A weekend in Amsterdam budget breakdown

How much does it cost to spend a weekend in Amsterdam?

Is it expensive in Amsterdam?

Amsterdam is one of most beautiful and diverse cities in Europe. Full of culture and tonnes of different things to do meaning there is alot to spend. So that being said, how expensive is Amsterdam?

Here is a breakdown on how much we spent on a weekend in Amsterdam.

Accommodation travel budget

As you can see above, our accommodation was the most expensive cost to the trip. Costing us around ~ £110/€122 per night

The average cost for a double-occupancy room is accommodation £136/€151 according to Budgetyourtrip.com

City Tax – In Jan 2020, the city implemented a flat fee of €3 per person (~£2.7), per night on top of the existing 7% city tax. So the tax costed us an additional £36/€40 on top of the room bill for 3 nights.

We stayed at a 4-star hotel which was a bit outside of the city centre. So our cost were slightly below the average cost for accommodation.

I was looking into booking an apartment through airbnb but the prices were very similar and slightly on the higher side. So we went for the convenience of a hotel.

Read more about our stay at Room Mate Aitana here.

Food and beverages travel budget

Our second most expensive outgoing was on food and beverages.

For the entire weekend we spent a total of ~£253/€281 on food and drinks. Working out to ~ £42/€47 per person per day. From fine-dining to street food we experienced an array of Dutch dishes.

The average cost for meals in one day is £28/€31 per person according to Budgetyourtrip.com

We did spend more than the average and this is mainly down to the fact we did opt for more sit-down restaurants. Although I can see this being different in the summer when the weather is warmer and you can enjoy take away food outdoors.

I would say the food in Amsterdam was amazing and would love to come back to try more of the street food. Especially the fries!

Meals in Amsterdam travel budget

Van Speyk : Duck Confit, Sudderlapjes, Chocolade, Moorkop, drinks £80.00
Albert Cuypmarkt Traditional Dutch Snacks, Chicken Meatballs £11.00
De Blauwe Hollander Hutspot Meatball, Hutspot Beef, Ice Tea, Ice Tea Green £37.00
The Pancake Bakery Ham Mushroom Cheese, Traditional Dutch, Fristi, Hot Chocolate £36.80
The Pantry Pea Soup, Shrimp Croquette, Traditional Dutch Ham, Drinks £39.80
Burgermeester Wagyu, Meester Bief, Perensap, Groene Thee £28.90
Friet Doner Beef, Chicken, Fries & Mayo £19.20

Entertainment and Activities travel budget

For the entire weekend, we spent a total of ~£120/€133 on food and drinks. Working out to ~ £20/€22 per person per day.

The average cost for entertainment for one day is £14/€16 per person according to Budgetyourtrip.com

There are a lot of free activities in Amsterdam, from walking around the city centre to festivals. On the other hand, the city is rich for its museums, day tours and even cruises down the canals. You have to visit the Rijkmuseum, its absolutely stunning, but I would advise that you book this in advance.

*We ended up refunding our cruise and lookout tickets (mainly because of the mixed reviews). I decided to keep the costs in the breakdown for anyone interested in the costs.

Our different activities

Rijksmuseum Muemum Entrance £34.00
Light Show – Skalar – 2 tickets £30.00
*LookOut Amsterdam Light Festival Cruise & LookOut – £56.00 (refunded)

Transport travel budget

In total, we spent £35/€39 on transport within the country. Working out to £6/€7 per day per person.

The average cost for local transport is £28/€31 per person according to Budgetyourtrip.com

Amsterdam is a modern city and you can travel around by boat, train, tram bus or even bike around. Alot of places are within walking distance which is the option we mainly took.