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Money in Greece, sorted.
A calm, current plan for the money side of your trip: what to tap in the cities, how much cash to carry for the islands, and the per-night fee that surprises first-timers at checkout.
Greek bank ATMs dropped their withdrawal fees. Since August 2025, cash withdrawals at ATMs run by Greek banks, Alpha Bank, National Bank of Greece, Eurobank and Piraeus Bank, carry no local commission for any cardholder, tourists included. Independent, non-bank machines are now legally capped at a modest fee per withdrawal, well down from the 2 to 4 euros they used to charge. Your own bank's foreign transaction fee or ATM fee can still apply, so a no-fee card still matters, but the Greek side of the cost has gotten meaningfully cheaper.
The three things people ask
Will my card work? Do I need cash? Are ATMs easy?
The quick read for a first trip.
Your card
Works well in the cities
Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted in Athens, Thessaloniki and the bigger resort towns, and businesses are legally required to have a working terminal. On smaller islands and at traditional tavernas, a card machine that is conveniently "broken" still happens.
Check yours →Cash
Keep more than you think
Beach bars, kiosks (periptera), local ferries, taxis and small island shops still run on cash, and the per-night Climate Resilience Fee is usually settled in cash at checkout. Carry more here than you would in Italy or France.
How much to bring →ATMs
Free at Greek banks, scarcer on tiny islands
Withdrawals at Greek bank ATMs (Alpha Bank, National Bank of Greece, Eurobank, Piraeus Bank) carry no local withdrawal fee. Independent machines are capped but still cost more. On small islands, pull cash before you arrive, since the one or two local ATMs can run dry in peak season.
See ATMs in Greece →(opens in a new tab)Cash or card
Greece splits in two: card-friendly cities, cash-leaning islands.
A rough feel for everyday spending. Athens and Thessaloniki run close to the rest of card-friendly southern Europe. Smaller islands, village tavernas, beach loungers, kiosks and local ferries still lean heavily on cash, and that pulls the country-wide average up.
See what the trip really costs →Your money plan
Four steps and you're set.
Before you go
- Bring a no-foreign-fee Visa or Mastercard for cities and hotels, plus a backup card from a different bank.
- Get a no-fee debit card for cash. Charles Schwab refunds ATM fees worldwide; Wise and Revolut are low-fee.
- If you are island-hopping, plan to carry more cash than usual between stops.
- Set a travel notice with your bank so a first-day tap or ATM pull does not get blocked.
At the airport
- Skip the airport exchange counters, the rates are poor.
- Pull euros from a Greek bank ATM (Alpha Bank, National Bank of Greece, Eurobank, Piraeus Bank), not a standalone tourist-zone machine, and decline "convert to USD."
- If you are heading straight to a smaller island, withdraw a larger amount now rather than hoping for an ATM there.
Day to day
- Card for hotels, bigger restaurants and shops in Athens, Thessaloniki and the main resort towns.
- Cash for tavernas, kiosks, beach loungers, local ferries and small island shops.
- Keep small notes on hand, since the Climate Resilience Fee is usually paid in cash at checkout.
- Always choose euros, never dollars, on every card terminal and ATM screen.
A golden rule
- Always pay in euros, never in dollars. Choosing your home currency (dynamic currency conversion) quietly adds 3 to 8%.
- If a taxi or taverna says the card machine is "broken," have cash ready rather than arguing the point.
Staying connected
Will my phone work here? And what will it cost?
Yes, and coverage is strong on the mainland and the main islands. Greece's three networks, Cosmote, Vodafone Greece and Wind Hellas (now branded Nova), give near-universal 4G and growing 5G across Athens, Thessaloniki and tourist islands like Santorini, Mykonos, Crete and Rhodes. Cosmote has the widest reach on smaller islands and rural mountain areas. Signal can thin out on tiny islands, remote beaches and in the mountainous interior, so download offline maps before heading somewhere isolated, and bring an eSIM rather than relying on hotel wifi alone. The cost is where people get caught out, and on most US plans it lands in one of two buckets.
Your plan may already include it
Often, do nothing
Some US plans include slow data abroad at no extra cost. If that is you, the honest move is to leave it alone.
we earn nothing
Or it charges quietly, after the fact
The bill lands later
On pay-per-use plans the cost runs in the background while you travel, and the charge can show up weeks after you are home. Forgetting to switch off data roaming is the classic one. For a week or more, an eSIM is usually cheaper and keeps you in control.
Check what your own carrier charges before the trip, not after.
If an eSIM is the cheaper call, Nomad covers Greece.
Get your Nomad eSIM for Greece→(opens in a new tab)we may earn a commissionMedical cover
The one cost with no price tag.
Every other number on this page has a price you can look up. This one does not, and it can be the largest of them all. Most US health plans cover little or nothing once you leave the country, and Medicare covers essentially none of it abroad. A serious illness or injury is paid up front, and a medical evacuation runs from tens of thousands of dollars to past $100,000 if you are remote or an ocean from home.
First, you may not need to buy anything.
A cheap, refundable trip close to home does not need this. And if you are healthy, headed somewhere with good care, and one of the premium cards on the shortlist above already includes emergency medical and evacuation, you may be covered already. Check your card's benefits guide before you buy. Saying that costs us the commission, and it is still the right call.
How much cover matters here
Care in the main cities is good, but costs add up and reaching top care from a remote spot takes time, so it is worth a real look for a trip here.
If you do want cover, this is what it is for: the evacuation and the up-front hospital bill, the part no card limit is meant to absorb.
Enough for most trips
Faye, or a comparable whole-trip policy
Bundles trip protection with emergency medical, which is enough cover for most travelers on a typical trip.
The deeper end
A dedicated travel-medical plan built for serious care and evacuation abroad
Stronger on medical care and evacuation, for a remote or higher-risk trip where that is the real exposure.
If it happens
Call it first, then call your insurer's 24/7 assistance line, which is what confirms payment and arranges an evacuation. 112 works across the mainland and the islands. Reaching a major hospital from a smaller island can take time.
TrueTripCosts explains the gap and points to options. It does not set your coverage amounts or act as your insurance advisor, and every policy carries its own exclusions, so read them before you buy. Emergency number checked Jul 2026. Confirm the current number before you travel, as local lines can change.
Renting a car
Where the rental desk makes its money.
Renting is often the best way to see Greece, and the cover is where the counter earns its margin. The rental comes with basic collision cover, but it leaves you owing the excess, the first slice of any damage or theft bill, often several hundred to a couple of thousand dollars, held on your card until the car is back. The desk will offer to erase that excess. It is a real product, just priced at the counter for far more than the same cover costs if you arrange it before you go.
You may not need to buy anything at all. Some US credit cards include rental collision cover when you pay with the card and decline the counter's version, so check what your own card covers on rentals before you add anything extra. We cannot read your policy for you, and flagging this can cost us the sale below, but it is the honest first step.
If your card does not cover it, or you would rather have cover built for this, a standalone policy bought ahead is the cheaper way to handle it. It covers the damage and theft the rental leaves you liable for, often including parts the counter cover leaves out like tires, glass and the underbody, and mechanical faults stay the rental company's problem. RentalCover covers rentals in Greece. Read what the policy includes before you buy.
Cover a rental in Greece with RentalCover→(opens in a new tab)we may earn a commissionCurrency basics
The euro, in plain terms.
Quick conversion
About 1.14 dollars to 1 euro in mid-2026, so euro prices run a touch higher than the same number in dollars. A 10 euro meal is roughly $11.40, and 100 euros is about $114.
Notes and coins
Notes run 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 euros, though the 200 and 500 are rare and many small shops cannot break them. Coins run from 1 cent to 2 euros and add up fast, useful for kiosks and tips.
Carry small notes
Keep 5s, 10s and 20s on hand for tavernas, kiosks (periptera), beach loungers, taxis and local ferries between islands, several of which are cash-only.
Local instant-payment app
IRIS, Greece's bank-to-bank instant payment system, is built for Greek bank accounts, so it is not a tool for a US visitor. Stick to your card or cash.
Real exchange rate
What your money is really worth here.
This is the mid-market rate, the one the banks trade at and the yardstick every other rate is measured against. Your card lands a little below it, and if a screen ever offers to bill you in dollars, that is worse again. So this is the number to expect, and how you spot a bad one.
1 US dollar is about 0.88 EUR
Taxes and refunds
The per-night fee on your room, and money back on shopping.
Greece's standard VAT is 24%, among the highest in the EU, though it runs lower (17%, 9% or 4%) on a handful of eastern Aegean islands including Leros, Lesvos, Kos, Samos and Chios. Non-EU visitors who spend over 50 euros in one store on one day can claim a VAT refund: ask the shop for a tax-free form, keep the goods unused, and get it stamped by customs at the airport before you leave the EU. After the refund operator's fee, expect back roughly 10 to 14%, not the full 24%. This is separate from the per-night Climate Resilience Fee on your accommodation, which is not a VAT and is not refundable.
Before you book: passports, the six-month rule and whether you need a visa. Not a US citizen, or connecting through Europe? The rules can differ, and even a layover can need its own visa. See our passports and visas guide →
Watch out for
The small traps that catch first-timers.
Tipping
Tip lightly, and keep it in cash.
Tipping in Greece is not mandatory but is genuinely appreciated, and it runs lighter than US norms. At a taverna or restaurant, rounding up the bill or leaving 5 to 10% is normal, a little more for a meal you really loved. For taxis, round up to the nearest euro. Hotel porters generally get 1 to 2 euros a bag, and a euro a night left for housekeeping is a kind gesture, not an obligation. Leave tips in cash when you can, since a cash tip goes straight to the person who earned it rather than into a pooled card total.
Common questions
Quick answers.
Do I need cash in Greece?
More than you might expect, especially outside Athens and Thessaloniki. Cards work well in the cities, but tavernas, kiosks, beach bars, local ferries and small island shops often run on cash, and the Climate Resilience Fee is usually paid in cash at checkout. Carry more euros here than you would in Italy or France.
What is the best ATM to use in Greece?
Use a machine run by a Greek bank, Alpha Bank, National Bank of Greece, Eurobank or Piraeus Bank, which since August 2025 charge no local withdrawal fee. Avoid standalone independent machines in tourist zones, which are capped but still cost more, and always decline the "convert to USD" option.
Should I bring US dollars to Greece?
No. Greece runs on euros, and dollars are not accepted for everyday spending. Pull euros from a Greek bank ATM after you land rather than exchanging cash at home or at an airport counter.
Do you tip in Greece?
Lightly, and it is appreciated rather than required. Round up the bill or leave 5 to 10% at a taverna, round up a taxi fare, and a euro or two for porters or housekeeping is a kind gesture. Cash tips are better than a card-terminal prompt.
How much cash should I bring for a week in Greece?
For two mid-range travelers island-hopping, very roughly 350 to 500 euros (about $400 to $570) in day-to-day cash across a week, on top of cards for hotels and bigger restaurants. Carry more if you are visiting smaller islands with limited ATMs, less if you are staying mostly in Athens.
What it really costs
What you'll really spend in Greece.
Your flights if you want them counted, your room, your on-the-ground spending, the two fees most US cards add without telling you, and Greece's tourist tax. One number, nothing waiting on the statement. No bank to pick, no sign-up, nothing saved.
Optional. Enter your round trip fare per traveler to fold flights into the total.
In Greece, plan for about $0.
Realistically somewhere between $0 and $0.
Whether at an ATM or a card terminal in a shop or restaurant, always choose to be charged in the local currency, not dollars. Paying in dollars (called dynamic currency conversion) lets the machine set its own, worse, exchange rate on top of any fee.
Rough guide, not a quote. The percentage here is a blended stand-in for a typical US card's foreign fee, not your exact rate. The real number moves with the card you carry: one no-foreign-fee card can cover both sides, while a plain rewards credit card only removes the fee on what you buy, and cash still costs a little unless that card also waives ATM and foreign-cash fees. A debit card, or accepting the "pay in dollars" (dynamic currency conversion) offer at a till or ATM, can push it higher. Rates checked Jun 2026 and rounded.
How this estimate is built
These are the assumptions behind the number. Change the room price, nights, travelers, or travel style above, and every line here moves with them.
- Hotel
- Daily spending
- Flights
- Cash vs card
- ATM withdrawals
- Foreign fee
- The range
- Tourist tax
Not sure which card to bring? See my pick for Greece.
Already carry a card with no foreign transaction fee? Then you are set for Greece, and can skip this. There is nothing to buy.
If you are getting a card for Greece, this is the pairing I would pick: a no-foreign-fee credit card for spending, and a fee-free ATM debit card for cash. We earn nothing on these today. Always confirm the current fee with the issuer before you apply. Checked Jun 2026.
Capital One charges no foreign transaction fee on any of its cards.
No foreign transaction fee
Fee-free ATM cash worldwide
Want one account that holds and spends in the local currency? A different job from the three above, and the one I reach for abroad. It is free to open; you can create a virtual card in the app and add it to your phone wallet in minutes, without waiting for the physical card; and you can convert US dollars into the local currency inside the account before you travel, then spend from that balance. Wise uses the mid-market rate plus a small conversion fee (around 0.4% and up), with no flat foreign fee.
The three picks above pay us nothing, and their tags say so. Wise is the only option here that can earn us a commission, and its tag says that too. Paid or not, the pick is still the pick.
Travelers, not touristsA little Greek goes a long way
A little Greek goes a long way
A few words and a couple of stories that turn you from a tourist into a guest. Locals notice, and it opens doors, in a taverna, a taxi, anywhere.
Say a few words
Tip: with elders or people you have just met, use the polite form Yia sas (YAH-sas).
Know a story
Molon labe: come and take them
In 480 BC, King Leonidas and 300 Spartans held the narrow pass at Thermopylae against a vast Persian army. Ordered to hand over their weapons, Leonidas answered with two words: molon labe, come and take them. Drop it into conversation and you will get a knowing grin.
Say it: mo-LOHN lah-VEH
The one word reply
Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander, warned Sparta: if I invade, I will raze your city to the ground. The Spartans answered with a single word: if. Their homeland was Laconia, which is exactly where we get laconic, few words and dry wit. Greeks are quietly proud of it.
Good to know: the root of the word laconic
The first marathon
By legend, the runner Pheidippides carried news of the victory at Marathon all the way to Athens, gasped nenikekamen, we have won, and collapsed. That run, about 40 km, is why the race is called the marathon. A perfect thing to mention if you have ever run one.
Say it: neh-nee-KAH-menGreece gave the world democracy, philosophy, theatre and the Olympic Games. A little sincere awe for that, mentioned in passing, goes a long way.
No links here, nothing to buy. This part is just to help you travel well.
Sources, and how this guide was checked
Last checkedJul 2026
Changed since last checkSources added. Verified with AADE, the Greek tax authority, that the climate crisis resilience fee is charged per room per night (not per person), by the accommodation's star rating and season (higher from April to October), with standard VAT at 24%. The guide's figures are current.
- AADE (Greek tax authority)the climate crisis resilience fee charged per room per night by category and season
Our own judgmentThe daily cash share, tipping norms, and likely ATM behavior are our own estimate from experience, not an official figure.
More money guides in Europe
If you are also weighing up nearby destinations, each guide covers cards, cash, ATMs and the fees to expect.
Going deeper on Greece
The money questions people ask on the ground.
Short, focused answers to the specific things that catch first-timers out in Greece.
- Do I need cash in Greece, or can I use cards?Short answer: cards work in the cities and big resorts, but carry euro cash for tavernas, kiosks and the smaller islands. Here is how to handle it.
- Tipping in GreeceGreece has a modest tipping culture. Staff earn a wage, tips are appreciated rather than expected, and there is no US-style percentage. Here is what you actually owe, and when to check the bill first.
- Taxis in Greece, and the Athens airport flat fareGreek taxis are cheap and useful, but a few meter games target visitors, especially at the port and on the islands. Here is which app to install, the airport fare fixed by law, and how to keep the meter honest.
- Bringing your dog or cat to Greece.Greece runs on the single EU pet-entry process for a US-origin dog or cat: microchip, rabies in the right order, and an EU health certificate on a 10-day clock. No quarantine, no rabies titer. Here is what that means for Greece, and the local parts worth knowing.
This is how Greece stands today.
Money rules move. We can let you know for free if that changes.