So many of our clients ask us what currency is used in Croatia, can they pay in Euros, and what the best way to get Kuna might be (along with where to exchange foreign currency). I’ve put together a helpful guide to outline currency, exchanging money, cost of living & traveling, and a few other insider tips.
Croatia’s currency is the KUNA, not the EURO, so it’s the only legally accepted currency (although some smaller places & companies will accept Euros). Try to bring Kuna (HRK) from home, or sign up for a Revolut card to get the best exchange rate. On average, the exchange rate is 6.7kn to $1 and 7.4kn to €1. Croatia is less expensive than other major European cities, and still good value for money.
Croatia’s currency is the KUNA, not the EURO, so it’s the only legally accepted currency (although some smaller places & companies will accept Euros). Try to bring Kuna (HRK) from home, or sign up for a Revolut card to get the best exchange rate. On average, the exchange rate is 6.7kn to $1 and 7.4kn to €1. Croatia is less expensive than other major European cities, and still good value for money.
Read below to see the best ways to exchange money, currency denominations, average prices of drinks, meals and daily items to get an idea of how much to bring, and more detailed info about spending in Croatia.
Can you pay in Euros in Croatia?
Even though Croatia joined the EU in 2013, they still use their own currency (although will likely change to the EURO in 2023). Still, sometimes you can pay for various services in Euros (even though it’s not legal), like a tour guide or an excursion paid on the spot.
Some smaller stores and restaurants will accept Euros as well, but they won’t give you a competitive exchange rate, so be prepared, and always double check before you sit down and eat if they do in fact accept Euros (and note that they aren’t required to accept your Euros).
Many shops will now even have a “NO EURO” sign because they’ve been asked so many times, that it saves everyone the hassle (as sometimes people come to eat, drink, shop and only find out in the end, they can only pay in Kuna.
Even though Croatia joined the EU in 2013, they still use their own currency (although will likely change to the EURO in 2023). Still, sometimes you can pay for various services in Euros (even though it’s not legal), like a tour guide or an excursion paid on the spot.
Some smaller stores and restaurants will accept Euros as well, but they won’t give you a competitive exchange rate, so be prepared, and always double check before you sit down and eat if they do in fact accept Euros (and note that they aren’t required to accept your Euros).
Many shops will now even have a “NO EURO” sign because they’ve been asked so many times, that it saves everyone the hassle (as sometimes people come to eat, drink, shop and only find out in the end, they can only pay in Kuna.
Should I buy Euro and/or Kuna from my bank at home?
Don’t go to the bank before you travel to buy Euros to bring to Croatia. As mentioned, Croatia is still on the Kuna, and most places only accept local currency. If you bring Euros, you’ll lose money on the conversion once you get here. It’s best to either bring Kuna from home, OR...
Another option is “Revolut.” or "N26" or "Monese" or something similar. It’s a bank card that you preload with money (any currency). When you use that card to spend your money in different countries, it acts like a native card to that place. In this way, you avoid extra fees, and you get the interbank exchange rate, which is the most competitive.
“We don’t believe in financial borders, so it’s only fair that we let you spend abroad in over 150 currencies with the interbank exchange rate, with a small 0.5% fee for anything above HRK 42,000 each month. A flat mark-up on weekends and on certain currencies may apply.” (revolut.com)
Don’t go to the bank before you travel to buy Euros to bring to Croatia. As mentioned, Croatia is still on the Kuna, and most places only accept local currency. If you bring Euros, you’ll lose money on the conversion once you get here. It’s best to either bring Kuna from home, OR...
Another option is “Revolut.” or "N26" or "Monese" or something similar. It’s a bank card that you preload with money (any currency). When you use that card to spend your money in different countries, it acts like a native card to that place. In this way, you avoid extra fees, and you get the interbank exchange rate, which is the most competitive.
“We don’t believe in financial borders, so it’s only fair that we let you spend abroad in over 150 currencies with the interbank exchange rate, with a small 0.5% fee for anything above HRK 42,000 each month. A flat mark-up on weekends and on certain currencies may apply.” (revolut.com)
As a last resort, you can simply pull cash from the ATM here in Croatia (which will give you Kuna directly), but the fees and exchange rate will be slightly higher. ATMs do not dispense Euros (except for a rare few - like the one on the main square in Zagreb at “Zagrebacka Banka,” but those are clearly marked that they will dispense EUR).
ATMs are not hard to find, they’re scattered throughout the city, at the town squares, at the grocery stores, at the malls, at the post office, you can’t miss them. The smallest amount you can take out of the ATM is 100kn.
ATMs are not hard to find, they’re scattered throughout the city, at the town squares, at the grocery stores, at the malls, at the post office, you can’t miss them. The smallest amount you can take out of the ATM is 100kn.
Where is the best place to exchange foreign money when in Croatia?
The airport is not your best bet for getting the most competitive exchange rate (neither are the exchange places right in the center of town, which are geared to tourists).
Try to find one slightly outside the center for the most competitive rates.
Of course it doesn’t make much of a difference if you’re exchanging a few dollars, but if you have a larger amount, a few points could mean quite a different result.
The airport is not your best bet for getting the most competitive exchange rate (neither are the exchange places right in the center of town, which are geared to tourists).
Try to find one slightly outside the center for the most competitive rates.
Of course it doesn’t make much of a difference if you’re exchanging a few dollars, but if you have a larger amount, a few points could mean quite a different result.
The Croatian word for an exchange office is “MJENJAČNICA” (myen-yach-nit-sa) and most of them have a big sign with that word (although sometimes it will be in English - as just “EXCHANGE”)
The currency code for the Kuna is HRK (HR stands for Hrvatska, which means “Croatia” in Croatian language, and K is for Kuna, the currency). The currency symbol is just “kn” - there isn’t a fancy symbol like a dollar/pound/euro sign.
The currency code for the Kuna is HRK (HR stands for Hrvatska, which means “Croatia” in Croatian language, and K is for Kuna, the currency). The currency symbol is just “kn” - there isn’t a fancy symbol like a dollar/pound/euro sign.
Why are so many prices advertised in Euros rather than in Kuna?
This is done purely for the guest - to make things simpler and easier to understand, as not too many people are familiar with the Kuna if they’ve never visited Croatia before (whereas most people do know the approximate value of the Euro).
Can you tip in Euro or USD or other currencies?
In short, yes. Dollars, Euros and pounds are definitely accepted as gratuities, but I might suggest staying away from less-popular currencies which might be harder to exchange, just to make things easier for the person receiving.
If possible, it’s best to tip in the local currency, as the person receiving the tip will lose money on conversion when they exchange it later. To find out more about tipping, check out our tipping guide:
https://www.royalcroatiantours.com/blog/tipping-in-croatia-a-complete-guide-with-suggested-amounts
This is done purely for the guest - to make things simpler and easier to understand, as not too many people are familiar with the Kuna if they’ve never visited Croatia before (whereas most people do know the approximate value of the Euro).
Can you tip in Euro or USD or other currencies?
In short, yes. Dollars, Euros and pounds are definitely accepted as gratuities, but I might suggest staying away from less-popular currencies which might be harder to exchange, just to make things easier for the person receiving.
If possible, it’s best to tip in the local currency, as the person receiving the tip will lose money on conversion when they exchange it later. To find out more about tipping, check out our tipping guide:
https://www.royalcroatiantours.com/blog/tipping-in-croatia-a-complete-guide-with-suggested-amounts
Croatia currency to the USD
The average exchange rate hovers around 6.7 HRK to every 1 USD. It’s not the easiest round number to work with when you’re trying to do quick conversions in your head, but you can easily work it out with your phone’s calculator if you’re really keen to know.
Croatia currency (KUNA) to the EURO - The average exchange rate hovers around 7.4kn to every 1 EUR.
If you want up to date information for exact exchange rates daily, I would suggest using the Croatian National Bank’s site, linked here: https://www.hnb.hr/core-functions/monetary-policy/exchange-rate-list/exchange-rate-list
Click on the grey search bar, and it will offer you the most common currencies, then you can select any day (present or in the past), to get the exact rate.
The average exchange rate hovers around 6.7 HRK to every 1 USD. It’s not the easiest round number to work with when you’re trying to do quick conversions in your head, but you can easily work it out with your phone’s calculator if you’re really keen to know.
Croatia currency (KUNA) to the EURO - The average exchange rate hovers around 7.4kn to every 1 EUR.
If you want up to date information for exact exchange rates daily, I would suggest using the Croatian National Bank’s site, linked here: https://www.hnb.hr/core-functions/monetary-policy/exchange-rate-list/exchange-rate-list
Click on the grey search bar, and it will offer you the most common currencies, then you can select any day (present or in the past), to get the exact rate.
Is Croatia an expensive country to visit?
Croatia is not cheap, but it’s definitely less expensive than other major cities in Europe, like Paris, London, Barcelona or Milan. A night in an average 4 star hotel in Croatia is approximately 100-150 EUR (but you can find very inexpensive 3* hotels or extremely expensive 5* as well). This will be slightly more or less expensive based on the city, of course.
Activities, tours and excursions can get pricey if you’re planning to go all private, but you can always find more affordable group options. I would say Croatia is still good value for money!
Croatia is not cheap, but it’s definitely less expensive than other major cities in Europe, like Paris, London, Barcelona or Milan. A night in an average 4 star hotel in Croatia is approximately 100-150 EUR (but you can find very inexpensive 3* hotels or extremely expensive 5* as well). This will be slightly more or less expensive based on the city, of course.
Activities, tours and excursions can get pricey if you’re planning to go all private, but you can always find more affordable group options. I would say Croatia is still good value for money!
How much money should you bring, for a week in Croatia?
This is a hard question to answer because it completely depends on your style. Here is what some basic items cost, which will hopefully give you an idea.
But I know you’re probably searching for a typical daily amount for food and drinks, so…
You can eat and drink with about $35 (per person), per day, according to the following breakdown:
(*note, this is not for fancier restaurants / fine dining experiences, of course)
You should always have some cash handy, because some places don’t accept credit or debit cards. I can say, though, that Croatia has greatly improved in this area over the years, and now most places have started to accept card payments. If you go to smaller places that aren’t very touristy, make sure you do have some cash on hand.
This is a hard question to answer because it completely depends on your style. Here is what some basic items cost, which will hopefully give you an idea.
- 1L of milk = $1
- Loaf of white bread = $1
- 1L of gas = $1.50
- Bottle of domestic beer 0.5L (at the store) = $1.25
- Bottle of beer 0.5L (at a cafe bar) = $2.25
- Average bottle of wine (at the store) = $6.75
- Glass of house wine (at a cafe bar) = $2.25
- Cup of coffee (at a cafe bar) = $1.80
- Bottle of water 0.5L (at the store) = $1
- Large ham & cheese pizza at a restaurant = $7.50
- Scoop of ice cream = $1.50
- An average meal at a restaurant (not fine dining) = $12
But I know you’re probably searching for a typical daily amount for food and drinks, so…
You can eat and drink with about $35 (per person), per day, according to the following breakdown:
- Breakfast at your hotel (say it’s included $0)
- Lunch and dinner at an average restaurant ($25 total)
- Coffee in the afternoon ($2)
- An ice cream cone or another snack ($2)
- A bottle of water (from the store) while you’re walking around ($1)
- Finish off the day with a drink or two in the evening at a cafe bar ($5)
(*note, this is not for fancier restaurants / fine dining experiences, of course)
You should always have some cash handy, because some places don’t accept credit or debit cards. I can say, though, that Croatia has greatly improved in this area over the years, and now most places have started to accept card payments. If you go to smaller places that aren’t very touristy, make sure you do have some cash on hand.
How much cash are you allowed to bring to Croatia?
According to IATA (International Air Transport Association), you must declare any amount equivalent to, or over 10,000 EUR when entering Croatia from a non-EU country. There aren’t any restrictions if you’re arriving from another EU Member Country.
According to IATA (International Air Transport Association), you must declare any amount equivalent to, or over 10,000 EUR when entering Croatia from a non-EU country. There aren’t any restrictions if you’re arriving from another EU Member Country.
Conclusion
Croatia’s official currency is the Kuna (HRK is the code, and “kn” is the symbol). Although you might be able to tip or pay for a few things in USD/CAD or EUR, shop & restaurant owners aren’t obliged to accept anything but the Kuna. It’s best to bring Kuna from home, or sign up for a borderless “Revolut” card to use while abroad.
Croatia is more affordable than other big European destinations, and offers places to stay and things to do based on all budgets. Determining how much money to bring, is really dependent on your traveling style, but a bottle of beer in a cafe bar is around $2.25, and you can order a main dish in a restaurant for about $12.
- Sarah
Croatia’s official currency is the Kuna (HRK is the code, and “kn” is the symbol). Although you might be able to tip or pay for a few things in USD/CAD or EUR, shop & restaurant owners aren’t obliged to accept anything but the Kuna. It’s best to bring Kuna from home, or sign up for a borderless “Revolut” card to use while abroad.
Croatia is more affordable than other big European destinations, and offers places to stay and things to do based on all budgets. Determining how much money to bring, is really dependent on your traveling style, but a bottle of beer in a cafe bar is around $2.25, and you can order a main dish in a restaurant for about $12.
- Sarah
If you’re interested in reading a few of our other posts about Croatia:
- 38 Local Tips & Mistakes to Avoid When Traveling to Croatia
- Travel to Croatia With a Toddler or Baby (From Experience!)
- Tipping in Croatia: a Complete Guide With Suggested Amounts!
- Croatia Travel Itinerary for 5, 7 & 10 Days
- How I Learned to Speak Croatian as an Adult (in 7 Steps)
- Driving in Croatia (a Helpful Guide With Practical Tips)
- Zagreb’s Flea Market, Hrelic: a Helpful Guide
- Top 5 Croatian Travel Snacks
- 8 Reasons You Should Never Swim in the Adriatic
- Top 10 Day Trips From Zagreb, Within 1hr Drive
- 5 Reasons Croatian Grannies are Cuter than Kittens
- 9 Reasons You Should NEVER Use a Travel Agent