Evaluating the Cost of Visiting the Netherlands: Your Daily Travel Budget

Rated as one of the most expensive countries in Europe, Netherlands should be on your travel list because of its beautiful scenery and interesting cities.

The cost of living in this country is pretty high but there are many ways to save money while you visit Netherlands.

Netherlands Hilton Rotterdam Street

How much money will I need to visit the Netherlands? Is it expensive to visit the Netherlands?

I am sure these are the most common questions every one of us is asking before planning a trip to Holland.

Depending on your travel style, based on our own personal research here are the average daily costs, that should tell you how much money you will need for your trip to the Netherlands.

Daily travel budget for your travel style:

• Budget (cheap) average daily cost: 49 EUR / day (55 USD per day)
• Mid Range (medium) average daily cost: 125 EUR / day (135 USD per day)
• Luxury (expensive) average daily cost: 300 EUR / day (330 USD per day)

You don’t have to panic! It is an expensive country but things are not as bad as you might think! Let me explain to you and give you some tips which help you save some money and prepare your travel budget for Netherlands.

There are 3 main categories to discuss: accommodation, meals and other expenses.

Accommodation iN Netherlands

Accommodation is pretty expensive in the Netherlands, especially if you are looking to stay in nice hotels. For a top-rated hotel located in the heart of the city, you can pay more than 250 – 300 USD dollars per person per night! I know! It is really a lot! But don’t worry! There are also some interesting alternatives like hotels located far from the city centre, hostels, Airbnb and housesitting!

Let me give you some examples of good quality-price ratio for accommodation in Amsterdam and Rotterdam!

offers great services and good breakfast at very good prices! The only downside is that it is near a metro station and not in the heart of the city! But I don’t find this as a major problem!

Crowne Plaza Amsterdam Netherlands

is also a good choice! It is located in the heart of the city and offers great rooms with tasty breakfast at reasonable prices! I was very happy with what they offered me during my 3 nights spend there!

Hilton Rotterdam Netherlands Street

So, is it expensive to visit Netherlands? Well, I would say not that expensive if you know what to do!

As you move away from the city centre, the prices for accommodation drop. You can pay around 100 USD per person per night for a well-rated hotel located near a metro station from Amsterdam or other big cities of Netherlands.

Hostels are far more affordable than hotels, but you must be willing to share your dormitory with others. You don’t have any privacy but it is a good opportunity to make friends! And is pretty cheap! With about 50 USD per night, you can find nice hostels located close to metro stations which lead you in the heart of the city in just a few minutes.

There are also Airbnb and housesitting, two affordable options are available in Netherlands! These options are a very good choice for travellers who spend a longer period abroad.

To sum up, you will need somewhere between 50 to 500 USD dollars per night per person, depending on what you will choose and how far is from the city centre.

Is it expensive to visit Netherlands? Which are the costs for meals?

Again, the cost might vary depending on what you are looking for. Fancy restaurants are way too pricy! Normal restaurants could also be expensive! A meal at a restaurant can be around 30 dollars per person!

Netherlands Lunch in Rotterdam

A good way to save some money is buying food from the supermarket and cook it by yourself or eat fast food! It is not the healthiest choice but considers it as an exception!

Buying food from the supermarket is, in my opinion, the best option! You can choose what to eat and prepare it by yourself at less than half the price paid if you would eat at a restaurant!

Oh! And drinks! The drinks are really expensive! Even if you buy alcohol from the supermarket it is still expensive! So, maybe you will limit your expenditure by drinking less!

So, to the answer, if is it expensive to visit Netherlands and if you need lots of money for food and drinks, the right answer would be, depending on where do you want to eat and how much you will drink!

Other expenses

Other expenses are generally related to transportation costs, entrance fees at museums and other attractions as well as entertainment costs and visiting costs.

Netherlands Museum Authentic Dutch Clothes

The cheapest way to travel is by local transport. You will lose your flexibility and freedom, but you will gain some money.

Netherlands Transportation Cost

There is also the option of renting a car but it might be more expensive! Indeed you will have the freedom to do what you want and stay from how long you want but this means spending a little more! If you are a group of four, then the expenditure is not that high and is almost comparable with local transportation costs!

Get the best price for your car rental today

There is also the entrance fee to museums and other attractions! Asses you need very well and try to buy the city card, where available! Sometimes you will find packages with museum entries at a very good price!
So, let me sum up and answer to the question if is it expensive to visit Netherlands.

Netherlands Countryside Village

Although Netherlands is an expensive country and you will need more money to visit it than visiting a country from southeastern Europe or Asia, there are many ways to save money and to stick to your budget! Depends on you how much you want to spend!

When is the best time to visit Netherlands

Choose the best period to visit Holland and you can better plan your trip to maximise what you can see. If you take into consideration the best time to visit Amsterdam Netherlands and choose the period with the lowest price, you can greatly decrease the Expenses for your Netherlands trip.