💰 This page covers the street-level details of spending money in San Sebastián: pintxo prices in the Parte Vieja and Gros, the cider houses, booking a Michelin-starred table and the deposit that comes with it, buses and trains, and which machines to use. For Spain-wide ATM tips, DCC warnings, tipping norms, and exchange rate advice:
Read the Spain Money Guide →🎧 Order Euros Before You Fly
Land with euros for the pintxo round. Insured delivery, 2–5 days.
Order EUR → CEI Currency ExchangeDo You Need Cash in San Sebastián?
A little. San Sebastián, Donostia in Basque, is a wealthy seaside city, and card payment is normal in its restaurants, hotels and shops, on its buses and in most pintxo bars. The one place where cash still earns its keep is the crowded counter of a Parte Vieja bar at nine on a Saturday night. Carry €30 to €50 in small notes. The Spain money guide covers national ATM and tipping norms.
Where You Will Need Cash
Busy pintxo bars at peak hours. La Bretxa and San Martín market stalls, some of them. Beach hut and sunbed hire on La Concha. The Monte Igueldo amusement rides. Small bakeries. Tips.
Where Cards Work Fine
Restaurants, including every Michelin-starred one. Most pintxo bars. Hotels. Dbus city buses and Euskotren machines. The Monte Igueldo funicular. Surf schools in Gros. Shops in the Centro.
Pintxo Prices in the Parte Vieja and Gros
San Sebastián is the pintxo capital. The Parte Vieja, the old town between the harbour and the river, has more bars per street than almost anywhere in Europe, and across the river, Gros, the surfers' district, has a younger, slightly cheaper scene. Each bar has its speciality, and the custom is one pintxo and one small drink per bar, then move on.
What it costs. Cold pintxos on the counter cost around €3 to €4; hot pintxos cooked to order from the blackboard, often the bar's best dish, cost €4 to €7. A glass of txakoli, the lightly sparkling local white, or a zurito adds €2 to €3. A crawl of five or six bars comes to around €25 to €45 each, less in Gros.
How to pay. Take what you want from the counter, order hot dishes from the staff, and pay when you leave, telling the bartender what you had. Most bars take cards. When the counter is three deep, paying cash for your round is quicker.
Counter pintxos cost more than they look. The platters on the bar are for show as much as for eating, and some have been there a while. The hot, made-to-order dishes on the board are usually the better value, and the reason to visit a particular bar.
Cider Houses, Tasting Menus and Deposits
The cider house (sagardotegi). In the hills around Astigarraga and Hernani, a short bus or taxi ride from the city, cider houses serve a fixed menu that has barely changed in generations: a salt cod omelette, cod with green peppers, a thick txuleta steak, then cheese with quince paste and walnuts. The price, typically €40 to €50 a person, includes unlimited cider, which you catch straight from the barrel in your glass when someone shouts txotx. The traditional season runs from January to around May; some houses open all year for groups. Book ahead, and most take cards.
Michelin-starred restaurants. San Sebastián and its surroundings have one of the world's highest concentrations of Michelin stars, including Arzak, Akelarre and Martín Berasategui. Tasting menus cost from well over €200 to over €300 a person before wine.
The deposit and the no-show fee. Top restaurants typically take card details or a deposit when you book, and charge a cancellation or no-show fee if you cancel after a deadline or fail to turn up. Read the terms when you book, note the cancellation deadline, and check whether the quoted price includes wine and service. The final bill is paid by card in the normal way.
Paying by Card in San Sebastián
San Sebastián is uniformly card-friendly. The differences are in crowds and prices, not in whether a card works.
Parte Vieja
The old town's pintxo streets: 31 de Agosto, Fermin Calbetón, Puerto. Most bars take cards; at peak times cash is faster at the counter.
Centro and the Boulevard
The 19th-century grid of shops and hotels behind La Concha. Card everywhere, and bank branches cluster here.
Gros and Zurriola
The surfers' district across the river. Pintxo bars on Calle Zabaleta, surf schools and cafes, all card-friendly.
La Concha and Ondarreta
The two city beaches. Cafes take cards; beach huts, sunbeds and some kiosks lean on cash.
Monte Igueldo
The funicular to the hilltop takes cards; the old amusement park rides are paid separately, some in cash.
Antiguo and the western districts
Residential areas near the university and Ondarreta beach. Card-first, with quieter pintxo bars.
ATMs in San Sebastián
Look for these logos. Kutxabank's name comes from Kutxa, San Sebastián's old savings bank.
Kutxabank
BBVA
Santander
CaixaBankATM Locations
Kutxabank has branches and machines across the city, including around the Boulevard and in Gros. BBVA, Santander and CaixaBank cluster in the Centro between the Boulevard and the Buen Pastor cathedral. Machines inside the Parte Vieja are fewer; withdraw on the Boulevard before the evening round. Spain has no Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner.
⚠ Read the Fee Screen, Then Choose Euros
Before a Donostia machine pays out, the law requires it to display what it will charge your card. Cancel if you do not like the number. Then refuse the dollar conversion it proposes and stay in euros. Our DCC explainer shows what that offer costs.
Paying for Buses, Trains and Taxis
City buses. Dbus, the city's bus company, runs frequent routes to every neighbourhood and up to Igueldo. Gipuzkoa's rechargeable Mugi card gives cheaper fares on Dbus, the regional Lurraldebus coaches and Euskotren. Single fares can be paid on board.
To France. Euskotren, nicknamed el Topo, runs from the Amara and Easo stations to Hendaye on the French border in about 35 minutes, and buses run to Biarritz and Saint-Jean-de-Luz. France uses the euro too, so there is nothing to change; see our France guide for paying on the other side.
To Bilbao and the airports. Buses run frequently to Bilbao and direct to Bilbao airport, around €18 to €20, the most practical airport for international flights. San Sebastián's own small airport at Hondarribia and Biarritz airport in France are closer, with fewer routes.
Taxis. Metered, and most take cards. A taxi to the cider houses in Astigarraga is a short ride, and much easier than the bus after a night of txotx.
Tipping in San Sebastián
Spanish norms apply, as the Spain guide explains. Nothing or the small change in a pintxo bar; 5 to 10 percent for good service at a sit-down meal. At Michelin restaurants service is not added to the bill, and a tip of 5 to 10 percent is common but not expected. Surf instructors and guides welcome a few euros.
Prices in San Sebastián
San Sebastián is one of the most expensive cities in Spain, for hotels above all. Pintxos keep eating out affordable.
| Item | Price (EUR) | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Café con leche | €1.80–2.80 | $2–3.20 |
| Cold pintxo | €3–4 | $3.45–4.60 |
| Hot pintxo from the board | €4–7 | $4.60–8 |
| Glass of txakoli | €2–3 | $2.30–3.45 |
| Pintxo crawl, per person | €25–45 | $29–52 |
| Cider house menu with unlimited cider | €40–50 | $46–58 |
| Michelin tasting menu, before wine | €200–350+ | $230–400+ |
| Dbus single fare | around €2 | around $2.30 |
| Euskotren to Hendaye | €2–3 | $2.30–3.45 |
| Bus to Bilbao airport | €18–20 | $21–23 |
| Surf lesson with board and wetsuit | €35–50 | $40–58 |
| Mid-range hotel night in summer | €150–280 | $173–322 |
USD estimates use approximately €1 = $1.15. Rates fluctuate. Hotel prices peak in July and August and during the film festival in September.
Day Trips from San Sebastián
Hondarribia and Hendaye (about 30 to 40 minutes)
A walled Basque town with pintxo bars cheaper than the city's, and a small ferry across the Bidasoa river to Hendaye in France, paid in euros.
Getaria and Zarautz (about 30 minutes)
Fishing town of grilled turbot and txakoli vineyards, and a long surf beach. Restaurants take cards; the grills book up on summer weekends.
Biarritz and Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France (about 45 minutes)
Same currency, different prices. The French side is dearer for coffee and lunch.
Bilbao (about 1.25 hours)
Pintxos with a different accent and the Guggenheim. See our Bilbao money guide.
San Sebastián Quick Reference
| Destination | Cards? | Cash Needed? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pintxo bars | ✅ Mostly | Cash is faster at peak | €3–7 a pintxo |
| Cider houses | ✅ Usually | €40–50 fixed menu | January to around May |
| Michelin restaurants | ✅ Yes | Deposit or card guarantee | Check the cancellation deadline |
| Dbus and Euskotren | ✅ Yes | Mugi card is cheaper | Topo to Hendaye |
| Beach huts and sunbeds | ❌ Often cash | Small notes | La Concha and Ondarreta |
| France across the border | ✅ Yes | Also euros | Pricier than Spain |
| ATMs | Kutxabank, BBVA, Santander, CaixaBank | Withdraw on the Boulevard | Fee shown on screen |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do pintxos cost in San Sebastian?
Most cold pintxos on the counter cost around 3 to 4 euros, and hot pintxos cooked to order from the board 4 to 7 euros. A glass of txakoli or a small beer adds 2 to 3 euros. A pintxo crawl with drinks typically costs 25 to 45 euros a person.
Do San Sebastian pintxo bars take cards?
Most do, including contactless. In the busiest Parte Vieja bars on a weekend evening, you order at a crowded counter and pay at the end, and paying cash for a quick round is often faster. Keep 20 to 40 euros in small notes for the crawl.
How much is a cider house meal near San Sebastian?
Cider houses in Astigarraga and Hernani serve a fixed menu of salt cod omelette, cod with peppers, a large txuleta steak, and cheese with quince and walnuts, with unlimited cider poured from the barrel, typically for around 40 to 50 euros a person. The traditional season runs from January to around May.
Do Michelin restaurants in San Sebastian take a deposit?
Many do. Top restaurants usually take card details or a deposit when you book, and charge a cancellation or no-show fee if you cancel late or do not arrive. Read the booking terms, note the deadline, and check whether wine is included in the menu price.
How do I get from San Sebastian to France?
Euskotren's line runs to Hendaye on the border in about 35 minutes, and buses run to Biarritz and Saint-Jean-de-Luz. France also uses the euro, so no currency change is needed. Card payment works on both sides, and contactless is standard.
Which ATMs should I use in San Sebastian?
Kutxabank, the Basque savings bank whose name comes from San Sebastian's Kutxa, has the densest network, alongside BBVA, Santander and CaixaBank. Each machine shows any fee for a foreign card before you confirm. Always choose euros.
Pay Smart in San Sebastián
The Wise card converts at the real mid-market rate, pays pintxo bars and tasting-menu deposits in euros, and works across the border in France without a second fee.
Get the Wise Card →Hero photo: La Concha bay, San Sebastián, by Ermell, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.