How much does it cost to send XMR? Spoiler: almost nothing.
Updated March 2026 · By arnoldnakamura
A typical Monero transaction costs approximately 0.00003–0.0002 XMR (less than 5 cents) regardless of the amount sent. Sending $10 or $10,000 costs the same fee. Monero is one of the cheapest major cryptocurrencies to transact with.
Monero fees are based on transaction size in bytes, not the value transferred. The more data your transaction adds to a block, the higher the fee. Most transactions are 1.5–2.5 KB in size.
| Factor | Effect on Fee | Typical Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Number of inputs | More inputs = larger transaction = higher fee | 2 inputs: ~1.5 KB ($0.01). 10 inputs: ~5 KB ($0.04) |
| Number of outputs | More recipients = larger transaction | 2 outputs (standard): ~1.5 KB. Each extra output adds ~0.1 KB |
| Fee priority | Higher priority = multiplier on base fee | Default: 1x. Elevated: 4x. Priority: 20x |
| Network congestion | More congestion = slightly higher base fee | Rare — dynamic block size absorbs most spikes |
Key insight: If you receive lots of small payments (e.g., from mining), your wallet accumulates many small inputs. When you spend, the transaction needs to reference all these inputs, making it larger and more expensive. Consolidating outputs during low-fee periods can save money later. In Feather Wallet: Tools → Coins → select all → Sweep.
This is Monero's secret weapon against fee spikes. Unlike Bitcoin (fixed ~1 MB blocks) or Ethereum (fixed gas limit), Monero blocks grow automatically when demand increases.
1. Median block size — The network tracks the median block size of the last 100 blocks.
2. Dynamic expansion — Miners can create blocks up to 2x the current median size. This allows the network to absorb traffic spikes without fee explosions.
3. Penalty mechanism — Miners who create blocks larger than the median receive a reduced block reward. This prevents spam by making artificially large blocks unprofitable.
4. Gradual adjustment — As larger blocks become the norm, the median shifts up, and the "normal" block size grows. The network scales organically with demand.
Result: Monero has never experienced a sustained fee spike like Bitcoin's $50+ fees in 2017/2021 or Ethereum's $100+ gas fees. Even during peak usage, Monero fees have remained under $0.50.
Most Monero wallets let you choose a fee priority. Under normal network conditions, default priority is confirmed within 2–5 minutes:
| Priority | Multiplier | Typical Fee | Confirmation | When to Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Default | 1x | $0.01–0.03 | 2–5 min | Normal transactions |
| Low | 1x | $0.01–0.03 | 2–10 min | Non-urgent transfers |
| Elevated | 4x | $0.04–0.12 | ~2 min | Time-sensitive trades |
| Priority | 20x | $0.20–0.60 | Next block | Urgent (rare) |
For P2P trading, default priority is always sufficient. Your counterparty will see the transaction as "pending" within seconds (0-confirmation) and confirmed after ~20 minutes (10 blocks). There is almost never a reason to use elevated or priority fees.
| Cryptocurrency | Typical Fee | Confirmation Time | Private? | Fee Spikes? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monero (XMR) | $0.01–0.05 | ~20 min (10 conf) | Yes (default) | No (dynamic blocks) |
| Bitcoin (BTC) | $1–5 | ~60 min (6 conf) | No (public ledger) | Yes ($50+ peaks) |
| Ethereum (ETH) | $2–10 | ~15 min (12 conf) | No | Yes ($100+ peaks) |
| Litecoin (LTC) | $0.01–0.05 | ~12.5 min (6 conf) | Optional (MWEB) | Rare |
| USDT (TRC-20) | $0.05–0.30 | ~3 min | No | No |
| USDT (ERC-20) | $3–8 | ~15 min | No | Yes (gas spikes) |
Monero is 50–100x cheaper than Bitcoin for a standard transaction, while providing full transaction privacy that Bitcoin cannot match. The combination of low fees + mandatory privacy makes XMR the most practical cryptocurrency for everyday payments and P2P trading.
When trading Monero peer-to-peer, you encounter both network fees and platform fees:
| Fee Type | Who Pays | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| XMR network fee | Sender | ~$0.01–0.05 | Paid on every on-chain transaction. Negligible. |
| Haveno (RetoSwap) platform fee | Both parties | 0.1% maker + 0.5% taker | Charged on the XMR trade amount. Security deposits (15%) returned after trade. |
| Haveno (DawnSwap) platform fee | Both parties | ~1% each | Higher than RetoSwap. Lower deposits (5%). |
| XMRBazaar | Nobody | 0% | Zero platform fees. Only network fees. |
| OpenMonero | Nobody | 0% | Zero platform fees. Only network fees. |
| P2P trader premium | Buyer (built into price) | 5–15% over market | Not a fee — it's the price of the service (privacy, convenience, no KYC). |
For a detailed comparison of all P2P platforms, see Haveno vs XMRBazaar vs OpenMonero.
Unless you're in extreme time pressure, default priority gets confirmed in 2–5 minutes. There's no benefit to paying 4x or 20x more for the same practical result.
If your wallet has many small received payments (e.g., from mining or receiving many micro-transactions), consolidate them into a single output during a quiet period. This reduces the number of inputs needed for future transactions.
In Feather Wallet: Tools → Coins tab → select outputs → Sweep all to yourself.
All wallets updated since 2022 use Bulletproofs+, which reduced transaction size by ~80%. If you're using very old wallet software, update to get smaller (cheaper) transactions automatically.
If you need to send to multiple addresses, some wallets support multi-output transactions (one transaction, multiple recipients). This is cheaper than sending separately because the overhead (ring signatures, range proofs) is shared.
Monero has a permanent tail emission of 0.6 XMR per block (~$120 at current prices). This means miners always earn meaningful block rewards, even if transaction fees were zero.
This is a critical design difference from Bitcoin, where block rewards halve every 4 years and will eventually reach zero. When that happens, Bitcoin miners must rely entirely on transaction fees — creating pressure for higher fees forever. Bitcoin's fee market is a feature for miners but a tax on users.
Monero's tail emission means there is no structural pressure for fees to increase. Miners are compensated. The network is secured. And users pay negligible fees. This is by design, not accident.
More about Monero's mining model: How to Mine Monero — CPU Guide (2026)
$0.01–0.05 for a typical transaction in March 2026. The fee is approximately 0.00003–0.0002 XMR. Fees are based on transaction size in bytes, not the amount sent — sending $10 costs the same as sending $10,000.
Three reasons: (1) Dynamic block size absorbs demand spikes instead of creating bidding wars. (2) Bulletproofs+ reduced transaction size by ~80%. (3) Tail emission ensures miners are paid regardless of fees, removing the incentive to keep fees high.
No. Receiving Monero is always free. Only the sender pays the network fee. If someone sends you 1 XMR, you receive exactly 1 XMR.
No. Fees depend on transaction byte size, not value. A $50 transaction and a $50,000 transaction cost the same fee. The main factor that increases fees is the number of inputs (many small received payments being spent together).
Theoretically possible but practically hasn't happened. The dynamic block size absorbs demand increases. During Monero's busiest periods, fees have remained under $0.50 — compared to $50+ on Bitcoin and $100+ on Ethereum during their congestion events.
Monero blocks are mined every ~2 minutes. A transaction typically enters the next block within 2–5 minutes. The network requires 10 confirmations (~20 minutes) before funds are fully spendable. Most wallets show the transaction as pending immediately.
Under normal conditions, even the minimum fee is sufficient. If the network is unusually congested, a low-priority transaction might wait an extra block or two (4–6 more minutes). Monero transactions don't get "stuck" the way Bitcoin transactions can because the dynamic block size mechanism ensures blocks aren't artificially full.
Haveno charges platform fees: RetoSwap takes 0.1% (maker) + 0.5% (taker), DawnSwap takes ~1% each side. XMRBazaar and OpenMonero charge zero platform fees. All platforms still require the standard XMR network fee (~$0.01–0.05) for on-chain transactions. See platform comparison.
I buy and sell XMR for EUR cash — no KYC, no exchange. Cash by Mail (EU-wide), Face-to-Face (SW Germany). 683 trades, 100% feedback.
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