Is Amsterdam Expensive? Best Amsterdam Travel Guide

The most popular question for visitors to Amsterdam is often: Is Amsterdam expensive? As one of the world’s most popular travel destinations, it welcomes people from all around the world, and determining how much you will be spending on an average city to Amsterdam is essential before embarking on your journey.

There are some places in the world that are notoriously expensive – Sweden, Norway, Singapore – and many more. Amsterdam is not an outrageously expensive city, but it is not by any means cheap.

Due to the popularity of the city prices are inflated but travelling on a budget is not impossible in Amsterdam.

To answer the age old question: Is Amsterdam expensive? Keep reading!

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Is Amsterdam expensive to visit?

The short answer: Yes.

The long answer: It’s as expensive as you make it.

As mentioned, Amsterdam itself is a pretty expensive city. The currency used here is the Euro so if you are coming from a country with a currency worth less than Euros the prices will be even higher for you.

You can expect to find higher prices for food, accommodation, attractions, and transportation. However, there are ways to make these inflated prices more budget-friendly while in Amsterdam, which I will guide you to further down this post!

Cost of Accommodation in Amsterdam

The cost of accommodation in Amsterdam can get quite pricey. If you are looking for a place to stay in Amsterdam’s city center you can expect to find prices of hostels starting at 70 € a night. Whereas a hotel can be around 100 € or more.

Cost of Food in Amsterdam

The cost of food in Amsterdam depends on where you go. You can definitely find budget food options like small take-out shops and they still serve amazing food. One of the best budget restaurants is The Lebanese Sajeria which is located in the nine streets and serves Lebanese dishes that are filling and delicious (cost around 7€).

If you decide to go to a restaurant you will notice the prices are not super overpriced but they are slightly elevated. A meal and drink will be around 20€ – 30€ depending on where you go.

The cost of a coffee from a cafe is around 3€ – 5€.

Cost of Transportation in Amsterdam

The cost of transportation in Amsterdam varies. There are quite a few different modes of transportation you can take and each come with their own costs.

Taxi / Uber: This is the most expensive form of transportation and prices range from 10 – 100€ depending on where you go. Typically taxis are more expensive than Uber.
Public Transport: If you want to get around quickly and without walking or biking public transportation is the best option. You can get an IAmsterdam Card for around 65€ which gives you free access to public transportation and access to many museums and attractions. Or a GVB (public transport card) for 8.50€ to get around with a card you can top with so you don’t need to purchase a new ticket for each ride.
Bike: This is the cheapest way to get around and the most convenient. You can rent a bike for around 8€ a day to get around.

Read More: How to Survive Biking in Amsterdam

How to Budget in Amsterdam

Keeping within a budget in Amsterdam is not impossible at all. There are plenty of things you can do to save a lot of money in plenty of ways to stay within any budget while travelling in Amsterdam. Below are some ways to budget your stay in Amsterdam:

Accommodation: Stay in a hostel or outside of the city center. You will find plenty of low-cost accommodation options that are further outside of the city. However, with this, you may end up spending extra money on transportation to get into the city every day.
Getting Around: Rent a bike! A bike is the best way to get around Amsterdam and biking will save you a lot of money on transportation. If you are going to or from the airport be sure to take a train instead of a taxi as this will save you a ton of money.
When to Visit: The best time to visit if you are on a budget is the winter months from October – March. During these months you can expect to find lower costs for accommodation and flights making your visit more cost-effective. The cheapest months to visit Amsterdam are December or January (Amsterdam’s winter).
Things to do: There are many things to do in Amsterdam that fit within a budget. Although most museums and attractions cost money, there are some free things to do in Amsterdam that are still super enjoyable.

Is Amsterdam expensive to live in?

Many people wonder if Amsterdam is an expensive city to live in, and yes it is! The cost of housing in the city centre is quite pricey and gas in Amsterdam is some of the most expensive in Europe. In addition to this going out for drinks and food adds up quickly.

Like most places, there are ways to save money in Amsterdam like going to lower-cost bars and restaurants, choosing grocery stores like Dirk or Lidl instead of Albert Heijn, and much more!

Cost of Housing in Amsterdam

The cost of housing in Amsterdam ranges quite a bit. The prices within the city center go from about 1400€ a month up to 4000€+. Whereas you can find some lower-cost options outside the city ring for below 1000€. If you are a student you can opt for student housing which can be anywhere from 300€ a month and up!

The age-old question is here: Is Amsterdam expensive? As you can see it is an expensive city but can be made more or less expensive depending on what you do, where you stay, and how you get around.

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