EUR
Euro
5
5
EUR banknote
5 EUR banknote · Classical gateway
About 5 dollars 40 cents
Malta
travel money guide
Money in Malta
Meet the island wallet where a 5,600-year-old temple lives on the smallest coins, a bus ticket runs for two hours and the Gozo ferry settles its round trip on the way back.
Malta fits a prehistoric temple, a fortified republic and an eight-pointed cross into one pocket, then makes an island crossing feel like a round-trip tab.
Euro statusEuro area since 2008
Smallest coin storyMnajdra, c. 3600 BC
Bus singleEUR 2 or 2.50 / 2 hours
Gozo passenger returnEUR 4.65 standard
Eco-contributionEUR 1.50 nightly, max 22.50
The quick answer
Should you carry cash in Malta?
Bring one low-fee card, a separate backup and EUR 40-80 in EUR 5, 10 and 20 notes. Cards handle most planned spending, while small euros remain useful for buses, kiosks, festas and tips.
The useful Malta habit is to keep each small proof: retain the bus ticket for its two-hour window, give every Gozo passenger an individual ferry ticket, and expect the accommodation eco-contribution to appear separately from the room rate.
Keep the bus receipt alive for two hoursA cash or contactless single allows transfers inside its validity window. The paper ticket is your proof during checks.
Do not mistake the first ferry leg for a free rideThe Gozo Channel standard fare is a round trip, even though ordinary foot-passenger validation happens at Mġarr on Gozo.
Leave room beside the room rateFor stays starting from 1 July 2026, adults pay EUR 1.50 per night in licensed accommodation, capped at EUR 22.50 per continuous visit.
Meet the EUR
Paper money
Euro notes follow an easy architectural colour ladder - grey €5, red €10, blue €20, orange €50, green €100 and yellow €200 - wherever you spend them in Europe.
EUR
Euro
10
10
EUR banknote
10 EUR banknote · Romanesque arch
About 11 dollars
EUR
Euro
20
20
EUR banknote
20 EUR banknote · Gothic windows
About 22 dollars
EUR
Euro
50
50
EUR banknote
50 EUR banknote · Renaissance window
About 54 dollars
EUR
Euro
100
100
EUR banknote
100 EUR banknote · Baroque gateway
About 108 dollars
EUR
Euro
200
200
EUR banknote
200 EUR banknote · Iron and glass
About 216 dollars
The euro banknote theme is imagined European architecture rather than real monuments: windows and gateways move from classical to modern styles, while bridges on the reverse suggest connection. Cash by Country artwork is an original, simplified interpretation and is not legal tender.
Shared currency guide One euro, many destinations See where the euro is used, what stays the same and why the coins change. Explore →
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Go deeper
Malta travel money guides
Malta's money stories move from stone to sea. Read three eras across the euro coins, make one bus fare last for two hours, understand the Gozo return gate, count the new nightly eco-contribution and tip as a genuine thank-you rather than an imported obligation.
01 Three eras across eight values
A Temple in Your Pocket
Walk from Mnajdra and the Republic's fortified emblem to the eight-pointed Maltese Cross across Malta's euro coins.
Turn over Malta's euros 02 One fare, a two-hour island clock
The Two-Hour Bus Ticket
Pay with cash or contactless, keep the receipt and transfer within the clock without buying the wrong visitor product.
Start the bus clock 03 The round trip closes on Gozo
Pay on the Way Back
Understand the Cirkewwa to Mġarr crossing, the EUR 4.65 passenger fare and why every traveller needs an individual ticket.
Cross the Gozo Channel 04 A small nightly line with a firm cap
The EUR 1.50 Pillow Note
Add Malta's updated accommodation eco-contribution to the booking total and see why the charge stops after fifteen nights.
Count the pillow note 05 Read the service line, then choose
Grazzi Is Not a Tax
Handle restaurants, taxis, hotels and tours with a modest thank-you only after checking the bill for service.
Tip the Maltese way 04 One currency, many countries
Where Is the Euro Used?
Meet the euro-area members, agreement countries and de facto users, then see why the notes match while the coins can look local.
Explore the euro
Source desk
The Malta source desk
Sources include the ECB, Malta Public Transport, Gozo Channel, Malta Tax and Customs Administration, and official tourism and consumer guidance.