Amsterdam is more affordable than its reputation suggests — yes, it's a major European capital, but it's significantly cheaper than London or Paris, and the city's compact layout means you spend almost nothing on transport. Here's what everything costs in 2026.
✔ Budget daily cost: €70–100 (hostel, supermarket meals, free museums on I Amsterdam card)
✔ Mid-range daily cost: €130–180 (good hotel, restaurants, museum entry)
✔ Currency: Euro (€)
✔ Everything is walkable or cyclable — transport costs almost nothing
✔ Cards accepted everywhere — Amsterdam is nearly cashless
🏨 Accommodation Costs
Hostels: €30–55/night for a dorm. Amsterdam has excellent social hostels in the Jordaan and Leidseplein areas.
Budget hotels: €90–140/night double room in a decent location.
Mid-range canal hotels: €150–250/night — staying in a canalside hotel is the Amsterdam experience, and it costs accordingly.
Best value areas: De Pijp (lively, local, good value), Oud-West, Jordaan (slightly pricier but the best neighbourhood). Avoid the Red Light District area for accommodation — very touristy, noisy, and not the best value.
🍻 Food & Drink Costs
Stroopwafel from a market stall: €1–2
Herring (haring) from a street stall: €3–4 — the authentic Amsterdam street food
Albert Heijn supermarket lunch: €5–8 — excellent quality, the budget traveller's friend
Rijsttafel (Dutch-Indonesian feast): €20–30/person — the city's best culinary tradition
Café lunch (soup + sandwich): €12–16
Restaurant dinner (2 courses): €25–45/person
Local Heineken or Amstel beer at a brown café: €3.50–4.50
Coffee at a coffee shop (the tourist kind): cannabis €10–15/g plus €3–5 coffee
The Albert Cuyp Market in De Pijp has the best cheap eating in Amsterdam — stroopwafels, poffertjes (mini Dutch pancakes), fresh stroopwafel. The food trucks around Noordermarkt (Saturday) are also excellent value.
🚲 Transport Costs
Walking: Free — the entire centre is easily walkable. The Rijksmuseum to Anne Frank House is a 15-minute walk.
Bike rental: €10–15/day — the definitive Amsterdam experience and genuinely practical
OV-chipkaart (metro/tram single): €1.08 base + €0.176/km — most journeys €1.50–3
24-hour GVB transport pass: €9
Schiphol Airport to Centraal Station (train): €5.40, 17 minutes — one of Europe's best airport connections
🎟️ Museums & Sightseeing
Rijksmuseum: €25 — book online, timed entry. The Netherlands' greatest museum collection.
Van Gogh Museum: €22 — must book in advance, sells out weeks ahead in summer
Anne Frank House: €16 — online booking only (sold out months in advance in peak season). Book the day tickets become available (8 weeks ahead).
Stedelijk Museum (modern art): €22.50
Amsterdam Museum: €15
Canal boat tour: €16–20 for a 1-hour cruise — the best way to see the canal ring
I Amsterdam City Card: 24hr €75, 48hr €100, 72hr €120 — includes most major museums, unlimited transport and canal boat. Worth it if doing 3+ museums in a day.
FAQs
Is Amsterdam expensive?
Mid-range by European capital standards — cheaper than London and Paris, more expensive than Eastern European cities. The main cost is accommodation; food and transport are very reasonable.
Can you do Amsterdam on €100/day?
Yes — hostel dorm + Albert Heijn meals + bike rental + one museum fits within €90–100. A canal hotel and restaurant meals push it to €180–220.
Do you need cash in Amsterdam?
Almost never — Amsterdam is one of Europe's most cashless cities. Cards and contactless are accepted everywhere including street markets and most bike hire.