Daily Costs To Visit Amsterdam | City Price Guide

Amsterdam is one of my favorite cities in Europe. It has loads of history, amazing canals, 1000+ beautiful little bridges, really tall Dutch people, and a few other highlights. However, it’s not a cheap destination. But since most travelers only spend a few days here, it shouldn’t tax your budget too terribly. So how much does it cost to visit Amsterdam? Let’s take a look at some typical travel costs to give you a better idea of Amsterdam travel prices.

This article is part of our City Price Guide Series — Click here to see all our city price guides.

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Average Daily Cost For Visiting Amsterdam

These prices are based on what you’ll need to visit Amsterdam comfortably — they don’t include things like big nights out at the bar/pub, club entry fees, souvenir/clothing shopping, tours, random purchases, etc. Don’t forget to budget extra for those “non-essentials.”

Daily Cost of Budget Travel in Amsterdam: €83 (Approx. $100)

• Attractions: €15 (one paid attraction + any free sites)
• Food: €27
  • Breakfast: €5
  • Lunch: €7
  • Dinner: €11
  • Treat (dessert/beer/wine): €3.50
• Transportation: €5.60
• Accommodation (hostel): €35/night

Daily Cost of Frugal Travel in Amsterdam: €50 (Approx. $60)

• Attractions: €5 (free walking tour + visit one of the free sites)
• Food: €14
  • Breakfast: €0 (free hostel breakfast)
  • Lunch: €5 (ethnic street food or takeaway shop fare)
  • Dinner: €8 (more cheap eats)
  • Beer: €1 (chill out at the park and have a cold one)
• Transportation: €2.80
• Accommodation (cheap hostel bed): €28/night

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Amsterdam Attraction and Museum Prices

Many of Amsterdam’s museums are on the pricey side, so it isn’t the most budget-friendly city when it comes to attractions. However, the city is beautiful, so we enjoy simply walking along the canals and hanging out in one of the many parks. You can also stop into a coffee shop and take a whole different kind of trip — just be sure to take it easy because you don’t want your budget to go up in smoke.

• Anne Frank House: €10
• Van Gogh Museum: €17
• The Resistance Museum: €11
• Heineken Experience: €18
• The Rijksmuseum (National Museum): €17.50
• Canal Cruise: €20
• Walking Tours: Free (but you should tip the guides) — €20+ (for paid tours)

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Amsterdam Food Prices

Amsterdam isn’t exactly known for its cuisine, but finding tasty food won’t be a problem — if you know where to look and avoid the tourist traps.

Budget Breakfast in Amsterdam: Free-€10

• Many hostels will offer a free, simple breakfast that normally consists of cereal, bread/croissant, and maybe milk, coffee, tea, or juice.
• You can also find plenty of budget-friendly options at the bakery or grocery store. Pastries start around €1 and coffee will cost around €2-€4.
• A more hearty budget-friendly breakfast (omelet, toasty, etc.) will cost €6-€10

Budget Breakfast and Pastry Restaurant Recommendations

• Omelegg: Omelets and sandwiches — most everything €6-€10.
• Toastable Nieuwendijk: Breakfast and lunch toasted sandwiches and other goodies — most everything €5-€10
• B&B Lunchroom Leidsestraat: Big, filling breakfast combos for around €15. Smaller options for €6-€10.
• Bagels & Beans: Bagels and such. Multiple locations around Amsterdam. Items range from €4-€9.
• Prins Heerlijk: Dutch and American pancakes. Plus plenty of other breakfast, lunch, and dinner options. Breakfast options range from €4-€10
• Pancake en Burger Bar: Pancakes, crepes, and other breakfast options (and burgers, of course). Options range from €6-€15.
• PEEJAYS doughnuts: Homemade doughnuts and coffee. Doughnuts are around €3 each.
• De laatste Kruimel: A cute bakery with all kinds of goodies.
• Bakhuys: A great bakery with plenty of great pastries and light lunch options.

Coffee/Cafe Recommendations

• Bocca Coffee
• Lot Sixty One Coffee Roasters
• Moods Coffee Corner

Budget Lunch in Amsterdam: €5-€10

• Super budget travelers can make a super cheap lunch of bread, cheese, and fruit from any grocery store for a few euros.
• Takeaway meals (like kebabs with fries) or similar dishes from a takeaway shop will cost about €3-6.
• A cheap pizza will cost about €5.
• A combo meal at McDonald’s will cost about €7.
• Note: Many of the restaurants on the breakfast list also have plenty of lunch options.

Budget Lunch Recommendations

• Omelegg: Omelets and sandwiches — most everything €6-€10.
• Mister Meatball: Traditional Dutch meatballs and potatoes. Items range from €14-€19
• Jacketz: Baked potatoes with various toppings. Prices range from €9-€14
• Sir Hummus: Quick, tasty, and healthy hummus bowls. Prices start around €8
• Piadina Bar: Italian flatbread sandwiches made fresh. Prices range from €6-€8
• Soup en Zo: Takeaway soup and salad place. Medium soup is around €6
• Ivy & Bros: Healthy brunch/lunch spot using locally sourced ingredients — lots of vegan/vegetarian options. Nice canal views.
• B&B Lunchroom Leidsestraat: Lots of burgers and sandwiches. Most things €6-€9
• Broodje Bert: Cafe serving salads, fried eggs omelets, and sandwiches. Prices range from €5.50-€8
• Sugo Amsterdam: Delicious Roman-style pizza by the slice. Slices start around €3.50
• Vlaams Friteshuis Vleminckx: Fries with a ton of sauces. Starts around €3
• Burger Bar: Tasty burgers starting around €6
• Benny’s Chicken: Food stall that serves very tasty chicken for very low prices. Most things under €4
• Leeman Döner: Tasty kebab and falafel for cheap. Kebabs are around €3.50
• Beste Doner: Delicious kebab for around €5.

Budget Dinner in Amsterdam:: €8-€20

• Budget travelers will want to look for one of the many ethnic restaurants in Amsterdam — expect to pay €8-€16
• Amsterdam has a strange fast food restaurant called FEBO (see on Google Maps) and they sell a range of (mostly fried) food from vending machines. It’s a bit kooky, but they’re a big hit with stoned/drunk/cheap travelers. You can get a burger for about €3.
• Many of the options from the Budget Lunch section above also apply for dinner.

Budget Dinner Restaurants

• Bhatti Pasal: Authentic Nepalese Food and almost everything is under €10.
• Il Sogno Amsterdam: Nice pizza place serving up tasty pizzas for €6.50-€11
• Tijger & de Vis: Lovely restaurant serving up Dutch seafood. You can get a full combo meal for under €13
• Belushi’s: Pub serving up burgers ‘n things. Popular with the hostel crowd. Nice 2-for-1 drink deals during happy hour. Burgers range from €10-€13
• Burgerlijk Amsterdams: Another burger place serving up various burgers for around €9-€12
• Wok to Walk: Take away Asian noodle joint. Super tasty and generous portions. You choose your own ingredients but it’s easy to spend less than €10.
• Hasta La Pasta: Small Italian restaurant serving up fresh choose-your-own pasta at affordable prices. Most pasta options range from €6-€12.
• Maoz Vegetarian: Popular Mediterranean joint serving up falafel wraps, hummus, and other vegetarian/vegan options. Falafel is €5.50 and the meal is under €10.
• Pasta Pasta: A nice little spot serving up pasta dishes for €7-€12.
• Hap-Hmm: Popular family-owned traditional Dutch restaurant serving up hearty classic Dutch food for reasonable prices. Main courses range €10-€12
• Yu Family Kitchen: Small Chinese restaurant serving up quick and tasty meals for solid prices. Meals range from around €7-€9.50.

Drinks, Alcohol, & Weed Prices in Amsterdam

• A pint of standard beer at a bar: €3.50-€6.50
• A pint of beer from a grocery store: €1
• Bottle of wine from the grocery store: €6
• Pre-rolled joint: €3.50-€5
• Marijuana: €5 to €40/gram (depending on quality)

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Amsterdam Transportation Prices

Amsterdam is a fairly compact city, so most things are within walking distance. Furthermore, the city is gorgeous, so walking is a pleasure and you may never have to take public transport. The tickets for the bus and tram are the same.

• Single Ticket (valid for 1 hour): €2.80
• OV Chipkaart (reloadable travel card): €7.50 (for the card) + €1.50 per ride
• Unlimited Tickets:
  • 24 hours (1 day)       €  7.50
  • 48 hours (2 days)     € 12.50
  • 72 hours (3 days)     € 17.50
  • 96 hours (4 days)     € 22.50
  • 120 hours (5 days)   € 27.50
  • 144 hours (6 days)   € 31.50
  • 168 hours (7 days)   € 34.50

• Bike Rental: €3-€12/day
• Train Between Airport and City Center: €5.30
• Taxi Between Airport and City Center: €40-€50

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Amsterdam Hostel & Hotel Accommodation Prices

Hostels and hotels in Amsterdam tend to be priced on the higher side. Cheaper hostels and hotels are generally located a bit outside the city center, but public transport is great so it isn’t much of an issue. Expect to pay a premium to stay in the city-center — especially in the summer.

Note that it’s best to book as far in advance as possible because rates shoot up if booked last minute.

Hostels: €30-€60 (bed in a shared dorm room)

Plan on budgeting about €35-€40/night per person for a good hostel, although many hostels raise their prices on the weekend. Remember, these prices are for a bed in a shared dorm room. If you want a private room, expect to pay €60-€90. We book our hostels through Hostelworld.

Check out our guide to the best hostels in Amsterdam. 

Budget Hotels: €90-€200

At the low end, you can expect basic accommodation, but once you get around €120/night, the hotels get a bit better — but you still might be outside the city center. I find that Booking.com has the best prices and selection in Europe.

Rental Apartment: €80-€180

From my experience, rental apartments tend to be much bigger and much nicer than similarly priced hotel rooms. Plus, you’ll get a kitchen so you can save more money by cooking your own meals. Airbnb is a popular booking service but here’s a list of Airbnb Alternatives if you want more options.

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Read More About the Cost of Visiting Europe

We’ve created a super in-depth guide about the costs of backpacking Europe (including more city price guides).