Currency in Germany: A Complete Guide (2024)

FAQs

What is the currency in Germany? ›

The currency in Germany is the euro. Each euro is divided into 100 cents. When you're buying currency for Germany, look out for the currency code EUR. And once you're in Germany, you'll see the symbol € used to show prices.

So for 2 weeks in Europe, a budget traveler may spend around 1,120 Euros. This could be lower if you budget to the extreme. Keep in mind, a work exchange cuts your accommodation costs down to 0, and your food, transport, and activity costs may be lower as well depending on what your host offers.

Germany uses the popular euro, so your travel money will stay super simple. It also makes it handy if you're planning to visit Germany's eastern neighbours or head down to Austria (they use euros too).

Establishments in Germany do not accept U.S. dollars as a form of payment. You will need German currency for cash transactions in Germany. In places that do accept physical U.S. dollars, such as hotels, using them may result in very unfavorable exchange rates or additional fees.

It would be hard to get by for less than €1,000 a month in Germany, and this rises to around €1,500€ - €2,000€ in the cities where rents are higher. Students can usually cover living costs for around €850 a month. Travel is fairly affordable, even in big cities, and food and drink prices are average for Europe.

For a 7-11 day Europe trip, I bring $200-$300 Euros in cash. I find it less stressful to order Euros from my bank a few weeks before my trip, so I have local cash upon arrival. The exchange rate is usually better this way. While you can exchange money at the airport, I recommend this alternative.

Depends where you are and where you are staying, but 400 euros for a week is more than enough. Unless you stay in a five-star hotel and eat every meal at a restaurant, 400 euros should be enough to buy food, accomodation and utilities for a week.

Resist the urge to buy foreign currency before your trip.

Some tourists feel like they must have euros or British pounds in their pockets when they step off the airplane, but they pay the price in bad stateside exchange rates. Wait until you arrive to withdraw money.

Is it better to use cash or card in Germany? ›

Important: whether you are shopping, in a restaurant or at the club, Berliners prefer to pay with cash. Debit cards and major credit cards (American Express, Visa, Mastercard) may often also be used, but smaller shops and cafés might only accept cash payments.

Any person entering Germany from a non-EU country and carrying cash with a total value of 10,000 or more euros is obliged to declare that amount of money, immediately and unsolicited, in writing to the competent German customs authorities.

Debit cards with a Mastercard or Visa logo are widely accepted in Europe. American Express is somewhat less common, except at tourist destinations. Most banks charge a foreign transaction fee and/or a currency conversion fee, so it is worth double-checking these costs before departure.

For budget travelers, you can expect to spend around $50 to $70 per day in Germany, while mid-range travelers can expect to spend around $100 to $150 per day. It's important to plan ahead and research activities and costs to create a budget that works for you.

You can use the euro in 20 EU countries: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain.

Payments in Berlin, as in all of Germany, are made in Euros. The European currency means that visitors from most EU countries can use the same currency as at home without any problems.