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Amsterdam on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Amsterdam on a budget is possible but tight, because beds and museums are expensive; walking, markets and free sights help a lot. A realistic minimum is about €120 per person a day (about €65 for a hostel bed or shared budget room, €30 food, €20 sights, €5 transport).
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | €65 | €115 | €220 |
| Food & drink | €30 | €55 | €110 |
| Sights & tickets | €20 | €40 | €60 |
| Local transport | €5 | €9 | €20 |
| Per person, per day | €120 | €219 | €410 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Amsterdam day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Vondelpark
- The Rijksmuseum garden and the cycle passage through the building
- The Begijnhof, a hidden courtyard of almshouses off Spui
- The free GVB ferries behind Centraal Station across the IJ to Amsterdam-Noord and the NDSM wharf
- The Jordaan's canals (Bloemgracht, Egelantiersgracht) and its hofjes courtyards, where open to visitors
- The top-floor terrace of the OBA central public library near Centraal Station, with a view over the city
Cheap eats
- Raw herring or broodje haring from a fish stall: about €3.50–5
- Kibbeling (fried fish bites): about €6–9
- Fries in a cone with sauce: about €4–6
- Kroket from a FEBO wall or snack bar: about €2.50–4
- Broodje pom from a Surinamese takeaway: about €5–8
Where to sleep for less
Hostels are found around Centraal Station, the Red Light District, Vondelpark and in Oost and Noord; dorm beds are roughly €40–80 a night in high season and climb sharply around King's Day and big events. Staying in Noord, Oost or near a train station outside the centre (for example in Haarlem or Zaandam) can be cheaper, but check late-night transport.
Getting around cheaply
Walk the centre and use trams for Museumplein and De Pijp, tapping a contactless card on and off (about €3.40 per hour of travel), or buy a day ticket from around €9 if you take several rides. From Schiphol, trains reach Centraal in about 15–20 minutes for roughly €6. Ferries across the IJ are free.
A sample budget day
- Morning: bakery breakfast (about €5), then walk the Nine Streets and the Begijnhof (free)
- Lunch: herring and fries from a stall or the Albert Cuyp market (about €9)
- Afternoon: Anne Frank House booked online (about €16) or the Rijksmuseum garden and Vondelpark for free; a free ferry to NDSM
- Evening: broodje pom or roti in De Pijp (about €12) and a beer in a brown café (about €4.50), two tram rides (about €7)
- Total: about €115–125 per person including a hostel bed of about €60–65
More ways to save
- Pick one big museum per day; the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum together cost about €47.
- Eat in De Pijp, Oost and Oud-West rather than around Damrak, Leidseplein or Rembrandtplein.
- Buy Gouda and snacks at a market stall or supermarket (Albert Heijn, Jumbo) instead of the tourist cheese shops in the centre.
- Use the free ferries for water views instead of paying for every boat trip.
- Book Anne Frank House online as soon as tickets are released (about six weeks ahead); there are no tickets at the door.
- Travel in November or January–February for the lowest hotel prices.
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Common questions
Can you visit Amsterdam on a budget?
Yes, but it is tight: about €115–125 per person a day with a hostel bed, street food, one paid sight and trams.
What is free in Amsterdam?
Vondelpark, the Begijnhof, the Rijksmuseum garden and passage, the Jordaan canals, the free ferries to Noord and the OBA library terrace.
What is the cheapest way from Schiphol to the city?
The train to Centraal Station: about 15–20 minutes for roughly €6. A taxi costs roughly €50–60.