Malta Currency & Money Guide: Exchange, Cards, and Tips

Malta uses the euro (€), and cards are widely accepted across Valletta, Sliema, St Julian’s, hotels, supermarkets, restaurants, and most ferry ticket offices. For Singapore travellers, a useful October 2026 reference rate is approximately €1 = S$1.43–S$1.48, although your card network or bank may apply a different live rate. Carry €20–€50 in cash for beach kiosks, village cafés, market stalls, buses, and older machines. Use bank-affiliated ATMs, always choose to be charged in euros, and tip around 5–10% when service is good and no service charge appears. A budget traveller can expect roughly €45–€90 per day, while €135–€220 is a realistic mid-range allowance.

Malta’s official currency is the euro (€), so prices on the islands are displayed in euros rather than Maltese lira. For Singapore visitors, the Malta exchange rate changes daily, but October 2026 reference data placed €1 at approximately S$1.43–S$1.48. In practical terms, €10 is about S$14.30–S$14.80, €50 is around S$71.50–S$74, and €100 is approximately S$143–S$148 before bank or card fees. Treat these figures as planning estimates, not guaranteed transaction rates.

Your card issuer may use the Visa or Mastercard wholesale rate and then add a foreign-currency fee, commonly around 1–3%. Check whether your Singapore bank charges an overseas transaction fee before departure. When a terminal or ATM asks whether to pay in Singapore dollars or euros, choose euros. Paying in SGD uses dynamic currency conversion, which often applies a less favourable rate and an additional markup.

For easy budgeting, divide euro prices by roughly 0.68 to estimate Singapore dollars, then confirm the live rate in your banking app. The Hello app can track expenses in euros and SGD with automatic exchange-rate conversion, helping you see your actual trip spending without manually recalculating every receipt.

The safest Malta money strategy is to exchange only a small emergency amount at the airport, then rely on card payments or reputable bank ATMs rather than exchanging large sums at tourist counters. Airport and hotel exchange desks are convenient, but their displayed rates and commissions can be less attractive than the rate available through a bank card or local bank branch.

If you arrive with cash, compare the buying rate, selling rate, and commission before handing over money. Avoid exchanging currency with unofficial individuals or accepting a rate that is not clearly printed. In Valletta, Sliema, St Julian’s, and major towns, bank branches and established exchange offices are easier to verify than isolated kiosks.

A sensible arrival plan is to exchange or withdraw €50–€100, then pay by card where possible. Keep small notes and coins for pastizzi shops, public toilets, kiosks, buses, and rural cafés. ATMs attached to established banks such as Bank of Valletta, HSBC, and APS are generally preferable to independent machines. Independent cash machines, including some tourist-focused networks, may add a local access fee and offer an unfavourable conversion. Photograph or save receipts if a fee appears unexpectedly.

Visa and Mastercard are accepted in most Maltese hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, attraction desks, ferry offices, and shops, while contactless payments are increasingly available in tourist areas. Apple Pay and Google Pay usually work wherever contactless card payments are accepted, but cash remains useful for small businesses and older payment terminals.

ATMs are concentrated in Valletta, Sliema, St Julian’s, and other major towns, with fewer options in quieter villages and rural parts of Gozo. Withdraw during the day rather than waiting until you are nearly out of cash. Before confirming a withdrawal, check both the ATM’s fee and your home bank’s overseas fee. Some machines may charge roughly €2–€4 per transaction, while an international card issuer may add around 1–3%.

Make a small test purchase with a new card and keep a second card separately from your wallet. Never share your PIN, and cover the keypad when withdrawing cash.

Tipping in Malta is appreciated but not compulsory: leave around 5–10% in restaurants for good service when no service charge is already included, and simply round up smaller bills in cafés, taxis, and casual bars. Unlike destinations where a fixed gratuity is expected, Malta generally treats tipping as a thank-you rather than an obligation.

Check the bill for wording such as “service charge,” “service,” or “cover charge” before adding anything. If a service charge has already been included, an additional tip is optional. For example, on a €48 restaurant bill, leaving €2–€5 is a reasonable gesture when service was attentive; a larger tip is unnecessary unless the experience was exceptional.

In cafés, rounding a €3.60 bill to €4 is perfectly acceptable. Taxi passengers can round up to the nearest euro or add €1–€2 for help with luggage. Hotel porters may receive €1–€2 per bag, while housekeeping tips of €1–€2 per night are appreciated but not expected. Tour guides and boat crews do not require a standard percentage, although €5–€10 per person can be suitable for an excellent half- or full-day experience.

Keep a few euro coins available because adding a tip by card may not always be possible, particularly at smaller family-run businesses. If splitting a meal with friends, record the tip separately in the Hello app so each person contributes fairly.

A realistic Malta budget for 2026 is about €45–€90 per day for budget travel and €135–€220 for mid-range travel, excluding flights; the biggest savings usually come from accommodation, transport, and eating habits. A pastry breakfast, supermarket lunch, public buses, and free swimming spots can keep daily spending close to the lower end, while taxis, boat trips, and nightlife quickly increase it.

Typical planning figures include:

• Pastizzi: approximately €1–€2 each.
• Coffee and a simple breakfast: about €3–€5.
• Casual lunch: roughly €8–€15 per person.
• Mid-range dinner: around €20–€40 per person before drinks and tip.
• Bus fare: commonly about €2 in the winter season and €2.50 in the summer season, with tickets valid for two hours under current published fare guidance.

Save money by buying water and snacks from supermarkets, travelling by bus where practical, booking popular boat trips ahead, and avoiding taxis for every short journey. Compare attraction bundles only when you will genuinely visit enough included sites. Use a fee-free card if available, decline ATM currency conversion, and track transport, meals, and shared purchases as they happen. Hello’s receipt scanning can read receipts in different currencies, while its categorisation and multi-currency budget tools make it easier to spot overspending during a busy island-hopping day.

For reliable mobile data while navigating, checking bus routes, or using digital payments, consider Hello eSIM for Malta. Hello eSIM plans can be activated before departure so you arrive connected without depending on airport Wi-Fi.

These are the most common Malta currency questions travellers ask before arriving, covering cash, cards, exchange rates, tipping, and digital payments. The short answer is that Malta is card-friendly, but a small euro cash reserve prevents problems in smaller villages, at kiosks, and when a terminal is offline.

Do I need cash in Malta? Carry around €20–€50 in small notes and coins. Most tourist businesses accept cards, but some market stalls, beach kiosks, village cafés, and older ticket machines may not.

Can I use Singapore dollars in Malta? No. Singapore dollars are not normal spending currency, so exchange them through a reputable provider or withdraw euros from a suitable ATM. Compare the final amount received after commissions.

Are digital payment apps such as WeChat Pay or PayPay widely accepted? They are not the standard payment options for everyday spending in Malta. Visa, Mastercard, contactless cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay are more practical. Carry a physical card in case a wallet or app is not accepted.

Should I tip in Malta? Yes, when service is good, but tipping is discretionary. Leave 5–10% in restaurants if no service charge is included, or round up cafés and taxis.

What are common money scams? Watch for inflated exchange rates, hidden commissions, ATM currency conversion, card skimming, and unofficial taxi charges. Use reputable ATMs, inspect the amount before confirming, and keep receipts.

How can I split spending with friends? Hello supports expense splitting across multiple currencies and automatically converts amounts, which is useful when one person pays a restaurant bill in euros and others reimburse in SGD.