Tipping in Spain: Etiquette and Culture from a Local

Is tipping in Spain compulsory? The short answer is no.

I’m a local and can assure you that Spaniards don’t usually give tips. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t tip. You might want to tip in some scenarios, and anyway, tipping is a way to recognise someone’s work, and who doesn’t like that?

If you aren’t unsure when and how much to tip during your trip to Spain, I’m covering every scenario so you feel confident about tipping in Spain.

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An overview of the tipping culture in Spain

As I mentioned before, tipping in Spain is optional, and you won’t see many Spaniards leaving tips, or if they do, they won’t leave a considerable tip as you would expect in other countries like the UK.

It won’t be seen as rude if you don’t leave a tip. Most people in Spain leave a tip when they feel the waiter, hairdresser, taxi driver, you name it, has been very friendly and offered good service.

Tipping can also be a bit of an “I’ll tip depending on how I feel today”. If you’re happier, you’re more likely to appreciate someone’s work and give a generous tip.

How much and where to tip in Spain

There isn’t a set rule on how much you should leave as a tip, but the average percentage is between 5 and 10 per cent. The tip is very low compared to countries like the US, where it’s common to leave between 15 and 20 per cent of your bill.

However, remember that tipping in Spain is a way of showing gratitude rather than something compulsory.

Tipping in restaurants in Spain

Restaurants, bars, and cafes are probably among the most popular places to leave tips. 

Tipping in a restaurant mostly comes down to how good the service and food are. If you think the food is good value for money and the waiter or waitress has gone the extra mile with their service, you should consider leaving a tip.

On the contrary, if you think the food is overpriced and not that good, you probably shouldn’t tip (or at least, I wouldn’t). Also, be aware that some restaurants, usually the most sophisticated, have decided to include a tip in the bill that can be up to 10 per cent. In that case, again, I wouldn’t tip.

Many Spaniards will still pay with cash rather than a card, and in that case, they’ll leave some “monedillas” (aka coins), which will normally be anything from cents to a couple of euros. They also round up. Let’s say the total bill was 17,20 euros; they’ll likely give 17,50 or 18 euros.

Nowadays, you don’t need cash to leave a tip; you can find many restaurants that offer the option to give them a tip when you pay by card, and if not, you can simply ask the waiter to add a couple of euros to the total bill. 

Depending on the restaurant or bar, waiters can keep their tips or put them in a pot, which will be split between all waiters and waitresses. The latter is the most common practice as it’s considered fairer. 

Tipping in hotels in Spain

It isn’t common to tip in hotels in Spain, and this is because you’ll take your bags to the room in most cases. 

It’s different when you check into a 5-star hotel, where a porter will help you take the suitcases to your room. Although tipping isn’t expected, as you’ve probably paid a reasonable amount for that service, you can leave a small tip to appreciate their help.

Another member of staff who is sometimes tipped in hotels is the cleaner. Imagine staying in the hotel for a few days or a week, and always finding the room spotless and tidy. In this case, you could leave a tip of between 2 and 5 euros, depending on the number of days you stayed and whether you used room service.

Tipping taxi drivers in Spain

Taxi rides aren’t cheap in Spain; you can easily pay between 9 and 15 euros for a 10-kilometre ride, which could be going from the airport to your hotel. On top of this, taxi drivers will charge extra for waiting time, taking tolls or pick-ups in the early morning hours.

Personally, I’ve never tipped a taxi driver and don’t know anyone who has done it, at least in Spain, but as always, if the taxi driver helped you with your luggage and was friendly, you could give him a couple of euros.

If you use a taxi app like Uber or Cabify, there’s an option to give a tip, but most taxi drivers will be happy with a good review.

Tipping tour guides in Spain

Like in most scenarios, you don’t need to leave a tip after completing a tour. However, I’ve seen a considerable number of people leaving tips in this case, and I’ve left tips to tour guides.

For example, when I took a day trip from Malaga to Gibraltar. I felt that the tour guide was very knowledgeable, helpful and passionate about his job. Having a friendly guide makes the experience much better.

Tour guides are freelancers and won’t have a stable income every month, so they’ll highly appreciate you for tipping. On many occasions, if the guide involves taking you from a city to a small village, or some sort of transport, they’ll leave a basket where you can tip the tour guide and the driver.

What about the free walking tours? Although they’re free, which can save you quite a bit of money, as not every walking tour is affordable to everyone, I’d recommend leaving a good tip to appreciate the guide’s knowledge and work.

How much should you tip a tour guide? Again, there isn’t a set rule for this, but it’s common to leave at least 5 euros.

Tipping at spas in Spain

Do you need to tip in a spa in Spain? The answer is no; in fact, I’ve never heard of anyone tipping at a spa, and staff members wouldn’t expect it either.

Tipping at the hairdresser’s in Spain

Are you getting a haircut or dyeing your hair? If you’re booking a hairdresser appointment in Spain and are not sure if to tip, as a general rule, you don’t have to, and hairdressers won’t expect tips from customers.

Having said so, some of my family members, including myself, have left a 2-3 euro tip in the hairdressers because they’re independent rather than big chains.

Also, it’s more common to tip if you tend to go to the same hairdresser and you love the results, of course!

Tipping delivery drivers in Spain

What about tipping delivery drivers in Spain? Well, if you paid via an app, you probably won’t leave a tip; however, if you pay with cash to the delivery driver, you might give a small tip, like 1 or 2 euros.

It’s really up to you, but it also depends on how friendly the delivery driver is and whether they delivered the food or item within the estimated delivery time.

Tipping at nightclubs in Spain

Tipping at nightclubs in Spain is very uncommon, but if you feel like the bartender has made you a fantastic cocktail, you can leave a tip. However, don’t be surprised if he or she finds it odd, as they’d almost never receive one. 

If you go to a more upscale nightclub or luxury beach bar, you might find more people tipping, but this doesn’t happen in regular nightclubs. 

Tipping in popular Spanish cities

Tipping in Madrid

Is there anything you need to know about tipping in Madrid that differs from the rest of the country? The answer is no, but you’re more likely to see more people tipping in Madrid because it’s a bigger city and attracts more tourists at the same time.

Many tourists give tips, and some restaurants and bars have wanted to implement what they call “propina a la americana” (American-style tipping). What they do is include two totals in the bill, one with tips and one without tips. However, you don’t have to tip.

Tipping in Barcelona

Tipping in Barcelona is similar to Madrid. As a major Spanish city that attracts millions of tourists every year, tipping in restaurants, bars, and cafes is more common. Also, you’ll find bigger tips. As happens with Madrid, some restaurants already include a total bill with a tipping amount.

Tipping in Mallorca

Although Mallorca isn’t in Spain’s mainland, it doesn’t really matter when it comes to tipping. The same rules apply. Tipping is voluntary, and if you wish to leave a tip at a restaurant or cafe is always appreciated.

Tipping in Seville

When it comes to Southern Spain, I personally think we tip less than in other regions, but Seville and Malaga are probably the places where you’ll find more people tipping. At the same time, they are the travellers’ favourite destinations in Andalucia. Normally, you’ll round up the bill to give a tip for the service.

How to calculate your tips

Use this calculator to estimate the tip you should leave depending on the establishment and price.

Useful vocabulary for tipping in Spain 

Now that you know exactly how tipping in Spain is, it’ll be useful to know some vocabulary. Here are some basic words and sentences:

• Cuenta (Bill)
• Propina (Tip)
• Dinero (Money)
• “¿Me puede dar la cuenta por favor?” (Could you give me the bill, please?)
• “¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?” (Can I pay by card?)
• “¿Puedo pagar con efectivo?” (Can I pay with cash?)
• “Aquí le dejo una propina” (Here is a tip)
• “¿Cuánto cuesta?” (How much is it?)

Conclusion on tipping in Spain

The tipping etiquette in Spain is different from that in other countries like the US and the UK.

Tipping in Spain is voluntary, and there are no set rules on how much to tip, although some sources mention that your tip should be between 5 to 10 per cent.

Where do you tip? Most people tip in Spain at restaurants, cafes and tours. Other spaces aren’t very common, but it’s always appreciated.

I hope this article has helped you understand Spain’s tipping culture better! If you have any questions, join my free Facebook community, where you can ask questions and get inspired!

Enjoy your holiday in Spain!

Cristina x

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