2026 Amsterdam Travel Cost Study
Is Amsterdam expensive?
A mid-range trip of 4 nights in Amsterdam costs two people about €1,729 with the all-month median room price, or about €216 per person per night, before flights and tourist tax. The hotel is the biggest part, and in our readings its price changed a lot from month to month.
Amsterdam trip cost calculator
Pick your nights, people, style and month. The hotel line uses our own median for that month and price band. With no month picked, it is the median of all prices we read. Winter months have more prices, so that is not a year-round average. Pick a month for a better figure. Meals and car hire use published prices. You can copy the link to your budget and share it.
Your trip
€1,729
€865 per person · €216 per person per night
| Hotel | €800 |
|---|---|
| Eating out | €528 |
| Activities | €299 |
| Car hire | €0 |
| GVB day tickets | €80 |
| Airport train | €22 |
| Tourist tax | 0not included |
Short answer
- Cheapest month €125 January 2027, mid-range room for two, a night
- Highest months €293 June 2027; April 2027 €290, mid-range room for two, a night
- Price level, Netherlands 124.6 Restaurants and hotels, EU = 100, 2024
Yes, compared with the EU. Eurostat puts Dutch restaurant and hotel prices at 124.6 (EU average = 100, 2024). Your bill depends on the hotel and, in our readings, on the month: a mid-range room for two cost a median €125 a night in January and €293 in June.
How to spend less in Amsterdam
- Go in January. A mid-range room had a median price of €125 a night that month, against €290 in April and €293 in June. Our default trip costs €1,429 in January instead of €1,729, about 17% less. We read January 74 days ahead, so part of this gap is lead time and hotel mix.
- Choose a budget-band hotel. Budget hotels cost a median €130 a night for two. Mid-range hotels cost €200.
- Skip the Saturday night. For the same hotel, a Saturday cost a median 53.1% more than the Tuesday before it. The Saturday was dearer in 89% of the pairs we checked. We read one Tuesday and one Saturday a month, no other nights.
- Take the train from Schiphol. The NS train to Amsterdam Centraal costs from €5.50 one way. That is the cheapest e-ticket, in second class.
- Get a day ticket if you ride 3 times or more. A GVB day ticket costs €10. One ticket for an hour of travel costs €3.40 (GVB, read 30 October 2026), so the day ticket wins from ride 3.
- Keep some meals cheap. Guides put a cheap meal at €4 to €20 and a mid-range dinner at €26 to €40 per person (two sources). We did not compare lunch and dinner prices.
Flights are not in this study. Their price depends on where you fly from and when.
What a trip to Amsterdam costs for two
Two people at mid-range spend about €1,377 on a 3-night trip. A 4-night stay comes to €1,729, and 5 nights to €2,081, flights not counted. So a 5-night trip costs each person about €1,041.
One trip of 4 nights in three styles, counting the hotel, 2 meals out per person a day, 2 activities, a GVB day ticket each day and the train to and from Schiphol. The month changes a lot: the mid-range trip costs about €1,429 in January and €2,101 in June. The activities and the airport train are counted once per trip, so the cost per night falls on longer stays.
| Style | Hotel | Eating out | Activities | Transport | Total | Per person per night |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget budget hotel (up to €160 a night), cheap meals | €520 | €192 | €299 | €102 | €1,113 | €139 |
| Mid-range Our default mid-range hotel (€160–€250 a night), mid-range meals | €800 | €528 | €299 | €102 | €1,729 | €216 |
| Comfort upscale hotel (over €250 a night), one fine dinner a day | €1,330 | €904 | €299 | €102 | €2,635 | €329 |
Transport is the GVB day ticket and the train to and from Schiphol. The tourist tax is not included.
By length of stay (mid-range, two people)
Hotel prices in and around Amsterdam by month
A hotel night in Amsterdam cost a median €130 in the budget band, €200 in the mid-range band and €333 in the upscale band, per room for two. Mid-range rooms were cheapest in January 2027 (€125). They were dearest in April 2027 and June 2027 (€290 and €293), with about 21 to 22 prices each.
About these numbers
On 30 October 2026 we read 795 prices of 90 hotels on Google Hotels, one Tuesday and one Saturday a month. We kept hotels near the centre and left out hostels, multi-bedroom flats and houseboats. How we sorted hotels into bands is in the method section.
Each figure is a Google Hotels median for one room with 2 adults, per night. The €200 mid-range figure pools all prices we read. Winter months have more prices, so it is not a year-round average; pick a month for a better figure. Each upscale month rests on only 10 to 18 prices, so treat it as a rough guide. Prices read months ahead can change before you book.
By type of stay, plus one hotel in each of two areas
- Budget hotel €130 median a night for two. 34 hotels, each with a median up to €160.
- Mid-range hotel €200 median a night for two. 36 hotels, each with a median of €160 to €250.
- Upscale hotel €333 median a night for two. 20 hotels, each with a median over €250.
- One hotel in Museum Quarter & Vondelpark €163 Hotel JL No76, median of 6 nights. Not an area average.
- One hotel in De Pijp €222 Sir Albert Hotel, median of 13 nights. Other nights, so do not compare the two.
Hostels, flats and houseboats: left out, so no measured price.
By month and price band
Google prices a different set of hotels for each date. So compare months inside one band, such as mid-range in January against mid-range in June. We rank the cheapest and dearest of 9 months. November 2026 is left out of the ranking, because we read it less than three weeks ahead. January was read 74 days ahead and June 228 days ahead. Google also showed different hotels, so part of the gap is not season.
| Month | Budget | Mid-range | Upscale |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 2026 read 18 days ahead, not ranked | €136 | €204 | €323 |
| December 2026 | €108 | €175 | €276 |
| January 2027 | €93 | €125 | €217 |
| February 2027 | €103 | €146 | €218 |
| March 2027 | €141 | €194 | €331 |
| April 2027 | €178 | €290 | €439 |
| May 2027 | €135 | €234 | €419 |
| June 2027 | €168 | €293 | €417 |
| July 2027 | €159 | €259 | €402 |
| August 2027 | €155 | €227 | €373 |
Weekends
How we compared weekends
We checked 269 pairs of nights: one hotel, one Saturday, and the Tuesday just before. The Saturday cost a median 53.1% more. In the budget band the gap was 65.4%, in the upscale band just 22%. In July and August, every one of the 42 pairs cost more on the Saturday. The overall figure includes November 2026, read at short notice, when Saturdays were not dearer (median -8.5%). In the other nine months the median gap ran from 21.1% (June) to 74.5% (January). We read one Tuesday and one Saturday a month.
Hotels we checked
- Canal Ring & Centrum Ambassade Hotel
Hotel on the Herengracht canal with canal-view rooms and a full-service spa, within a 5-minute walk of the Flower Market.
See rates 9.4/10 Trip.com - Jordaan Mr. Jordaan
Hotel on the Bloemgracht canal in the Jordaan with canal-view rooms and a communal living room, within a 15-minute walk of Dam Square.
See rates 9.3/10 Trip.com - Museum Quarter & Vondelpark Hotel JL No76
Hotel on Jan Luijkenstraat, steps from the Van Gogh Museum and within a 10-minute walk of the Rijksmuseum, with a terrace and a garden.
See rates 9.1/10 Trip.com - De Pijp Sir Albert Hotel
Boutique hotel on Albert Cuypstraat, within a 10-minute walk of the Van Gogh Museum and Museum Square, with a Japanese restaurant and a terrace.
See rates 9.4/10 Trip.com
Rated 8 or more on Trip.com. Our own Google Hotels prices cover only two of them, listed by area above, so check the rate for your own dates.
Trip.com ratings and hotel notes as shown on 31 October 2026.
How the Netherlands compares with nearby countries
Restaurants and hotels cost more in the Netherlands than the EU average, and more than in Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. Belgium is about level. Eurostat puts the country at 124.6, Belgium at 124.2 and Spain at 83.9 (EU average = 100, 2024).
The index shows what the same meals out and hotel stays cost in each country. It covers the whole Netherlands in 2024, not Amsterdam alone.
- Portugal 75.5
- Spain 83.9
- Italy 106.9
- France 110
- Germany 112.1
- Belgium 124.2
- Netherlands 124.6
Source: Eurostat, price level indices (prc_ppp_ind), restaurants and hotels, EU27 = 100, read 30 October 2026.
How much eating out costs in Amsterdam
A cheap meal in Amsterdam runs about €12. Dinner is about €33 at a mid-range place, and fine dining about €80 per person.
We did not measure these prices ourselves. They come from travel and restaurant guides, quoted word for word and read on 30 October 2026. The calculator uses the middle value of each group, and each source counts once. One mid-range source is from 2016 and one fine-dining source from 2016, so treat those two figures as a guide.
| Meal | Used in the calculator | Published figures |
|---|---|---|
| Cheap meal a simple lunch or a cheap restaurant | about €12 median of 3 sources |
|
| Mid-range dinner dinner per person at an ordinary restaurant | about €33 median of 2 sources |
|
| Fine dining per person, set menus at upscale restaurants | about €80 median of 3 sources |
|
Drinks
A beer costs €4 to €6.20 in Amsterdam, a coffee about €2.88 and a glass of house wine €4 to €9, going by published prices.
| Drink | Middle figure | Published figures |
|---|---|---|
| Beer a small draft beer or a pint | about €5.05 |
|
| Coffee a cup at a café | about €2.88 |
|
| Glass of wine house wine at a bar or restaurant | about €5.75 |
|
Bakeries, markets and lunch cafés keep the food bill down. For a taste of Dutch treats with a guide, see our Amsterdam food tours.
What museums and tours cost in Amsterdam
A ticket for the Rijksmuseum costs from €27 per person. Day trips to the Keukenhof gardens from Amsterdam cost a median €62 (middle half €39 to €88); our featured tour is €65. The gardens open only in spring, so check dates before you book.
These are our own readings: the from-prices of the tickets and tours on our pages, as shown on GetYourGuide on 29 October 2026. We show the median per person. Our tours page lists canal boats, city walks and Jewish tours Amsterdam guides run.
| Type | Median |
|---|---|
| Rijksmuseum tickets and tours | €43 €40–€90 |
| Amsterdam tours few tours | €105 €23–€190 |
| Keukenhof and tulip tours from Amsterdam | €62 €39–€88 |
| Van Gogh Museum tickets few tours | €22 €17.50–€27 |
| Amsterdam canal cruises | €15.80 €13.20–€17.80 |
| Zaanse Schans, Volendam and Marken tours | €34 €31–€42 |
| Red Light District tours | €28 €25–€30 |
| Giethoorn day trip from Amsterdam | €117 €111–€127 |
| Heineken Experience tickets | €24 €20–€34 |
| Amsterdam museum tickets | €21 €15.60–€27 |
| Day trips from Amsterdam | €60 €33–€81 |
| Anne Frank House: tickets and walking tours | €18.90 €18.20–€21 |
| Amsterdam food tours and tastings | €22 €19.60–€58 |
| A'DAM Lookout tickets few tours | €23 €21–€26 |
| Moco Museum tickets few tours | €33 €17.49–€49 |
| Amsterdam dinner cruises | €120 €89–€350 |
| Amsterdam bike tours | €35 €32–€36 |
| Rembrandt House Museum tickets | €65 €34–€88 |
| STRAAT street art museum few tours | €13.44 €5.38–€22 |
| Bruges day trip from Amsterdam few tours | €69 €32–€199 |
| Amsterdam hop-on hop-off bus and boat | €36 €28–€44 |
| Xtracold Icebar Amsterdam few tours | €35 €25–€45 |
| The Upside Down Amsterdam few tours | €30 €19.96–€40 |
| Amsterdam walking tours | €28 €23–€31 |
| Madame Tussauds and Amsterdam Dungeon tickets | €21 €15.20–€28 |
| Amsterdam Light Festival cruises | €24 €24–€26 |
Middle half: the 25th to 75th percentile of from-prices; rows with fewer than 4 tours ("few tours") show a rough spread only. A "from" price is the lowest option a listing offers. Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 29 October 2026.
-
from €27 per person Rijksmuseum Amsterdam: Rijksmuseum Entry Ticket Check availability -
from €245 per group Amsterdam tours Amsterdam: Private Canal Tour Check availability -
from €65 per person Keukenhof Amsterdam: Keukenhof Tour + Windmill Cruise Flexible Return Check availability -
from €27 per person Van Gogh Museum Amsterdam: Van Gogh Museum Ticket Check availability -
from €12.49 per person Canal cruises Amsterdam: Canal Cruise from Anne Frank, Rijksmuseum or CS Check availability -
from €37 per person NEMO Science Museum Amsterdam: Canal Cruise & NEMO Science Museum Check availability
How much a rental car costs in Amsterdam
Trams, metro and trains cover the main sights, so a car is optional for a city stay. Published prices run from €44 to €80 per car per day, from 3 undated sources.
These are published prices, not our own. They are the rental price only: fuel, parking and insurance extras are not included. Prices change with the dates and the car. The calculator uses the low, middle and high figure for the three styles.
- €40–€47 a day:
Average weekend hire prices at Schiphol Airport are €47 per day and average weekday rates are €40
momondo.ie - €39–€49 a day: middle
Small car, € 39, € 0,25 ; Midsize car, € 49
oscar.nl - €80 a day:
On average, car rentals in the Netherlands cost around €80 per day
roadgenius.com
Advertised minimums, not typical prices: from €22 a day (easyterra.com).
Tourist tax, transport and the I amsterdam City Card
We do not know if Google Hotels prices include it, so our totals leave it out. If your rate does not include it, add it to the hotel line. GVB fares and the tax were read on 30 October 2026, the NS fare on 2 November 2026. Fares can change.
Is the Amsterdam City Card worth it?
For three days, the 72-hour card (€115) pays off only if your museum tickets and other entries add up to more than €85 at full price. That figure rests on an assumption, not on our data: the card seller, I amsterdam, says the card includes GVB travel, and we count that as a €10 GVB day ticket on all three days (€30 in all). If the card covers less travel, or you would use less, you need up to €115 of entries.
| Card | Price | Transport worth | Break-even |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 hours | €67 | €10 1 × €10 day pass | €57 |
| 48 hours | €94 | €20 2 × €10 day pass | €74 |
| 72 hours | €115 | €30 3 × €10 day pass | €85 |
Card prices from the official seller, I amsterdam, read 30 October 2026. Add up your museum tickets first. Prices and tips: Amsterdam museums.
Key findings of the 2026 Amsterdam Travel Cost Study
- Mid-range hotel night, median per room
In our sample of 795 Google Hotels prices for two adults in one room (90 hotels within 25 km of the centre; hostels, multi-bedroom flats and houseboats left out), all read on 30 October 2026 for stays from November 2026 to August 2027, a mid-range hotel night in Amsterdam cost a median €200 per room, with the middle half between €159 and €261. These medians pool every night we read, and months hold different numbers of prices, so they are not a year-round average.
- Prices with no star class on Google
Google Hotels showed no star class for 59% of these prices, so we grouped hotels by price band instead of stars: each hotel stays in one band for the whole sample, set by its own median price (budget up to €160 a night, mid-range up to €250, upscale above). A budget-band night cost a median €130 and an upscale-band night €333.
- Mid-range room in January, the cheapest month
Across the 9 months we could compare (November 2026 was read less than three weeks ahead and is left out of the ranking), the median mid-range price per room per night (two adults) ranged from €125 in January 2027 to €293 in June 2027, 134% more. We read two nights a month and Google prices a different set of hotels each night, so part of that gap is the mix of hotels and how far ahead each month was read, not only the season; this is one year's sample, not a trend.
- Budget-band room in January, the lowest median of the months we read
In the budget band, a room for two cost a median €93 a night in January 2027 and €178 in April 2027, the dearest of the months we could compare for that band (two sampled nights a month).
- Saturday extra over Tuesday, same hotel
For the same hotel, a Saturday night cost a median 53.1% more than the Tuesday before it (per room, two adults), and the Saturday was dearer in 89% of 269 such comparisons. In the upscale band the gap was smaller, 22%. We read one Tuesday and one Saturday a month; the comparison includes November 2026, read less than three weeks ahead. Hotels whose own median price falls in a band define that band, so the bands sort hotels by price level rather than by facilities.
- GVB day ticket, per person
A one-day GVB ticket for Amsterdam's trams, buses and metro costs €10 per person (GVB fare list, read 30 October 2026), and the train from Schiphol airport to Amsterdam Centraal €5.50 one way with an NS e-ticket (NS, read 2 November 2026). Amsterdam's tourist tax is not a fixed fee per night; the city's page reads "Tourist tax: 12.5% of the overnight price (excluding VAT)". We do not know whether the Google Hotels prices already include it.
- Mid-range trip of 4 nights for two
Our calculator puts a mid-range trip of 4 nights for two at about €1,729: one shared room at the median of all mid-range-band prices we sampled across every month, two meals out a day each at the mid-range figure (€33, the middle of two published single prices, one of them from 2016), the Rijksmuseum and a private canal tour at their from-prices (the canal tour is one price for a boat of up to six), a GVB day ticket each day and the train from Schiphol both ways. The tourist tax (a share of the room price), flights, breakfast and drinks are not included.
Cite this study
Source: 2026 Amsterdam Travel Cost Study, The Best Travel Destinations, https://the-best-travel-destinations.com/things-to-do-in-amsterdam/is-amsterdam-expensive/ (CC BY 4.0)
Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: download the data · embed the chart
Method, data and reuse
What we measured ourselves
- Hotels: 795 prices of 90 hotels on Google Hotels, read on 30 October 2026. One Tuesday and one Saturday night per month, November 2026 to August 2027, 2 adults, one room; paid ads, listings without a price and duplicates left out. Google Hotels showed no star class for 59% of these prices, so we grouped hotels by price band instead: each hotel stays in one band for the whole sample, set by its own median price (budget up to €160, mid-range €160–€250, upscale over €250 a night). These are the prices advertised for those dates when we read them, not what guests later paid. Months are compared within a price band because Google shows a different set of hotels for each date. November 2026 was read at short notice; it is shown but not ranked. 2027-09 is not in the sample: Google Hotels priced only 18 hotels for the September 2027 weekend night (20 needed to compare that month), read 11 months ahead.
- Activities: the "from" prices of the 138 tours and tickets on our 26 activity pages (the table above), as shown on GetYourGuide on 29 October 2026; the calculator offers 12 tours, one per activity page (1 of them from pages with too few per-person prices for the table). A "from" price is the lowest option a listing offers, not a typical price.
What we cite
- Meals, drinks and car hire: figures published by travel guides, food-tour companies and rental platforms, found through Google searches in the Netherlands and quoted word for word with their date. A range counts with its midpoint, each source once per group. No figures from forums or social media. Each meal group rests on only a few sources, and some have no date, so read meal prices as a guide. Pages that show a date are from after 2022, except the mid-range dinner, fine dining and glass of wine figures, from 2016 and 2022; many pages show no date at all.
- Tourist tax, fares and the I amsterdam City Card: the City of Amsterdam, GVB and I amsterdam.
- Price level: Eurostat, price level index for restaurants and hotels (EU = 100), 2024.
How the calculator adds up
- Our default trip: 4 nights for two people in one room, mid-range style, no month picked. The room is the median of every mid-range price we read (€200). Each person eats 2 meals out a day at €33. Two activities are included at their from-prices: Amsterdam: Rijksmuseum Entry Ticket (€27 per person) and Amsterdam: Private Canal Tour (€245 for the boat). Flights, a car, breakfast, drinks and the tourist tax are not included.
- Hotel: nights × rooms (one per two travellers) × the median for the style's price band in that month (or the whole year). Rooms are rounded up, so an odd number of travellers gets one more room. Prices are for a room for 2 adults, so one traveller pays the full room price.
- Eating out: nights × travellers × meals a day at the style's meal price; in comfort, one fine dinner a day and the other meals at mid-range prices.
- Car: days × the style's published daily rental price (fuel, parking and insurance extras not included). Activities: the from-price per person or per group.
- Tourist tax: not in the totals. Amsterdam charges a share of the room price, not a fixed fee. We cannot tell if Google's prices already include it.
- Transport: nights × travellers × the GVB day ticket (€10). We assume each traveller rides often enough to buy a day ticket every day. Airport: two NS train rides per traveller (€5.50 each, the cheapest e-ticket, second class), one in and one out. The day ticket does not cover the train to Schiphol.
Each line is rounded to whole euros.
Amsterdam travel costs: questions
Is Amsterdam expensive?
Compared with the EU average, yes. Dutch restaurants and hotels sit at 124.6 (EU average = 100, 2024, a national figure). We did not price other cities. A mid-range trip of 4 nights costs two people about €1,729, before flights and tourist tax. In our January reading, taken 74 days ahead, it came to €1,429. Part of that gap is lead time and hotel mix. Skipping Saturday nights helps too.
How expensive is Amsterdam for tourists?
Plan on about €216 per person per night at mid-range, with a shared room, two meals out, activities and transport. On a budget it is about €139, in comfort about €329. Without the hotel, a mid-range night costs about €116 per person. Work out your own trip.
How much does a trip to Amsterdam cost?
At mid-range, two people pay about €1,377 for 3 nights, €1,729 for 4 nights and €2,785 for 7 nights. A 5-night trip is about €1,041 each. Flights and the tourist tax come on top.
What costs the most in Amsterdam?
The hotel is the biggest cost: €800 of the €1,729 in our default trip. A mid-range room cost a median €200 a night for two, and up to €293 in June. Eating out comes next, at €528.
Where can I stay cheaply in Amsterdam?
Look at budget-band hotels, which cost a median €130 a night for two. In January the budget-band median was €93. Our Saturday nights cost a median 53.1% more than the Tuesday before; we did not read other nights. See hotel prices by month.
How much does a place to stay in Amsterdam cost by area?
We grouped hotels by price, not by type or star class, because Google Hotels shows no star class for 59% of the prices. A room for two cost a median €130 a night in the budget band, €200 in the mid-range band and €333 in the upscale band. We left hostels, multi-bedroom flats and houseboats out, so we have no measured price for them. We have no area averages. We read prices for only one hotel in each of two areas: Hotel JL No76 in Museum Quarter & Vondelpark (6 nights) and Sir Albert Hotel in De Pijp (13 nights). These were different nights, so do not compare the two.
What is the cheapest month to visit Amsterdam?
In our study, mid-range rooms cost least in January 2027 (€125 a night). They cost most in April 2027 and June 2027 (€290 and €293). For budget hotels, April 2027 was the dearest month (€178). Part of the gap comes from booking further ahead, not only the season.
How much is a coffee in Amsterdam?
About €2.88, with published prices from €2.50 to €4. A beer costs €4 to €6.20, and a glass of house wine €4 to €9. Sources.
Is the Amsterdam City Card worth it?
Only if you visit many paid sights. The 72-hour card costs €115. Its seller, I amsterdam, says it includes GVB travel. We count that as €30, a day ticket on all three days; this is an assumption, not our data. On that basis it pays off once your entries cost more than €85 at full price. If you would ride less, you need up to €115 of entries. Otherwise, buy single tickets and day tickets.
How much is the train from Schiphol to Amsterdam?
From €5.50 per person one way, with an NS e-ticket to Amsterdam Centraal (NS, read 2 November 2026). The GVB day ticket does not cover this train.
How much is the tourist tax in Amsterdam?
It is a share of your room price, not a fixed fee. The city's page reads: "Tourist tax: 12.5% of the overnight price (excluding VAT)". Our totals leave it out, because we cannot tell if Google's hotel prices include it.
Sources
Our measurement
All read 30 October 2026 unless noted
- Hotel prices: Google Hotels
- Activity prices: GetYourGuide read 29 October 2026
Official sources
All read 30 October 2026 unless noted
- Tourist tax per night: amsterdam.nl
- Transit day pass: gvb.nl
- Airport transfer one way: ns.nl read 2 November 2026
- City pass 24h: reseller.iamsterdam.com
- City pass 48h: reseller.iamsterdam.com
- City pass 72h: reseller.iamsterdam.com
- Price level index, restaurants and hotels: Eurostat
Meal and drink prices (cited)
All read 30 October 2026 (the day we read them, not the day they were published; some pages show no date)
Car hire prices (cited)
All read 30 October 2026 (the day we read them, not the day they were published; some pages show no date)