What Currency Is It In Croatia: Why You Can Finally Ditch the Kuna

If you’re dusting off an old travel guide from 2021 to plan your Adriatic getaway, do yourself a favor and throw it in the recycling bin. Seriously. Things have changed. If you show up in Dubrovnik or Split expecting to pay with those colorful bills featuring poets and kings, you’re going to get some very confused looks from the locals.

So, what currency is it in Croatia right now?

As of January 1, 2023, Croatia officially ditched the Kuna and joined the Eurozone. That means the official currency is the Euro (€). It’s the same money you’d use in Paris, Berlin, or Rome.

For travelers, this is a massive win. No more calculating weird exchange rates in your head while trying to buy a scoop of gelato. No more ending your trip with a pocketful of "Lipa" coins that are basically worthless once you cross the border. But while the switch sounds simple, there are some quirks about how money works in Croatia today that might surprise you.

The Death of the Kuna (And Where It Still Lingers)

The Croatian Kuna had a good run. It was introduced in 1994 to replace the transitional Croatian Dinar, and for nearly 30 years, it was the symbol of the country’s independence. But honestly, the transition to the Euro was always the end goal.

You cannot spend Kuna in shops anymore. Period. The two-week "dual circulation" period ended back in January 2023. If you find a 100 Kuna note tucked inside an old book, you can't even take it to a local post office or a regular commercial bank to swap it. Those days are gone.

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How to exchange old Kuna in 2026

If you’re sitting on a stash of old cash, you have exactly one option left: the Croatian National Bank (Hrvatska narodna banka) in Zagreb.

• Banknotes: These are actually exchangeable indefinitely. You could walk in thirty years from now and they’d still give you Euros for them at the fixed rate of $1 \text{ EUR} = 7.53450 \text{ HRK}$.
• Coins: You're out of luck. The deadline to exchange Kuna coins expired at the end of 2025. Now, they're just souvenirs or metal scraps.

What Currency Is It In Croatia for Daily Spending?

Everything is priced in Euros. You'll see the symbol € on every menu, parking meter, and market stall. While the government forced shops to show double prices (Euro and Kuna) for a long time to help people adjust, that requirement has largely faded into the background.

Cash vs. Card: The Real Vibe

Croatia is weirdly caught between two worlds. In major hubs like Zagreb or the big coastal cities, you can tap your phone or card for almost everything. I’ve gone days without touching physical money in Split.

But—and this is a big "but"—Croatia loves cash for the small stuff.

1. Small Bakeries (Pekara): Many still prefer coins for that 1.50€ burek.
2. Island Hopping: If you’re heading to a tiny village on Vis or Brač, the local "konoba" (tavern) might suddenly have a "broken" card machine.
3. Private Tours: If you’re hiring a local guy to take you out on a boat, he’s probably going to want cash.

Basically, keep a 20€ note in your pocket just in case.

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The Sneaky ATM Trap

Since the switch, the number of ATMs in tourist areas has exploded. You’ll see them everywhere—brightly colored machines tucked into the stone walls of 1,000-year-old buildings.

Avoid the "Euronet" or "blue and yellow" ATMs if you can. These machines are notorious for "Dynamic Currency Conversion." They’ll ask if you want to be charged in your home currency (like USD or GBP). Say no. Always choose to be charged in the local currency (Euros). If you let the ATM do the conversion, you’re essentially giving them permission to shave 5% to 10% off your bank account through a terrible exchange rate.

Stick to ATMs attached to actual banks like Zagrebačka banka (ZABA), Privredna banka Zagreb (PBZ), or OTP. Your bank account will thank you.

Has Everything Gotten More Expensive?

This is the big debate in Croatia. Ask any local and they’ll tell you that the second the Euro arrived, the price of a coffee jumped from 10 Kuna to 2 Euros. Mathematically, 10 Kuna should have been about 1.33€.

Inflation hit Croatia hard, just like the rest of Europe, but the "Euro-rounding" effect was real. While it’s still cheaper than London or New York, Croatia isn't the "budget" Balkan destination it was fifteen years ago.

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Current Price Reality (Rough Estimates)

• Espresso in a cafe: 1.50€ – 2.50€
• Beer (0.5L) in a bar: 3.50€ – 6.00€
• Mid-range dinner for two: 40€ – 70€
• Bus ticket in Zagreb: Around 0.53€ to 1.33€ depending on the duration.

Look at Your Coins (The "Tesla" Factor)

One cool thing about the Euro is that every country gets to design the "national" side of their coins. Croatia’s designs are actually pretty stylish:

• 1, 2, and 5 cents: Feature the Glagolitic script (the oldest known Slavic alphabet).
• 10, 20, and 50 cents: Feature Nikola Tesla. He was born in Smiljan, which is in modern-day Croatia, and the country is very proud of that.
• 1 Euro: Features a marten. Why? Because the word for marten in Croatian is "Kuna." It's a nod to their old currency name, which came from the medieval practice of trading marten pelts.
• 2 Euro: Features a map of Croatia.

You can use these coins anywhere in Europe, and similarly, you can use German or Spanish Euro coins in Croatia.

Actionable Tips for Your Trip

Don't overthink it, but don't be a tourist cliché either. Here is how to handle your money like a pro:

1. Get a Travel Card: Use something like Wise or Revolut. They give you the mid-market exchange rate and let you hold a balance in Euros so you aren't hit with "foreign transaction fees" every time you buy a souvenir.
2. The "No" Rule: When an ATM or a card reader asks "Accept Conversion?" always hit NO. Let your own bank do the math.
3. Carry "Small" Euros: 50€ notes are fine, but 100€ or 200€ notes are a nightmare to break in small shops. They’ll look at you like you’re trying to pay with a gold bar.
4. Tipping is Chill: You don't need to tip 20% like in the US. Rounding up the bill or leaving 10% for great service is the standard move.

Ultimately, the move to the Euro has made Croatia feel more integrated with the rest of the Mediterranean. It’s lost a bit of that "frontier" charm that came with hunting down an exchange office in a back alley, but the sheer convenience of using one wallet for a multi-country Euro trip is hard to beat.

To make sure your budget stays on track, download a basic currency converter app before you land. Even though you're paying in Euros, it's easy to lose track of how much you're actually spending when you're distracted by the sunset over the Adriatic. Check your banking app daily to see the "real" cost in your home currency, especially in tourist hotspots where prices can fluctuate wildly between the high and low seasons.