What Is the Cost of Living in Amsterdam?

amsterdam cost f living — (source: cntraveler)

Amsterdam is a spectacular city to move in for someone who wants a little bit of change in their life. The city blesses its residents with vibrant nightlife, creative events and thrilling meet-up spots. Amsterdam is one of those cities that keep on changing, and one will never get bored of living there.

However, all these things come at a cost. Just like any other capital city, the cost of living in Amsterdam is the highest in the Netherlands.

What Is the Average Cost of Living in Amsterdam?

The exact monthly expense for an individual primarily depends on their lifestyle. However, the approximate cost of living in Amsterdam for a family of four and a couple is € 3,500 and that for a student is € 2,100. Furthermore, the monthly cost of living in Amsterdam for a bachelor is € 2,300.

Category	Monthly Cost of Living
Student	€ 2,100
Bachelor	€ 2,300
Couple	€ 3,500
Family of four	€ 3,500

What Are the Top Expenses of Living in Amsterdam?

The various areas of expense that impact the cost of living in Amsterdam, Netherlands are –

1. Accommodation

The monthly rent of accommodation differs for social and private housing. Just like any other city, the rental costs vary from region to region within the city. The table below shows the approximate monthly rent of different types of housing –

Classification of Accommodation	Approximate Rent Per Month
Social housing	€ 750
Room in a shared apartment	€ 400 - € 1,200
Studio apartment	v€ 700 - € 1,300
1 BHK	€ 900 - € 2,000
2 BHK	€ 1,200 - € 3,000
3 BHK	€ 2,000 - € 5,000

Furthermore, the cost of buying an apartment in Amsterdam is as follows –

Classification of Accommodation	Approximate Cost Per Square Metre
Apartment in the centre of the city	€ 6,500 - € 9,000
Apartment outside the centre of Amsterdam	€ 4,100 - € 6,000

2. Groceries

Compared to the other areas of expense in Amsterdam, the price of grocery items are quite affordable if you know where to shop. Furthermore, there are several local markets and supermarkets from where one can get all the items of daily need.

Grocery Items	Approximate Cost
Milk (regular) (1 litre)	€ 1
Fresh bread (500g)	€ 1.5
Rice (white) (1kg)	€ 2
Eggs (regular) (1 dozen)	€ 2
Local cheese (1kg)	€ 11
Chicken 1 kg (boneless)	€ 8
Apples (1kg)	€ 3
Banana (1kg)	€ 1.5
Oranges (1kg)	€ 2
Tomato (1kg)	€ 2
Potato (1kg)	€ 1
Onion (1kg)	€ 1
Lettuce (1 head)	€ 1

3. Transportation

The Netherlands is well known for cycling. Additionally, it is one of the safest countries to use cycles as a mode of transportation as the cities have separate bicycle lanes.

Type of Cycle	Approximate Cost
Second-hand	€ 50 - € 100
New cycle	€ 250 - € 600
Electric cycle	€ 1,500 - € 3,000

Furthermore, there are several modes of public transportation like buses, trams and trains which one can use for their daily commuting.

Fuel Cost/Transportation Service	Approximate Cost
One-way ticket (public transport)	€ 3
Monthly pass (public transport)	€ 100
Taxi 1 km normal tariff	€ 2
Price of diesel (as of 20th June)	€ 2.2 per litre
Price of gasoline (as of 20th June)	€ 2.2 per litre
Cabs (minimum cost)	€ 3.19 per km

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4. Utilities

Basic utilities such as electricity connection, gas supply, internet package and mobile prepaid plans also impact the cost of living in Amsterdam. The table below shows the approximate monthly cost of various utilities in the Dutch capital –

Utilities	Approximate Cost
Electricity, cooling, heating, water, garbage	€ 177
Local prepaid mobile tariff (1 min)	€ 0.13
Unlimited internet package	€ 47

5. Entertainment and Leisure

Amsterdam is the perfect place for party animals. The city offers its residents numerous options to have thrilling nightlife. Furthermore, it also has several restaurants, theatres and parks where one can go to relax after a long day of work or studies.

Area of Expense	Approximate Cost
1 month gym membership	€ 46
1 hour rent for a tennis court	€ 29
1 seat at a cinema hall	€ 12
Meal in an affordable restaurant (1 person)	€ 16
Three-course meal in a mid-range restaurant	€ 75
McMeal at McDonald's	€ 9

6. Childcare and Schooling

Individuals planning to send their kids to a Dutch school would be happy to know that the government provides a high subsidy for education. Amsterdam has several schools and universities that impart quality education to children. The table below illustrates some of the best schools in Amsterdam along with the curriculum the follow –

Name of the School	Curriculum	Approximate Annual Tuition Fees
The British School of Amsterdam	British	€18,030
Amity International School Amsterdam	International Baccalaureate	€17,870
Amsterdam International Community School	International Baccalaureate	€6,124
International School Hilversum Alberdingk Thijm	International Baccalaureate	€ 4.326,00
Gifted Minds International School	International Baccalaureate	€15,300
International School Haarlem	International Baccalaureate	€5,450
Optimist International School	British, International Baccalaureate	€4,960
Amstelland International School	International	€5,530
International School Utrecht	International Baccalaureate	€4,450
International French School Amsterdam	French	€10,270

How Expensive Is Amsterdam Compared to Other Top Cities?

The cost of living in Amsterdam is more than that of 85% of cities in the world. The consumer prices in Amsterdam are 1.50% higher than in Los Angeles. Also, restaurant prices are 40.94% higher in Amsterdam than that in Singapore.

Now that you know the cost of living in Amsterdam, plan your expenses accordingly. This will allow you to save a lot of money from your monthly budget.

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