Here’s my travel expenses breakdown of my 3-day trip in Amsterdam, Netherlands. I am very transparent with my expenses because what’s a budget travel website without actually talking about money and the actual cost of traveling?
Amsterdam Travel Expenses Breakdown
How much does it cost to travel in Amsterdam for 3 days? Mine came down to 89.35 euros or 29.78 euros per day. The detailed explanation follows:
Food Cost
The cost of food includes me eating out for lunch and dinner a few times. A typical meal cost around €10. We had breakfast at home so I didn’t spend money on food in the morning. We went to the supermarket once because I cooked Filipino food for my friend and he also prepared Dutch food for me. I also bought some breakfast items like fresh milk and cheese. The grocery cost me €19.50.
Transportation Cost
I didn’t spend a lot of money on transportation within the city because I had a bike from my friend. The only time I paid for transportation was went we went out at night. I totally recommend renting a bike to go around the city. It’s cheaper, environment-friendly and bike is all the craze in Netherlands so why shouldn’t you use one? 
Accommodation Cost
I didn’t pay for accommodation because I was staying with a friend. But I don’t have friends in Amsterdam, you say. You can try hospitality websites like Couchsurfing. EuroTrip Tip: Book your hostel in advance because the cheap ones get snapped up fast. You’ll end up paying 50 euros for a night in a dorm room with 10 other people if its last minute.
Party Cost
We went bar hopping on a Thursday night in central Amsterdam and I had a few glasses of beers and vodka shots. My friend also bought me a few shots of vodka as welcome drinks. My Dutch friends are actually really nice it makes me wonder if the culture of “Dutch treat” still applies in this day and age.
Miscellaneous Cost
This includes the prepaid cost of my cellphone which I used to contact people while in Amsterdam.
– – – – –
Pretty good budget if you ask me as Amsterdam is quite expensive and even hostels are at least 20 euros a night for dorm rooms with 8 other people. You can definitely make it cheaper by not eating in tourist restaurants in the center and follow the eating out advice of Jurriaan, an Amsterdam local I interviewed. You can save money on transportation by buying the day pass which costs €7.50. If biking is your thing, you can also rent bikes.
If you’re a museum freak, get the museum pass which costs €39.95 for adults and €19.95 for youngsters up to 18 years of age. It’s a valid for one year and you can go to 34 museums in Amsterdam.
For cheap drinking try Brouwerij ‘t IJ, the windmill brewery. More options can be found in this Amsterdam essential guide I wrote. It’s full of information about invading ‘dam on the cheap.
Coming up!
I’ll be writing a travel budget report about my 5-day trip in the Netherlands.
It’s all happening!*