Amsterdam is an amazing city to visit, but how expensive is it to live there? For those who are considering moving to the heart of the nation of bikes and tulips, you’ve come to the right place. This little guide of prices and tips will help you get an inside perspective of the cost of living in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Any of these approximate amounts include rent of some sort, private Dutch insurance, groceries for the month, phone bills, extra activities, and at least some extra expenses.
| On a Budget | Normal | Expensive | |
| 1 person | 1000 | 1700 | 2700 |
| 2 persons | 2000 | 3000 | 4000 |
| Family of 3 | 2800 | 3600 | 4500 |
| Family of 4 | 3500 | 4500 | 6000 |
We estimate that the average monthly cost of living in Amsterdam for 1 person is € 1700, for 2 people € 3000, for a family of 3 – € 3600 and for a family of 4 – € 4500. Accommodation is by far the highest expense, followed by transportation and cultural activities.
Living in the Netherlands is considered expensive. This country has gained once more the place 16th over 136 countries on a world ranking of most expensive countries in the world. Of course, Amsterdam, the capital of the Lower Lands, will not be an exception. These calculations may vary a lot, but they are based on basic needs coverage and mine and my friends’ personal experience.
Is It Expensive to Live in Amsterdam? Expenses explained!
The cost of living in Amsterdam will depend on the individual situation (and tastes!) of each person, but you still need to be prepared financially and consider the basic expenses. Just because it’s expensive it doesn’t mean that you will struggle, in fact, it is one of the countries with the lowest percentage of unemployment and a minimum paycheck of 1,635.60 EUR per month according to Eurostat, for a full-time job.
Apart from getting a job in the Netherlands, you can start considering what are going to be the minimum expenses and what will cost the most. If you want to know why it is so expensive to live in Amsterdam, you can check my latest article where I explain all on detail: here.
In any case, don’t worry, in the Netherlands, there are ways of make leaving something cheaper, such as shared housing, something common not only for students but also for young (and not so young) workers and using your bike in Amsterdam will also make things like transportation much cheaper!
Common Expenses
For all the budgets there are going to be some expenses that you inevitably will have to take into account, no matter what your budget is. Here you have the most general and common expenses explained before the individual cases:
Health Insurance – Zorgtoeslag
In case you didn’t know it, health insurance is private in the Netherlands. This is something that I found quite shocking once I moved here, and I ended up paying quite a large amount on a fine for not doing it properly. As soon as you start working, you need to be insured by any Dutch company. Here I leave you a link to a website that compares Dutch health insurance.
Most of the insurance programmes are customized, you can decide when you apply for it and once every year when you apply for the renewal contract, what is it that you exactly want to pay for, how much coverage it is going to have and so on. Very Dutch of them. The minimum amount is 100 euros for the cheapest types of insurance and from there onwards.
Every member of the family has to have some sort of health insurance, including kids. The difference is that kids won’t have to pay for said insurance, they just need to be registered in the same one their parents are insured and the coverage is unlimited.
If paying 100 euros per month per person is a lot for your salary, the Dutch Government covers most of this payment, in my case up to 95 euros out of the 100 every month for being a working student. You can easily apply for it (in Dutch tho’) as soon as you have an insurance and your DigiD to apply for this type of benefits. Apply here for the Zorgtoeslag (Health benefits).
If you ask for it in 2019, your income can’t be higher than exactly 29.562 euros per year. In the case of a couple, this amount cannot be higher than 37.885 euros per year.
Transportation
We are in the Netherlands, everybody has a bike! If you use your bike, that will end up being free! Or some euros every now and then to repair a tire or something, but a much cheaper option. Your investment can be of 100 euros and once you have the bike you are good to go. If you are interested to know more about bikes and about cycling rules, check the links. Biking, even for parents with a baby or a kid is the best option for Dutch, no matter how much they earn. This is the most practical, cheapest and fastest, even if you have to invest in a Bakfiets or appropriate bike.
Nevertheless, public transportation, in general, is expensive, and if you need to use it I calculate around 3-5 euros every day to go around Amsterdam, as long as you get your hands on an OV-chipkaart. Children up to 7 years don’t pay when going to the tram or most busses and once they go to school they can have their personal OV-Chipkaart and a “school product” they can travel for free during the week and have a 40% discount on the weekends. Same applies for trains!
If you have a bigger budget, taking an Uber or a taxi is an option, but something expensive in this city. If have a car, however, you will need to consider an extra for insurance, parking permits (parkeervergunning) and other taxes: read more about it here.
Phone
Sooner or later you will need a Dutch phone number, something to take into account as a bill. There are two options: the cheapest one is to get yourself a prepaid sim card and the most expensive one, unlimited data.
If you go for a cheap prepaid sim card, you will pay for what you use. This is a good option at least to start with: for 5-10 euros you can get a Dutch phone number and get going.
The expensive option varies from 15-45 euros per month, and probably a bit more in the first month: KPN, Vodafone, Telford, T-Mobile, and Tele2 are some of the most famous ones. You will find all the information you need, either online or on one of the stores here in Amsterdam.
Extras
What is extra? Well, I consider here, books for university if you are studying, coffee every now and then if you are on your way to the office, going out once a week or maybe ordering take out once or twice a month. All of these activities are expensive but not impossible.
You always end up spending some more money: getting a snack when you are hungry, going out once a week to the movies or maybe ordering take out once or twice a month. All of these activities are expensive but not impossible. For more prices check the tables at the end of this article!
I also included a very high cost of expenses in the case of private lessons or a private international school for the child, according to IAMEXPAT, between 5000 and 22000 per year for primary school, depending on the school and from 8.000 to 23.000 euros per year for secondary education. Plans with the kids can be cheaper since some museums and other activities are free for them, not for the adult though.
Extra Government help
Child Benefits
If you have one or more children in the Netherlands you can have different types of benefits, help that the Government will provide if you can prove to have the need to makes ends meet or if you can prove your money is going for the improvement of the education of your child. These are the following benefits:
- Kinderdagverblijf (Public Daycare): for children from six weeks to four years old. Centres are generally open from 8am to 6 or 8pm. Urban areas have a shortage so expect long waiting lists, something you need to do as soon as you move to Amsterdam. Read more here.
- Kinderopvangtoeslag (Child benefits): this covers child-care benefit is meant to help pay for childcare costs for working parents and is calculated on an hourly basis if you decide to send them to a private one and work or if the waiting lists for kinderbijslag are too long. Check requirements in this article.
- Kindgebonden budget (Children extra needs benefits): in this case the child benefit aims to help parents cover the cost of raising children in the Netherlands by helping cover costs such as children’s clothing, food and school expenses. This is often the most important benefit for many families because it is relatively high. The amount given to single parents is even higher.
- Kinderbijslag (Children Allowance): this is the money you can benefit from by having a child in the Netherlands. Read requirements here. These are the numbers the Government will give you per quarter according to the age of your child or children:
- 201,05 euros for children aged 0 to 5 years
- 244,13 euros for children aged 6 to 11 years
- 287,21 euros per quarter for children from 12 to 17 years.
Something else to consider when having children in the Netherlands is that you can have a paid parenting leave, depending also on the job you have, the university is covered as long as you can justify your incomes and your child can work while studying and public transportation for small children is also free in Amsterdam.
Huurtoeslag
This is something you need to find out before renting a place. Huurtoeslag is literally a Housing Benefit the Government offers to those residents of the Netherlands whose rent is lower than 710 euros per months, no matter where they are living. You can get from 300 to over 4000 euros per year in your account.
However, not all accommodations are eligible, which is something very important you have to consider before signing a contract. The same happens with registration, so you need to be very aware of what is going on. Here you can check all the conditions (in Dutch).
Same conditons as the Zorgtoeslag, you need to be registered in your place, have access to your DigiD and be able to show your contract with the address and all the conditions to the Government.
My tips would be to ask for all of them, they add up, one won’t make the other exclusive and you may be eligible for them all!
What is your Budget?
For all the budgets, if you want to know what you can expect from living in Amsterdam, keep reading, you will find your budget defined and explained down below:
- One person on a Budget
- One person on a Normal budget
- One person with Expensive taste
- Two persons on a Budget
- Two persons on a Normal budget
- Two persons with Expensive taste
- Family of Three on a Budget
- Family of Three on a Normal budget
- Family of Three with Expensive taste
- Family of Four on a Budget
- Family of Four on a Normal budget
- Family of Four with Expensive taste
One Person, on a Budget
The average cost for a person on a budget to live in Amsterdam is 1000 euros. Since I have been a student living in Amsterdam for many years, I know what it is like to live on a budget. If you want to check more articles about being a student in Amsterdam and the cost of living in Amsterdam as a student, you can follow the links. Here there are the expenses explained.
| Accommodation | 500 |
| Insurance | 0-100 |
| Groceries | 200-300 |
| Transport | 0-100 |
| Phone | 0-30 |
| Extra | 200 |
| TOTAL | 920-1230 |
- Rent: Amsterdam is one of the most expensive cities in the Netherlands to rent anything, including a room. The average price of a room here is 500 euros. You can find some cheaper ones and more expensive ones, but at least the Dutch society is used to sharing apartments. Good news is, expenses tend to be included, so don’t worry about heating on cold months or internet connections. If you rent a room, make sure you can register in order to be able to work in this country and that will also allow you to ask for some help from the Government. With the Huurtoeslag (rent benefits) they will help you pay your rent if you really need it.
- Insurance: if you are planning on working in the Netherlands, even part-time, you need insurance. These are private for all citizens and that means you need to apply for one. The cheapest ones are around 100 euros every month but once again, if you can justify a relatively low salary, you can ask for help, the so-called health benefits, Zorgtoeslag.
- Groceries: these vary a lot according to how much you eat, what type of diet you follow, how much you drink and so on. In general, I used to spend around 50-70 euros of groceries every week, approximately.
One Person, on a Normal Budget
| Accommodation | 1000 |
| Insurance | 0-100 |
| Groceries | 300-500 |
| Transport | 0-100 |
| Phone | 0-30 |
| Extra | 300-400 |
| TOTAL | 1600-2100 |
- Rent: Small studio of approximately 45m2 for 1000 euros, if you are fast enough and lucky enough to find it. No Huurtoeslag for rents higher than 730 euros.
- Insurance: Same case as the budget situation, if your salary is relatively low, you can pay 0 euros applying for the Zorgtoeslag. If you want to pay for a basic one, that would be 100 euros, unless you want some extra coverage for a specific reason.
- Groceries: in the normal budget I included some takeaway orders and some extra food bits that may be more expensive than for those on a budget. If you want to know more about the specific costs of food and take out, keep reading the sections below!
One Person, with Expensive Taste
Do you like having a good life? This is my proposal:
| Accommodation | 1000-1500 |
| Insurance | 0-200 |
| Groceries | 400-500 |
| Transport | 0-150 |
| Phone | 0-60 |
| Extra | 300-500 |
| TOTAL | 1800-2600 |
- Accommodation: a nice flat in the centre of Amsterdam, more than one room or at least very centric would cost at least 1500 euros according to Pararius, average Dutch renting website.
- Insurance: same case as the normal budget.
- Groceries: considering lunch outside or takeaway more often, as well as groceries of biological origin and coffee to go every day of the week. For more prices, check out the tables at the end of the article.
Two Persons, on a Budget
Living with your partner on a budget is hard but not impossible. Here is my proposal on where you can spend your money and where you can save some, tips and an approximation of what you need to consider and how much that is. I calculate an average of 2000 euros per month for the two of you. Check it out:
| Accommodation | 1000-1500 |
| Insurance | 0-200 |
| Groceries | 400-500 |
| Transport | 0-100 |
| Phone | 30-60 |
| Extra | 300-400 |
| TOTAL | 1730-2600 |
- Rent: Amsterdam is a hard place to rent a studio or apartment for couples to share. The minimum price for a 35-40m2 studio here is 1000 euros. If your rent is higher than 730 euros you are not eligible for the rent benefits, so what you can do if you need to ask for it is renting a couple of rooms with your partner on a shared house that allows a contract for each room and has Huurtoeslag. That would take some research, some questioning the landlord and calling the City Hall but it is an option. With the Huurtoeslag (rent benefits) they will help you pay your rent if you really need it.
- Insurance: as I explained before, this is private for all citizens and that means you need to apply for one. The cheapest ones are around 100 euros every month and it is a personal untransferable thing. If you can justify a relatively low salary (or around the minimum of 1700 euros per month), ask for Zorgtoeslag.
- Groceries: these vary a lot according to how much you eat, what type of diet you follow, how much you drink and so on. In general, I used to spend around 50-70 euros of groceries every week, which I would multiply for two (100-150 per week). Being two is actually cheaper because buying bigger amounts is always cheaper.
Two Persons, on a Normal Budget
For living with your partner on a separate apartment, the two of you, this is the average cost, considering two people in all these numbers. I calculate an average cost of 3000 between the two persons, a tad cheaper than living alone.
| Accommodation | 1500-2000 |
| Insurance | 0-200 |
| Groceries | 400-500 |
| Transport | 0-150 |
| Phone | 0-60 |
| Extra | 400-500 |
| TOTAL | 2300-3400 |
- Accommodation: Small studio of approximately 45m2 for 1000-1500 euros, if you are fast enough and lucky enough to find it. No Huurtoeslag for rents higher than 730 euros. Other options are living in other cities close to Amsterdam and travelling there ( for instance, the closest one, Amstelveen) or checking the neighbourhoods in Amsterdam-Noord and Ijburg new constructions.
- Insurance: Like I said, just in case try applying for the Zorgtoeslag. If you want to pay for a basic one, that would be 100 euros, unless you want some extra coverage for a specific reason. Living with someone and the other person’s income is also important to be eligible or not. Otherwise, calculate 200 euro for you two.
- Groceries: in the normal budget I included some takeaway orders and some extra food bits that may be more expensive than for those on a budget. If you want to know more about the specific costs of food and take out, keep reading the sections below!
Two Persons, with Expensive Taste
Amsterdam is a tempting city: if your budget allows it, there is fashion, culture, history, gastronomy and night life. What else could you ask for? Here is a budget for a couple who can get to spend some more while living in the city. I calculate an average of 4000 euros per month.
Accommodation | 1500 |
| Insurance | 100-200 |
| Groceries | 400-500 |
| Transport | 0-100 |
| Phone | 0-30 |
| Extra | 400-500 |
| TOTAL | 2400-2800 |
- Accommodation: same as a one-person, a nice flat in the centre of Amsterdam, more than one room or at least very centric would cost at least 1500 euros according to Pararius and other renting websites. Mortgages are something very hard to get in this city, but for more information check iAmsterdam Information. Nowadays, double-income households can borrow more money to buy a home in the Netherlands: couples who both earn an income will calculate their maximum mortgage by using 70% of the lower of their two salaries.
- Insurance: same case as the normal budget, a minimum amount of 200 for the two of you.
- Groceries: considering lunch outside or takeaway more often, as well as groceries of biological origin and coffee to go every day of the week. For more prices, check out the tables at the end of the article with information about different types of restaurants and other expenses.
Family of Three, on a Budget
Amsterdam is not the cheapest city to grow up a family in but there are many ways you can make that work, with an infant or a kid. Here are some of the basic expenses and some tips and things that need to be considered when you are three living on a budget. My proposed budget is around 3000 euros per month.
| Accommodation | 1500-1800 |
| Insurance | 0-200 |
| Groceries | 400-500 |
| Transport | 0-100 |
| Phone | 0-60 |
| Extra | 400-500 |
| TOTAL | 2400-3100 |
- Rent: Huurtoeslag (rent benefits) for families is something almost impossible to get but there are other types of child benefits. I calculate that a flat in Amsterdam with enough space for the three of you (2 bedrooms apartment) can cost a minimum of 1500 euros per month. Check out ExpatRentals or Funda for some prices and neighbourhood references.
- Insurance: as a family with a low income all of you are allowed to ask for the Zorgtoeslag and the Government will cover most of the cost of almost everything when doing your taxes.
- Groceries: I would say that you will end spending a minimum of 400 euros per month on food. Some supermarkets like Aldi or Lidl are more convenient for families than AH but it also depends on how close to you they are.
Read about Kinderopvangtoeslag (Child benefits), Kindgebonden budget (Children extra needs benefits) and Kinderbijslag (Children Allowance) downbelow.
Family of Three, on a Normal Budget
Two out of the three family members have a full-time job and some extra earnings to spend on some of the advantages of living in Amsterdam:
| Accommodation | 1500-2000 |
| Insurance | 0 – 200 |
| Groceries | 500-600 |
| Transport | 0-200 |
| Phone | 0-60 |
| Extra | 500-1500 |
| TOTAL | 2500-4600 |
- Rent: Rent or buy in the Netherlands? For some extra information check this article. I personally calculate that a flat in Amsterdam with enough space for the three of you (2 bedrooms, 65m2 apartment) can cost a minimum of 1500 euros per month. Buying can be cheaper but it requires an investment at the beginning. More spacious houses and flats go up to 2000 or more. Check out ExpatRentals or Funda for some prices and neighborhood references.
- Insurance: even if you have a good salary, I would still recommend you to check the Zorgtoeslag (health benefits) and the Government will cover most of the cost of almost everything when doing your taxes. Also check out the other children benefits you may be eligible for.
- Groceries: I would say that you will end spending a minimum of 400 euros per month on food. Some supermarkets like Aldi or Lidl are more convenient for families than AH but it also depends on how close to you they are.
Family of Three, with Expensive Taste
If you two have a good job and no problem living on a city that is a little bit more expensive than average European cities, these are the numbers you will have to take into account, leaving a lot of room for extras. I calculate a minimum of 4000 euros per month considering private school, car, insurance, technology, parking space, weekends and so on.
| Accommodation | 2500-3000 |
| Insurance | 200-300 |
| Groceries | 500-600 |
| Transport | 0-300 |
| Phone | 60-100 |
| Extra | 500-700 |
| TOTAL | 3800-5000 |
- Rent: Rent or buy in the Netherlands? For some extra information check this article. For a two to three bedroom apartment in the centre you can expect to pay a minimum of 2500 euros per month. More spacious houses and flats go up to 3000 or more. Buying can be cheaper but it requires an investment at the beginning but if you are not sure about staying in the city renting would do. Check out ExpatRentals or Funda for some prices and neighbourhood references. To that we have to add expenses, something covered on average rental places but not when you are the owner. Check the table with general expenses down below.
- Insurance: Insurance is compulsory so between 200 and 300 euros is the minimum, and even more depending on the age of your child. Also, check out the other children benefits you may be eligible for even if you have a very high salary.
- Groceries: considering lunch outside or takeaway more often, as well as groceries of biological origin and coffee to go every day of the week. For more prices, check out the tables at the end of the article with information about different types of restaurants and other expenses.
Family of Four
I believe if we are talking about a family of four, the ideas and costs of a family of three work the same, with a little bit of a higher cost, of course. These are the values for a family of 3 in all the economic situations we considered above and what one more member in the family would modify those numbers:
| Average | One more Family Member (4) | |
| Family of 3 (Budget) | (2400-3100) 2800 | 3500 |
| Family of 3 (Normal) | (2500-4600) 3600 | 4500 |
| Family of 3 (Expensive Taste) | (3800-5000) 4500 | 6000 |
Mostly, what varies is the rent if you want one more room in the house, the insurance if you have to apply for it and are not eligible for benefits, the private school if you decide to get one for both children and adding a little bit of everything to the basic needs.
Treats in Amsterdam: prices
Here are some of the most basic prices to get a better grasp of prices: something standard like a coca cola, some water or cigarettes, something easy to compare with your own country. Take into account that prices correspond to salaries, so coming to the Netherlands as a tourists may result on an expensive trip but in general terms it is easy to access to all of this if you have a Dutch salary:
| Beer (250-330ml) | 2,50-5 euros |
| Coffee (anywhere) | 2,50-4 euros |
| Cocktail | 12-20 euros |
| Water bottle (500ml) | 2,50-3 euros |
| Coca Cola (330ml) | 2,50 euros |
| Cigarettes | 7 euros |
Extra Expenses
It is impossible to calculate what expenses you are going to have if you don’t know the person but you can calculate yourself some extra bits that everybody uses and consumes on a daily basis, transportation, hobbies, free time activities, take away and more information here:
| Thuisbezorgd (take out for 1 person) | 15-25 euros |
| Uber or Taxi (5km) | 15 euros |
| Gym membership (monthly) | 30 euros |
| Cinema (adult ticket) | 13 euros |
| Hairdresser (cut and style) | 50-60 euros |
| Restaurant (fast food) | 12 euros |
| Restaurant (average quality) | 25 euros |
| Restaurant (good quality) | 50 euros |
| Museum entrance | 15 euros |
And some extra bits over here, for expenses of families and party people:
| Babysitter (1 hour) | 12-20 euros |
| Kindergarten (monthly fee) | 1500 euros |
| Train trip (Utrecht for the day) | 30 euros |
| Club Entry | 10-40 euros |
| Karate for kids (or similar activity, monthly fee) | 50-70 euros |
| Dentist appointment (not insured) | 50-100 euros |
| Bike (second-hand) | 100 euros |
| Bike (new) | 250 – X |
Fore basic utilities, lists of grocery shopping and prices you can check any Dutch supermarket website such as AH and also check Numbeo.
