belgrade and Novi Sad give rates close to the mid-market rate. Airport and hotel desks are usually worse. Compare two or three offices, count your money and keep the receipt.
Is it better to bring cash or use a card in Serbia?
Both. Cards work in Belgrade and Novi Sad hotels, supermarkets and most restaurants, but small towns, markets, buses and taxis are often cash-only. Bring some euro cash to exchange and use a bank ATM for larger amounts.
Deep dive
Every source; changeable facts are marked check
Sources
- officialNational Bank of Serbia
- officialStatistical Office of the Republic of Serbia
- secondaryWikivoyage – Serbia