Amsterdam had been on my travel list for a long time, but it was also the city I was most worried about from a budget perspective.

After visiting Budapest, Rotterdam, Wroclaw and Brussels, I expected Amsterdam to be expensive. Flights were cheaper than Brussels, but accommodation and food quickly made up the difference.

For two days, I tracked every expense to see what Amsterdam really costs when travelling on a budget.

Total Budget Overview

For this 2-day trip to Amsterdam, I spent €121.80 within the city, including accommodation, food and transportation. Including flights, the total trip cost came to €390.40.

Although my flight was cheaper than Brussels, Amsterdam still became my most expensive destination so far due to higher accommodation and food prices.

Accommodation

For this trip, we stayed in a small Airbnb just outside the city centre. The total price was around €118, which meant €59.50 per person for two nights.

Although it wasn’t located in the city centre, getting there was easy. From Amsterdam Centraal, it only took about 4 minutes by metro to Noord Station, followed by a 10-minute walk.

The host was very friendly, replied quickly to messages and offered complimentary coffee, tea and hot chocolate, which was a nice extra.

The biggest downside was the cleanliness. While the bed itself was clean, the room wasn’t. We even found a gel nail inside, and after sitting on the carpet, our clothes became dirty. Since the Airbnb was located in the attic, it also became very hot during warm summer days.

Overall, it was a decent budget option for Amsterdam, but considering the price and the shared bathroom, accommodation was still much more expensive than in the other cities I visited.

Food

Food in Amsterdam was one of the biggest budget challenges. I spent €44.50 over two days, and restaurants were noticeably more expensive than in Brussels or Wroclaw.

Here’s what I ate:

• 🥪 Breakfast (Flight): Free sandwich on the flight from Zurich.
• 🥙 Lunch (Supermarket): Vegetarian wrap from Albert Heijn.
• 🍝 Dinner: Pasta with buffalo mozzarella and water at Porta Aperta Amsterdam.
• 🥐 Snack: Cookie croissant from Lourens Bakery.

Day 2

• 🥑 Brunch: Avocado sandwich with tea at Le Perron.
• 🍫 Airport Snack: Pain au chocolat before my flight home.
• 🥪 Late Lunch (Flight): Free sandwich on the flight from Amsterdam.

Overall

• Supermarkets remain the cheapest option.
• Restaurants usually cost around €20–30 per meal.
• Bakeries are a good middle ground if you want something fresh without paying restaurant prices.
• My favorite food experience was definitely the cookie croissant from Lourens Bakery, even though it cost €5.95.

Transport

Over the two days I walked a lot:

• Day 1: 18,867 steps
• Day 2: 18,273 steps

Walking is honestly one of the best ways to explore Amsterdam. Most attractions are close together and you’ll constantly discover new canals, cafés and beautiful streets.

Public transport is reliable but can become expensive if you use it several times.

• Metro ticket: €3.40 per ride
• Airport train: €5.50 to Amsterdam Centraal
• Free ferries operate across the IJ River, including the route to NDSM Wharf.

Budget Tip

Another option is the official GVB Pass, which starts at €10 for 24 hours and includes unlimited travel on Amsterdam’s trams, buses, metros and GVB ferries. If you plan to use public transport several times throughout the day, this pass can be better value than buying individual tickets.

Free/Cheap Activities

One thing I enjoyed about Amsterdam was that many of its highlights don’t require an entrance ticket.

During my trip I visited:

• St. Nicholas Basilica (outside)
• Dam Square
• Royal Palace (outside)
• Magna Plaza
• Jordaan neighbourhood
• The famous canals
• Free ferry across the IJ River
• NEMO Science Museum rooftop (free viewpoint)

The rooftop at NEMO was one of my favorite discoveries. You can simply take the elevator to the fifth floor without buying a museum ticket and enjoy one of the best free panoramic views over Amsterdam.

Many museums, however, cost between €15 and €30, which would have exceeded my daily budget. That’s why I focused on exploring the city itself instead.

2-Day Itinerary

Day 1

Morning

I flew from Zurich to Amsterdam and took the train from Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam Centraal, which takes around 16 minutes. After arriving, I bought a vegetarian wrap from Albert Heijn for lunch. Before meeting my friend, I walked about 5 minutes to St. Nicholas Basilica and admired the beautiful canals around the central station.

Next, I walked 11 minutes to Dam Square, where I met my friend and enjoyed my supermarket lunch.

Afternoon

After lunch, we visited the Royal Palace. Unfortunately, we couldn’t enter because large backpacks aren’t allowed inside. Right next door, we explored Magna Plaza, but since we were travelling on a budget, we only looked around without buying anything.

From there, we spent the afternoon walking through Amsterdam’s famous canals and the Jordaan neighbourhood. We discovered countless cafés, boutiques and beautiful streets before stopping at Lourens Bakery for one of the best snacks of the trip, a croissant topped with 2 cookies. We enjoyed it while sitting beside one of Amsterdam’s canals.

Later, we walked about 16 minutes back to Amsterdam Centraal and took one of the free ferries across the IJ River before returning to the station. Afterwards, we walked 5 minutes to the metro station, took the metro for 4 minutes to Noord Station and then walked another 11 minutes to our Airbnb to relax.

Evening

In the evening, we returned to the city centre using the metro (4 minutes) and walked 11 minutes from Noord Station. We watched the sunset before walking 6 minutes to Porta Aperta Amsterdam, where I had pasta with buffalo mozzarella for dinner.

Afterwards, we planned to continue exploring the city, but a heavy thunderstorm forced us to head back to the Airbnb much earlier than expected.

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Day 2

Morning

After packing our bags, we walked 11 minutes to Noord Station, where we had brunch at Le Perron. I ordered an avocado sandwich with tea.

We then took the metro for 4 minutes back to Amsterdam Centraal.

Afternoon

From Amsterdam Centraal, we walked about 16 minutes to the NEMO Science Museum. Although we didn’t visit the museum itself, we took the elevator to the free rooftop terrace, which offers one of the best panoramic views over Amsterdam.

After spending some time enjoying the view, I walked 16 minutes back to Amsterdam Centraal before taking the 16-minute train to Schiphol Airport.

Since I was still full from brunch, I only bought a pain au chocolat at the airport before flying back to Zurich later that afternoon.

Comparison: Amsterdam vs Brussels

🏨 Accommodation

Amsterdam was noticeably more expensive when it came to accommodation. Even though we stayed outside the city centre, we still paid around €120 for a room with a shared bathroom. In Brussels, I stayed with a friend, so accommodation didn’t affect my city budget. If you need to book accommodation yourself, Amsterdam will most likely be the more expensive option.

🍽️ Food

Food prices were higher in Amsterdam, especially in restaurants. A simple dinner already cost around €19, while in Brussels I was able to find more affordable options like Belgian fries, supermarket meals and a reasonably priced poke bowl. Supermarkets helped save money in both cities, but eating out regularly was definitely more expensive in Amsterdam.

🚆 Transport

Public transport was more expensive in Amsterdam. A single metro ticket costs €3.40, compared to around €2.70–2.90 in Brussels. Amsterdam does offer a 24-hour ticket for €10, which is worth buying if you use public transport multiple times. Both cities are walkable, but Amsterdam is especially enjoyable to explore on foot because many attractions are close together and connected by canals.

🎟️ Activities

Both cities offer plenty of free attractions. In Amsterdam, my favorite free activity was the NEMO Science Museum rooftop, as well as walking through Jordaan and along the canals. In Brussels, I benefited from the free museum day on the first Sunday of the month and visited landmarks like Grand Place, Mont des Arts and St. Michael & St. Gudula Cathedral without spending anything.

💰 Overall

Although my flight to Amsterdam was cheaper than my flight to Brussels, Amsterdam became the more expensive destination overall because of accommodation, restaurants and public transport. Brussels felt expensive, but Amsterdam required much more planning to stay within my budget.

Conclusion

Amsterdam proved that a higher-cost city doesn’t automatically mean budget travel is impossible.

With smart planning, free attractions and a few strategic savings, it’s still possible to experience the city without spending a fortune.

Would I visit Amsterdam again?

Absolutely, but next time I’d book accommodation much earlier, rely even more on supermarkets and continue exploring the city one canal at a time. 🌷🇳🇱

Final thoughts

Amsterdam isn’t the cheapest city in Europe, but it also isn’t impossible to visit on a budget.

Walking instead of relying on public transport, choosing supermarkets for some meals and focusing on free attractions helped me keep my costs under control.

If you’re mainly interested in museums, restaurants and canal cruises, your budget will increase quickly. However, if you enjoy exploring cities on foot and don’t mind mixing supermarket meals with restaurants, Amsterdam can still be a rewarding destination.

Out of all the cities I’ve visited so far, Amsterdam was definitely the most challenging for budget travel but also one of the most beautiful.

Planning a trip to Amsterdam? Save this guide for later and let me know in the comments: Would you visit Amsterdam on a budget? 🇳🇱💰