Money in Spain: currency, ATMs, cards and tipping

Spain is a card country. Contactless Visa and Mastercard work in supermarkets, chain hotels, high-speed train ticket machines, metro gates and most restaurants, and city taxis increasingly take cards too. Amex is accepted in hotels and larger restaurants but not in small bars.

Cash still matters in villages, at weekly markets, in some family-run bars and for small purchases under a few euros. A €30–50 float covers a day or two outside the cities. Notes of €50 and above can be awkward for small purchases; break them at supermarkets.

Mobile wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay) work wherever contactless does. Your US or UK bank card usually gives a better rate than a bureau de change at the airport, which is the most expensive place to change money.

Use bank ATMs rather than standalone machines in bars or souvenir shops. Santander, CaixaBank and BBVA machines usually show the operator fee on screen before you confirm, so you can cancel and try another bank. Fees vary by bank and by your own card's terms — check both.

The important choice is the currency. When a Spanish ATM or card terminal offers to charge you in US dollars, pounds or another home currency, decline and choose euros. That conversion is done at a rate set by the machine's operator, not the interbank rate, and usually costs several percent.

Withdraw larger amounts less often to reduce fixed fees, and use a card that does not add its own foreign transaction fee. If you need cash urgently, a supermarket till with cashback is not standard in Spain, so plan around bank ATMs.

Tipping in Spain is smaller and more optional than in the US. A few coins left on the bar after a coffee, or rounding a restaurant bill up to the next euro or five, is normal for good service. Ten percent is generous; twenty percent is not expected and can confuse staff.

At a sit-down restaurant, if service was good, leaving about 5% in cash on the tray is a common middle ground. Check whether the bill already includes service — most do not, but tourist-area menus sometimes add it. If you pay by card, you can add the tip in cash; card terminals rarely have a tip prompt.

Taxi drivers are usually given the change rounded up. Hotel housekeeping, a euro or two a day, and tour guides, €5–10 for a half-day, are appreciated but not obligatory. Bars and cafés: leave the small change.

Prices are 2026 estimates. A café con leche at a bar runs €1.60–2.80, a caña €1.80–3.50, and a weekday menú del día with three courses €13–18. A Madrid metro single is €1.50–2.00. These small cash purchases are where a €20 note and a pocket of coins earn their place.

Daily budgets per person: backpacker €65–115, mid-range €130–240, comfort €290–570, sharing a room at the upper tiers. Barcelona, Madrid, San Sebastián and the Balearics in summer sit at the top of each range; inland towns and Andalusia off-season are cheaper.

Tourist taxes are charged per person per night in Catalonia and the Balearics and are usually added to the hotel bill. Big monument tickets and flamenco shows sit on top of the daily figures.

Keep a card and some cash in separate places in case of loss. Report a lost card to your bank immediately; Spanish police reports for insurance can be filed online or at a comisaría.

Banks in cities open weekday mornings and often close by early afternoon; some reopen on Thursday evenings. ATMs are the practical option outside those hours. On public holidays, smaller shops and some bars close, so carry a little more cash than usual.

If you are coming from outside the euro area, tell your bank you are travelling and check its foreign transaction fee before you leave. A no-fee card plus one backup card is the simplest setup.