Cost of Living in Amsterdam

Amsterdam's housing market is one of the most notoriously difficult in all of Europe, and arriving as a digital nomad without a plan is a recipe for weeks of stress and wasted money. The Netherlands is currently short roughly 400,000 homes nationwide, and the crisis is felt most acutely in the capital. A single rental listing now receives an average of 57 applications -- in popular neighborhoods like Jordaan or De Pijp, that number can soar into the hundreds within hours of posting. The Affordable Rent Act (Wet betaalbare huur) that took effect in July 2024 expanded rent regulation to mid-priced properties, causing many private landlords to sell rather than rent at capped rates. The result is a paradox: regulation meant to lower costs has shrunk supply and pushed free-sector rents even higher -- up roughly 7-17% year-over-year.

Amsterdam's dining scene is remarkably diverse, but it is not cheap by European standards. For budget eating, your best bets are eetcafes (casual Dutch pubs) where a dagschotel (daily special) like saté with fries runs $14-$18, or the abundant Turkish, Surinamese, and Indonesian takeaway spots where a full meal costs $12-$18. Street food is where Amsterdam truly shines for value: a broodje haring (herring sandwich) with onions and pickles at a market stall costs just $3.50, a warm stroopwafel from a street vendor runs $2.35-$3.55, and bitterballen from a Febo vending wall or snack bar are $3-$4. For a proper sit-down Dutch meal, expect $17-$26 for stamppot at a neighborhood brown cafe, or $21-$33 for seafood in a canal-side setting.

Amsterdam has a solid supermarket infrastructure with moderate prices by Western European standards. Albert Heijn (locally "AH") is the dominant chain with the most locations, offering good quality and wide selection but at premium prices. Jumbo is second-largest with slightly lower prices, while discount chains Lidl and Aldi offer savings of 8-20% below average. For specific staples: a loaf of fresh bread (500g) costs $2.85, a liter of milk runs $1.72, a dozen eggs are $5.35, Dutch cheese (1kg) is $14.97, chicken fillets (1kg) cost $14.81, and beef round (1kg) is $24.47. Rice (1kg) is $3.00, lettuce $1.45, and potatoes $2.16/kg. Fruits are moderate with apples at $3.67/kg and bananas at $2.90/kg.

Amsterdam's public transit system, operated by GVB, covers the city with an integrated network of trams (17 lines), buses, four metro lines, and free ferries across the IJ river. Starting in 2026, the OV-chipkaart is being phased out in favor of OVpay, which lets you tap any contactless bank card and caps daily GVB spending at $10.50 -- effectively an unlimited day pass. Multi-day tourist passes run from $10.50/24h to $45/7 days. Night buses operate after midnight at $6 per single ride.

The Netherlands consistently ranks among top countries in Europe for internet infrastructure, and Amsterdam -- home to one of the world's largest internet exchange points (AMS-IX) -- is exceptionally well-connected. Average fixed broadband speeds hover around 185-200 Mbps, with Ziggo (cable, up to 1 Gbps) and KPN (fiber, up to 8 Gbps) covering the vast majority of the city. A basic plan starts at about $37/month for 100 Mbps, while gigabit packages run $60-85/month. In short-term rentals, internet is almost always included with 100-300 Mbps typical. Mobile data is equally impressive at 170 Mbps average, with 5G well advanced. For prepaid SIMs, Lebara offers the best budget option at $5-10, while KPN and Odido plans with 8-10 GB run $16-22. Longer-stay SIM-only contracts with unlimited data start around $22-39/month.

The Netherlands operates one of Europe's highest-quality healthcare systems, built around the general practitioner (huisarts) as mandatory gatekeeper. To access specialist or hospital care, you must first register with a local GP near your home. Registration requires a BSN, which you receive when registering your address at the municipality. Without a BSN and Dutch insurance, a GP consultation costs around $55-75, a weekend visit runs $85-120, and an ER visit ranges from $330-400.

Amsterdam is broadly one of the safest major cities in Europe, ranked 6th globally by The Economist's Safe Cities Index, and violent crime against visitors is extremely rare. Property crime is the real concern: an estimated 60,000+ bicycles are stolen annually, so always use two locks (a D-lock plus chain lock) and never leave a bike unsecured. Pickpocketing is active around Dam Square, Centraal Station, the Red Light District, and on trams -- keep valuables in front pockets or a cross-body bag, and separate cards and cash. Watch for fake police officers asking to inspect your cards as part of a "counterfeit investigation" -- real Dutch police never do this.