The real cost of living in Amsterdam

What's the cost of living in Amsterdam? Set your expectations by finding out the cost of rent, transport, groceries, going out and more.

Shreya

9 minute read

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Updated on 22 Nov 2024

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Living

Ranking as the 18th best city in the world, Amsterdam attracts hundreds of newcomers daily looking to make the Dutch capital their new home. If that's your plan too, then it's good to know what your cost of living in Amsterdam will be. We will help you make a budget by sharing the average cost of housing and utilities, transport, healthcare, groceries, personal needs, taxes, and other costs you may have.

While the Dutch capital offers plenty of job opportunities and a large international community, it's also the most expensive city to live in the Netherlands. The average cost of living in Amsterdam is between €1,881 and €4,344 monthly. To get a better understading, here’s an estimation of the average monthly cost of living in Amsterdam for:

• International Student (minus tuition fees): €1,881

• Single person: €2,867

• Couple: €3,598

• Family of 3: €4,344

The cost of living in any city has to be considered in proportion to the salary you earn. With an average salary of €54,000 annually, Amsterdammers are some of the highest earners in the Netherlands. In other words, you should be able to cover your living expenses and save some money for a rainy day.

Generally, the cost of renting varies based on the location and type of accommodation you're looking for. Here’s an indication of the average monthly rent in Amsterdam based on the type of accommodation.

• Private Room (best for students): €984
• Studio (best for singles, couples, or new graduates): €2,067.
• Apartment (best for couples or families): €2,490.

Prices can differ depending on which Amsterdam neighbourhood you live in. For example, depending on your preferred area, you could pay anywhere between €1,007 - €1,575 for a studio. Check out our guide to the areas to avoid in Amsterdam to make sure you choose the best neighborhood for you.

While you can use these rent prices as an estimate, you should know that Amsterdam is notoriously known for high rental prices due to the shortage of houses. Luckily, you can apply for Dutch rental allowance (huurtoeslag) which will help you cover the costs of housing in Amsterdam.

Our advice is to start searching homes for homes for rent in Amsterdam at least 4 months before your arrival. Use a trusted service, such as HousingAnywhere, that will verify landlords and protect your deposit until you move in. And once you find something suited to your needs, be quick in booking your room, studio, or apartment.

Utilities in Amsterdam

While most utility bills are affordable, the cost of electricity in Amsterdam is one of the highest in the world.

On top of these, don’t forget about the additional municipal taxes which you’ll also need to pay. This includes sewage, water, waste, property, etc.

The average cost of doing grocery in Amsterdam is around €350 - €400 per month. Your grocery costs depend on where you shop, what dietary preferences you have and how often you cook at home. Generally, this is what you can expect to spend on some essential food items.

The prices above are based on items from Albert Heijn, the largest Dutch supermarket chain. You can find more affordable groceries at some discount stores, such as Lidl or Aldi, visit grocery storess or shop locally for organic produce at the weekly local markets.

Cycling: The Netherlands is not only known for cycling but is also one of the safest countries to cycle in as they’ve separate bicycle lanes. It’ll only cost you a one-time investment of buying a cycle and possibly a bicycle pump (unless your bike gets stolen!).

Public transport: If you plan to only travel within Amsterdam, you should get a card from GVB, the public transport operator in Amsterdam. You can either pay the standard fares mentioned below or choose from many subscriptions (abonnementen) which will offer frequent travellers some discounts.

If you're going to use the public transport in Amsterdam often, we recommend choosing between the Flex or Extra Flex subscription, costing €5.50 and €15 monthly, respectfully. This way you get between 20% and 40% discount on travel with GVB.

You'll need to get an OV chipkaart from Amsterdam station's or online, where you load the subscription. This is the public transport card accepted by all public transport in The Netherlands. You can even use it for the train!

Although prices really depend on your travel destination, time of travel, and subscription plan, here’re some basic cost indications for a one-way journey with NS train:

• Amsterdam to Schipol - €4.90
• Amsterdam to Rotterdam no discount - €17.90
• Amsterdam to Rotterdam day discount (off-peak/weekends) - €10.74
• Amsterdam to Rotterdam All-time discount (peak) - €14.32
• Amsterdam to Rotterdam All-time discount (off-peak) - €10.74
• Supplement for Intercity Direct trains - €2.90

Money saving tip: If you travel frequently to a different city, opt for Dal Vrij for unlimited travel during off-peak hours (€119.95/month) or Altijd Vrij for unlimited travel (€353.80/month).

Car: While a secondhand car can cost below €3,000, a new car can cost upwards of €20,000. Additionally, you need to think about:

Taxi: With a tarting cost of €4 and €2.40 per/km, taxis in Amsterdam are expensive. If you want to use one, we recommend opting for ridesharing services like Uber and Bolt, as they are cheaper and often have discounts.

It's mandatory to have Dutch health insurance within the first 4 months if you’re living anf earning an income in The Netherlands. This also applies to paid interns coming from abroad.

Monthly premiums (premie) vary between €120 - €180 per month and the minimum own risk (eigen risico) or out of pocket payment is €385. You may incur additional costs if you decide to take additional insurance to cover the costs of dental work, glasses, vaccinations, contraception, etc

If you’re a single individual and decide to opt for Zilveren Kruis’ health insurance package, you will be paying €149.70 per month.

Taking out a standard health insurance (basisverzekering) will cover your visits to the General Practitioner (Huisarts), hospital, ambulance, prescription medication, pregnancy and maternity care, mental health services and more.

As health insurance is expensive in The Netherlands, you can apply for Dutch healthcare benefits (zorgtoeslag), if you have a lower income.

International students:

International students from the EU/EEA region who’re studying in The Netherlands can simply use their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). But if you start working part-time, you'll need to take out a Dutch health insurance. The basic packages will range from €109.25 to €128.75.

International students from outside the EU need to have private health insurance that covers healthcare costs in The Netherlands. Are you coming here on an exchange? Then your home university might even cover the cost of your health insurance during your stay.

Children:

If you’re an expat with children, they need to be insured in The Netherlands. But they’ll be covered by your insurer and you don’t need to pay any monthly premiums or own risk costs.

With tonnes of cuisines to try, you’ll be spoiled for choices in Amsterdam. To live a budget-friendly life, you should budget an average of €150 per month for dining out.

Dining out in Amsterdam

Personal needs & entertainment

University fees depend on your degree and duration. In general, for EU students, university tuition fees is on average €2.530 per year for full-time students. For international students, this can cost an average of €9,000 per year for a Bachelor’s degree and €14,000 per year for a Master’s degree.

If you’ve children and are planning to send them to a Dutch school, the tuition fees are next to nothing as the government highly subsidises education. You can expect to pay approximately €100 a year for school supplies.

If you’re planning to send your child to an international school, prepare to pay an exorbitant fee. Tuition fees can cost approximately €13,000 per year.

If you’re a registered expat and and have a child, you are eligible for receiving a child benefit (kinderbijslag) cost from the government.

For working families with children, your childcare costs will depend on your income, what type of care you’re after, and how many children you’ve.

Further, as an expat you’re eligible for government subsidies. The government will contribute a maximum of €9.65/hour for a maximum of 230 hours per month for daycare. Similarly, for school care, the government will contribute a maximum of €8.30/hour.

You can check out the Dutch government's website to see what percentage of childcare allowance you're eligible for, depending on your household income.

While you’re assessing the cost of living, don’t forget about income tax! After your basic tax credit of €3,550, you’ll be taxed at 36.97% for an annual income up to €75,518. Any income above that will be taxed at a steep rate of 49.5%!

If you’ve savings, then you can enjoy them tax-free up to €50,000. After that, they’ll be taxed at a maximum rate of 31%.

Moving to Amsterdam is an exciting adventure. With some savvy budgeting you'll be able to enjoy living in the Dutch capital to the fullest. Make sure to start your search for homes for rent in Amsterdam, it is best to start your search early.