Indicative rates can move throughout the day. Confirm the final rate and any fees with your bank, card provider or exchange bureau before a transaction.
The currency in North Cyprus is the Turkish Lira (TRY), symbol ₺ or TL, though shops, restaurants, and estate agents also accept pounds and euros. You rarely need lira in advance, because most places take cards or foreign notes and give your change in lira.
This guide covers the lira’s coins and banknotes, paying in pounds, euros, or dollars, where to exchange money, using cards and ATMs, why property is priced in sterling, and how the lira’s value shapes the cost of living. It also explains South Cyprus’s separate euro and clears up a common mix-up about North Cyprus and Turkey.
- The currency of North Cyprus is the Turkish Lira (TRY), used since 1983 and divided into 100 kuruş.
- Most shops, restaurants, and hotels accept pounds and euros in notes, give change in Turkish Lira, and widely accept cards.
- Property in North Cyprus is priced and sold in pounds sterling, not lira, since sterling is the stable benchmark.
- South Cyprus uses the euro, adopted by the Republic of Cyprus on 1 January 2008, so you need euros south of the border.
- North Cyprus is a separate country, not part of Turkey, despite using the Turkish Lira since declaring itself a separate state.
What currency is used in North Cyprus?
The currency used in North Cyprus is the Turkish Lira (TRY), written ₺ or TL and divided into 100 kuruş. It has been the country’s currency since 1983, and it circulates in both coins and banknotes that you handle every day.
North Cyprus currency is the same Turkish Lira used across Turkey, so the coins and banknotes are identical, and handling North Cyprus money is simple once you know the notes. The lira’s value swings against the pound and euro, which is why foreign currencies and cards are so widely accepted here.
Coins
Turkish Lira coins come in 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 kuruş, plus ₺1. The smallest kuruş coins are rare in everyday use, so most cash change arrives as larger coins and small notes.
Banknotes
Turkish Lira banknotes come in ₺5, ₺10, ₺20, ₺50, ₺100, and ₺200. The ₺1 is now a coin rather than a note, so the ₺5 is the smallest banknote you normally see.
“You rarely need lira in advance, because most places take cards or foreign notes and give your change in lira.”
Can you pay in pounds or euros in North Cyprus?
Yes, most shops, restaurants, and hotels in North Cyprus accept pounds and euros in notes, not coins, and US dollars are often taken too. They give your change in Turkish Lira, so you gather local cash as you spend. Cards are widely accepted, so you rarely need to carry much cash.
The catch is small change: foreign coins are not accepted, only notes. Break larger foreign notes early so you are not left short for a taxi or a coffee, and keep lira for places that prefer it. Prices in tourist areas are often shown in pounds or euros as well as lira, which makes budgeting easier.
Tip
Keep up to £50 in lira for a taxi at Ercan Airport, in case the driver does not take cards.
How do you exchange money in North Cyprus?
To exchange money in North Cyprus, use an exchange bureau or a bank in a main town or near a border crossing. Currency exchange in North Cyprus is quick, easy, and widely available in Kyrenia, Nicosia, and Famagusta, and rates change day to day and bureau to bureau, so it pays to compare.
You often get a better rate locally than at home, so change only what you need before you travel. Bring your passport or ID, because bureaux may ask for it. Bureaux in tourist areas rarely charge commission, but confirm the rate before you hand over cash, and keep the receipt in case you change leftover lira back before you fly home. Keep a little lira for taxis and small shops, because at Ercan Airport a taxi can need up to £50 in lira if the driver does not take cards.
Can you use credit cards and ATMs in North Cyprus?
Yes, credit and debit cards work in North Cyprus at most larger shops, hotels, and restaurants, using chip and pin. ATMs in the towns dispense Turkish Lira around the clock, and cards are sometimes swiped rather than inserted. Contactless is common in bigger outlets.
Tell your bank you are travelling before you go, and check its foreign-transaction and ATM fees, because those charges add up on a long stay. Carry a backup card and some cash, since smaller shops, markets, and village cafes are still cash-first.
Which currency is used to buy property in North Cyprus?
Property in North Cyprus is priced and sold in pounds sterling (£), not Turkish Lira. Because the lira’s value moves sharply, sterling has become the stable benchmark for real estate, a legacy of Cyprus’s history as a former British colony.
Developers and agents quote homes in pounds, and contracts are usually written in pounds, so a falling lira does not change the agreed price. Deposits and stage payments follow the sterling figure, which protects both buyer and seller from currency swings during a build. Sterling also lets you compare North Cyprus prices with the UK market and budget a mortgage or staged payment plan from a UK account.
How does currency fluctuation affect the cost of living in North Cyprus?
Currency fluctuation keeps North Cyprus affordable for visitors and expats holding pounds or euros, because a weak lira buys more locally. Everyday costs stay low: a full restaurant meal can cost around €25 with drinks, and daily expenses feel cheap to a sterling budget.
When the lira falls, sterling and euro budgets stretch further on rent, food, and bills, which is a strong draw for retirees and remote workers. The flip side is that lira wages and savings lose value, so local earners feel the squeeze. For a fuller picture of day-to-day prices, see our guide to the cost of living in North Cyprus.
What money is used in South Cyprus?
South Cyprus uses the euro (€), which the Republic of Cyprus adopted on 1 January 2008. So if you fly into Larnaca or Paphos, or cross the border in Nicosia, you need euros on that side of the island, not Turkish Lira or pounds.
North and south Cyprus run separate currencies, so plan for both if your trip crosses the line. Keep a small amount of euros for a southern airport taxi or a day trip, then switch back to lira, pounds, or cards once you are in the north.
Is North Cyprus part of Turkey because it uses the lira?
No, North Cyprus is a separate country, not part of Turkey, even though it uses the Turkish Lira. It adopted the lira after declaring itself a separate state in 1983, much as other countries use another nation’s currency by choice.
The Turkish Lira is issued by the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye, founded in 1931, and most banks operating in North Cyprus are Turkish, which ties the local economy closely to Turkey’s. The currency link is practical and historic, not a sign that North Cyprus is governed from Ankara.
The bottom line on money in North Cyprus
Travel to North Cyprus with a card and a little cash in pounds or euros, and you are set: the Turkish Lira runs daily life, but foreign notes and cards are accepted almost everywhere. Change a little money at a local bureau for taxis and small shops, keep euros for any trip south, and expect your budget to go far while the lira stays weak. For a property purchase, think in pounds, because that is how homes are priced and sold.
FAQ
No, you do not need to bring Turkish Lira in advance, because shops take pounds, euros, and cards and give change in lira. Pick up a little local cash on arrival for taxis and small purchases. At Ercan Airport, keep up to £50 in lira for a taxi if the driver does not take cards.
Yes, you usually get a better rate in North Cyprus than in the UK, so exchange most of your money after you arrive. Change a small amount at home for your first taxi and snacks, then use a local bureau or bank for the rest. Compare a few bureaux, because rates vary.
Yes, you need euros at Larnaca and Paphos, because those airports are in South Cyprus, which uses the euro. No other currency is reliably accepted there. Carry euros for the taxi or transfer, then switch to lira, pounds, or cards once you reach the north.
Yes, the Turkish Lira is the only official legal tender in North Cyprus, even though businesses accept pounds, euros, and dollars for convenience. Official sites such as government offices and museums take only lira, so keep lira on hand away from the main tourist areas.
Yes, shops, hotels, and exchange bureaux across the towns accept US dollars, alongside pounds and euros. You get your change in Turkish Lira, and a bureau will exchange dollars at the day’s rate. Cards remain the simplest option for larger payments.
Official sites, government offices, and museums take only Turkish Lira, not foreign notes. Smaller villages and local shops away from the tourist areas also prefer lira. Carry a modest amount of cash for these, even though cards and foreign notes work across the towns.