“People ask ‘How much does Monaco cost?’ but what they mean is: what does a day cost without feeling either stressed or ripped off?
The right question is: “How much does Monaco cost if I want to actually enjoy it without either blowing my budget or feeling like I’m missing out?”
Every guide says “Monaco is expensive” like that’s helpful. Cool. So is it €50 expensive? €200 expensive? €500 expensive? What does “expensive” even mean?
I have anxiety about money. I can’t enjoy a trip if I’m constantly wondering whether I’m overspending or if I should’ve brought more cash. I need numbers. Exact numbers. Not “bring plenty of money and good luck.”
So I started tracking what I actually spent, line by line, across two separate Monaco visits.
Train tickets. Coffee. Museum entries. That bottle of water that made me audibly gasp. The bathroom fee I didn’t know existed. Everything.
Then I categorized it into three budgets: Budget Day (€49), Comfortable Day (€108), and Treat Yourself Day (€188).
Same core Monaco route. Three completely different price points depending on your choices.
Here’s exactly what Monaco actually costs – no vague ‘Monaco is expensive’, no “it depends,” just real numbers from someone who obsessively tracked everything.
Why “Monaco is Expensive” is Useless Advice
What every blog says:
- “Monaco is pricey, budget accordingly!”
- “Bring extra money for Monaco”
- “It’s expensive but worth it”
What they DON’T say:
- How much IS expensive?
- What specifically costs money?
- Where can you save without ruining the experience?
- What’s actually worth paying for?
It’s frustratingly vague. I spent hours reading Monaco guides before my first visit trying to figure out how much cash to bring. No one would just tell me.
So here’s what I learned across two visits in 2025:
Monaco has a wide range of costs depending on your choices, but you can absolutely visit on a budget if you know which things to skip and which things matter.
The €49 budget day and the €188 treat-yourself day cover the same core walking route – you see the same places, walk the same routes, experience the same Monaco. You just make different choices about where to spend.
Here’s the breakdown.
The Three Monaco Budget Breakdown Tiers (Overview)
Budget Day: €49
- Train tickets, free attractions, one affordable meal, tap water
- You see everything important, you just skip the “extras”
- Perfect for: Backpackers, budget travelers, people saving money for other parts of trip
Comfortable Day: €108
- Train tickets, one museum, nice lunch, a drink with a view, occasional splurges
- You treat yourself strategically without going overboard
- Perfect for: Most travelers who want to enjoy Monaco without stressing about every euro
Treat Yourself Day: €188
- Train tickets, museums, excellent meal, drinks at iconic spots, zero compromises
- You experience Monaco “properly” without worrying about costs
- Perfect for: Special occasions, once-in-a-lifetime trips, people who want the full experience
Key insight: The difference between €49 and €188 isn’t about seeing more of Monaco. It’s about comfort, food quality, and “Instagram moments.” You can have an incredible Monaco day at any of these price points.
| Feature | Budget Day | Comfortable Day | Treat Yourself |
| Total Cost | €49.20 | €108.00 | €188.00 |
| Lunch | Supermarket Picnic | Seated Restaurant | Luxury Terrace |
| Drink | Tap Water / Supermarket | Coffee at Casino Sq. | Cocktail at Buddha Bar |
| Main Attraction | Guard Change (Free) | Oceanographic Museum | Casino + Palace + Museum |
| Vibe | “I’m just visiting” | “I’m participating” | “I’m treating myself” |
Budget Day: €49 (The Minimal Monaco Day Trip Cost)
Total: €49.70
This is Monaco stripped to essentials. You see everything important, you just skip the tourist traps and overpriced cafés.
Transportation: €12.00
- Nice → Monaco train: €6 (€12 round-trip)
- Local walking: €0 (Monaco is tiny, you don’t need buses)
Pro tip: Buy your train ticket at the machine in Nice-Ville station. There’s an English option. Validate it at the yellow machine before boarding or you risk a €50 fine.
Food & Drink: €21.00
Breakfast: €0
- Eat before leaving Nice (your hotel breakfast or grab something from a supermarket the night before)
- Don’t buy breakfast in Monaco – even a croissant is €3.50
Mid-morning coffee: €2.80
- Café Baguette, Rue Grimaldi (locals’ spot, not touristy)
- Espresso + bathroom use
- Skip the fancy cafés on Port Hercules (€6+ for the same coffee)
Lunch: €15.70
- U Express supermarket (near Monaco-Ville)
- Sandwich: €6
- Fruit: €2.80
- Bottle of water (1.5L): €1.50
- Chips or snack: €2.50
- Extra water bottle for afternoon: €1.50
- Capri-Sun because you’re an adult: €1.50
Where to eat it: Find a bench in the Japanese Garden (free entry, stunning, peaceful) or on the Palace Square if you want the Monaco-Ville atmosphere.
Afternoon pick-me-up: €2.50
- Carrefour Express: cheap Orangina or iced coffee from the fridge
- Drink it while walking – this is your “café with a view” but for €2.50 instead of €8
Dinner: €0
- Eat back in Nice after your train
- You’ll be tired anyway, and Nice has way better affordable food options
Reality check: Yes, you’re eating supermarket sandwiches in Monaco. But they’re French supermarket sandwiches (actually good), and you’re saving €40+ that you can spend on an incredible dinner in Nice’s Old Town instead.
Attractions: €0.00
Everything free in Monaco:
- ✅ Palace Square and guard change (11:55am daily)
- ✅ Monaco-Ville old town streets
- ✅ Saint Nicholas Cathedral (where Grace Kelly is buried)
- ✅ Fort Antoine viewpoint
- ✅ Japanese Garden (incredible, genuinely one of Monaco’s best spots)
- ✅ Port Hercules walk
- ✅ Casino Square exterior and gardens
- ✅ Larvotto Beach (public, free)
What you skip:
- ❌ Prince’s Palace interior tour (€10)
- ❌ Oceanographic Museum (€25)
- ❌ Casino entry (€20 just to walk in)
Honest take: The Palace interior is beautiful but not essential – you get 90% of the experience from the square and guard change. The Oceanographic Museum is genuinely nice if you love marine life, but it’s a “nice to have” not a “must see.” The Casino is… fine. You’re paying €20 to look at slot machines and feel under-dressed. Also beware you will need a passport to enter (driver’s licenses are generally not accepted).
Unexpected Costs: €17.00
Bathroom fees: €2.00 – 3.00
- McDonald’s at Port Hercules: €1.00 – 2.00 (requires purchase, but you can just buy a coffee)
- Casino Square public bathroom: €1.50
Alternatively: Free bathrooms exist at the Japanese Garden, Condamine Market and in restaurants (if you buy something). Use this bathroom strategy to avoid these fees.
Bottle of water: €8.20
- Yes, really. I bought water at Port Hercules from a tourist kiosk because I was dying of thirst.
- I stood there holding an €8 bottle of Evian feeling like a failed adult
- Lesson learned: Bring 2-3 bottles from Nice. Refill at public fountains (safe to drink).
Ice cream: €5.50 (3 scoops)
- Because you’re in Monaco in summer and it’s 28°C and you’re human.
- Worth it. No regrets.
Comfortable Day: €108 (The Sweet Spot)
Total: €108
This is how most people should do Monaco. You’re not pinching pennies on everything, but you’re also not dropping €30 on a cocktail just because you can. Treat yourself strategically.
Transportation: €12.00
- Same as budget: Nice → Monaco round trip train: €6 each way
Food & Drink: €65
Breakfast: €8
- Café near Nice-Ville station before your train
- Croissant + coffee, so you’re not rushing through the morning
Mid-morning coffee with a view: €9
- Café de Paris terrace, Casino Square
- Espresso + people-watching + Ferrari-spotting
- Yes, it’s overpriced. Yes, it’s worth it once for the experience.
Lunch: €32
- Seated restaurant with Monaco-Ville and cliff views
- Tried Castelroc (recommended everywhere):
- Pasta: €20-22
- Glass of wine: €7
- Service tip (optional but appreciated): ~€2-3
Where: Monaco-Ville has better affordable sit-down options than Port Hercules. You get the atmosphere without the €40+ per person tourist trap pricing.
Afternoon drink: €7
- Iced coffee at a local café while resting your feet
- I went to Brasserie de Monaco – a pretty brasserie with solid prices and nice harbor view
Dinner: €9.00
- Light dinner back in Nice, or skip if you had a big lunch
- Pizza slice + drink from a Nice takeaway spot
Reality check: The Café de Paris coffee is very touristy — but worth doing once. Just do it, enjoy it, move on.
Attractions: €25
Oceanographic Museum: €25
- Beautiful building, incredible rooftop view, decent marine exhibits
- Worth it if you like aquariums/museums
- Skip if you’re “museumed out” from other cities
Still free:
- Palace Square, old town, Japanese Garden, Casino exterior, Fort Antoine, all the walking routes
What you skip:
- ❌ Casino interior (€20 – not worth it unless you actually want to gamble)
- ❌ Palace interior (€10 – beautiful but you get the vibe from outside)
Unexpected Costs: €6.00
Bathrooms: €2.00
- Used the €1 public bathroom once
- Otherwise used museum bathroom (free with entry) and restaurant bathrooms
Impulse purchases: €4.00
- Bottle of fancy Monaco-branded water because the design was cute: €4.00
- I’m not proud of this. But I’m also not sorry.
Treat Yourself Day: €188 (Zero Compromises)
Total: €188.5
This is Monaco as a full splurge day – nice meals, museums, drinks with views, and not checking the price of anything.
Transportation: €12.00
- Same train as always (Monaco doesn’t have luxury trains, sorry)
Food & Drink: €116
Breakfast: €12.50
- Nice hotel breakfast or a proper sit-down café in Nice before departure
- Didn’t track exact costs because it was part of my “treat day” mindset
Mid-morning coffee: €9.50
- Café de Paris, Casino Square (same as comfortable day, but I got a cappuccino and a croissant this time)
Lunch: €60.00
- Le Grill de l’Hôtel de Paris (not the rooftop restaurant, the more “casual” terrace spot)
- Salad niçoise: €30 – 32
- Glass of rosé: €16.00
- Dessert (lemon tart): €12.00
- Service: ~€5 (included but I rounded up)
- Was it worth €60 for lunch? Honestly… yes. The view, the atmosphere, the food quality – this is what “Monaco experience” means.
Afternoon cocktail: €24.00
- Buddha Bar Monte-Carlo
- One cocktail: €24.00
- Ridiculous price. Incredible view. Worth it once just for the memories.
Dinner: €10.00
- Back in Nice, light dinner because I was still full from lunch
- Grabbed a crêpe from a street vendor near Vieux Nice
Reality check: The €24 cocktail is absurd, and I’m not going to pretend it’s not. But if you’re doing a “treat yourself” Monaco day, this is exactly the kind of thing you do once for the story and the Instagram post and the memory.
Attractions: €55
Oceanographic Museum: €25 Prince’s Palace interior tour: €10.00 Casino de Monte-Carlo entry: €20.00
Why I paid for the Casino: Because I wanted to see it. I didn’t gamble (table minimums can be high and I solely went for the interior), but walking through the ornate rooms and seeing the actual casino floor felt like “completing” Monaco. Would I do it again? Probably not. Do I regret it? Also no.
The Palace interior: Beautiful rooms, interesting history, definitely the “weakest” of the three paid attractions but still worth seeing if you’re already in Monaco-Ville.
Unexpected Costs: €5.50
Bathrooms: €0.00
- Used restaurant/museum bathrooms all day (free when you’re a paying customer)
Gelato: €5.50
- Artisanal gelato near Port Hercules because I have no self-control
- Two scoops, fancy flavors, zero regrets
The Real Monaco Spending Guide Breakdown: What Actually Matters
After tracking two visits obsessively, here’s what I learned:
Where Monaco is Genuinely Expensive:
- Sit-down meals at tourist hotspots: €25-60 per person
- Drinks with a view: €8-24 for one drink
- Tourist attractions: €10-19 each
- Impulse purchases: Water/snacks at kiosks are 3x normal price
Where Monaco is Totally Reasonable:
- Train tickets: €6 – same as any French Riviera town
- Supermarket food: French prices, not Monaco luxury pricing
- Most attractions: Literally free (Palace Square, Japanese Garden, beaches, old town)
- Walking: Monaco is 2km² – you can see everything on foot
The Hidden Costs No One Mentions:
- That “quick coffee” becomes €8 because you sat at a terrace without checking the menu first
- Bottled water is €4-8 at tourist spots (bring your own)
- Bathrooms cost €1 at most public locations (plan your route around free spots)
- You’ll want that €24 cocktail even though you know it’s ridiculous, because you’re in Monaco and “when will you be back?”
Which Budget is Right for You?
Choose Budget Day (€49) if:
- You’re backpacking or traveling long-term
- You genuinely don’t care about sit-down meals
- You’re more interested in “I saw Monaco” than “I experienced Monaco”
- You’re saving money for other parts of your trip
- You’re visiting multiple French Riviera towns and need to spread your budget
Reality check: You’ll have a good day, but you’ll also feel like you’re “visiting but not participating” in Monaco. That’s fine if it matches your goals.
Choose Comfortable Day (€108) if:
- You want the full Monaco experience without going crazy
- You’re okay with one splurge meal and one tourist moment
- You want to feel like you “did Monaco properly”
- You don’t want to stress about every coffee but also aren’t trying to flex
Reality check: This is the sweet spot for 90% of travelers. You get the experience, you enjoy yourself, you don’t feel like you’re either missing out or hemorrhaging money.
Choose Treat Yourself Day (€188) if:
- This is a special trip (honeymoon, big birthday, once-in-a-lifetime)
- You genuinely want to experience Monaco’s luxury side
- You’ve budgeted for this and won’t regret it
- You want the photos, the stories, the “I had a €24 cocktail in Monaco” memory
Reality check: It’s excessive. You know it’s excessive. That’s the point. Do it once if it matters to you, but don’t feel pressured to spend this much to “do Monaco right.”
My Tested Tips for Saving Money in Monaco
1. Bring Water from Nice
Since we’re assuming you’re visiting from Nice. A 1.5L water bottle in Nice: €1.50. In Monaco tourist areas: €4-8.
Bring 2-3 bottles. Refill at public fountains (the water is safe). This alone saves you €10-15.
Alternatively, you can cross into France and buy from there but this is not viable if you’re on a short trip. Don’t waste time.
2. Eat One Meal at a Supermarket
French supermarkets are genuinely good. A Monaco-Ville U Express sandwich is €6 and actually tasty.
Compare that to a restaurant sandwich: €18-22.
You save €10-12 and honestly don’t sacrifice much. Eat it at the Japanese Garden or Palace Square with a view.
3. Skip the Casino Interior
The outside is free and honestly more impressive. The interior is… slot machines and tourists in shorts feeling underdressed.
Unless you actually want to gamble (€25 minimum bets), save the €20.
4. Do the “One Splurge” Rule
Pick ONE thing to splurge on: a nice lunch, a fancy drink, a museum. Enjoy that fully. Be budget-conscious about everything else.
This lets you “experience Monaco luxury” without spending €200 on a day trip.
5. Go Early or Late
This isn’t directly about cost, but hear me out: Monaco from 7:30-9:30am is empty. You get better photos, less stress, and more space to enjoy everything.
Fewer crowds = less pressure to “make it worth it” by spending money on mediocre tourist experiences.
6. Use Nice as Your Base
Monaco hotels: €200-800/night for what you’d pay €80-150 for in Nice.
The train is 22 minutes and €6. Just stay in Nice.
7. The Monaco Bathroom Map Strategy
An OCD planner never pays for a bathroom. Here is where to go for free:
- The Japanese Garden: Very clean, free, and tucked away in the back.
- The Train Station: Technically €1, but if you have a train ticket or use the “Your Monaco” app to find public points, you can often find free stalls in the lower levels of the Condamine Market.
- Museums: If you paid for the Oceanographic Museum, use their bathroom twice. Make it count.
Plan your route around these. Save the €2 bathroom fees for emergencies.
Common Money Mistakes I See (And Made Myself)
Mistake #1: “Let’s just grab lunch wherever!”
What happens: You end up at Port Hercules, starving, and choose the first restaurant you see. Bill: €45 per person for mediocre pasta.
Fix: Plan your meal spot in advance. Monaco-Ville has better prices than Port Hercules. Or commit to the supermarket plan and don’t waffle.
Mistake #2: “We’ll just get one drink…”
What happens: That drink is €18, then you’re thirsty again an hour later, buy another €8 coffee, and suddenly you’ve spent €26 on beverages.
Fix: Bring water. If you want a fancy drink, choose ONE spot, enjoy it fully, then switch back to your water bottle.
Mistake #3: “We’ll figure out bathrooms as we go”
What happens: You pay €1 each time because you didn’t know where the free ones were. Adds up to €4-6 across the day.
Fix: Bathroom map. I’m serious. Know where the free bathrooms are on your route.
Mistake #4: “It’s Monaco, everything is expensive, we’ll just spend whatever”
What happens: You blow €200 without enjoying it more than if you’d spent €90 strategically.
Fix: Choose your splurges intentionally. “Everything in Monaco is expensive” is not the same as “I should carelessly spend money everywhere.”
Mistake #5: “We didn’t bring enough cash”
What happens: You stress all day about whether you can afford things, don’t buy lunch when you’re hungry, leave early because you’re worried about money.
Fix: Budget in advance. Bring the amount for your chosen budget tier + €20 buffer. Then relax and enjoy the day.
The Bottom Line: What Monaco Actually Costs
After two visits and tracking every euro obsessively, here’s the truth:
Monaco costs whatever you decide it costs. The difference between the €49 version and the €188 version isn’t the sights—it’s the comfort.
If you can comfortably do the €108 version, do that. It’s the sweet spot where you don’t feel like a “poor tourist” but you also don’t wake up with a credit card hangover.
You don’t need to spend €150 to “do Monaco right.” You need to spend whatever matches your budget and not feel guilty about it.
If you need to stick to €49? You’ll still have a great day. Monaco doesn’t gatekeep its best views and experiences behind a paywall.
If you want to splurge €188? Go for it. It’s fun, it’s memorable, and if you’ve budgeted for it, you won’t regret it.
The only wrong way to do Monaco is to not budget at all, stress about money the whole time, and leave feeling like you either wasted money or missed out.
Want the Zero-Stress Monaco Day?
I’ve packaged everything I learned into a complete Monaco itinerary:
- Hour-by-hour schedule optimized for crowds and timing
- Exact restaurant recommendations for each budget tier
- Free bathroom locations mapped onto your route
- Train navigation (which exit, where to buy tickets)
- Backup plans for weather
- My complete spending tracker spreadsheet
Because “Monaco is expensive” is useless advice. Knowing exactly what you’ll spend and where? That’s peace of mind.
Safe travels! 🇲🇨
Last updated: November 2025. Prices based on my actual visits in 2025 and are subject to change, but haven’t changed significantly in the past year.
