Essentials
- City
- Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands
- Population
- Approximately 921,000 (City), 2.5 million (Metropolitan Area)
- Internet Speed
- Excellent connectivity, average 150-200 Mbps (Fiber widely available)
- Currency & Banking
- Euro (EUR). 1 EUR ≈ 1.09 USD. Major banks: ING, ABN AMRO, Rabobank
- Tap Water
- Drinkable and among the highest quality in Europe
- Power
- 230V, 50Hz, 🔌 Type C and F sockets
- SIM Card
- KPN, Vodafone, T-Mobile (Odido). Pre-paid around €15-€20 for 10GB
- Banking for Expats
- Bunq (Digital), Revolut, ING (requires BSN). Maestro/V-Pay widely used over Visa/MC
- Accommodation
- Housing complexes like Student Hotel, Corporate Housing Factory, or Funda.nl for rentals
- Cashless Friendly
- Highly cashless; many cafes (like Coffee Company) and supermarkets (AH) are card-only
- Short Term Rentals
- Airbnb (limited to 30 days/year), Booking.com, Habyt (formerly Quarters)
- Budget Accommodation
- Flying Pig Downtown, Hans Brinker Hostel (€35-€60/night)
- Best Area to Stay for Tourists
- Grachtengordel (Canal Ring), Jordaan, or De Pijp
- Best Area to Stay for Digital Nomads
- Amsterdam Oost (Indische Buurt) or Amsterdam West (Oud-West) for community and cafes
Transportation
- Regional Travel
- NS Trains (Nederlandse Spoorwegen) to Utrecht (25m), Rotterdam (40m), or den Haag (50m)
- Best Taxi/Ride App
- Uber, Bolt, and Free Now. For traditional taxi: TCA (Taxi Centrale Amsterdam)
- Bike/Scooter Rental
- Swapfiets (€19/month subscription), Donkey Republic (App-based), Felyx (Electric scooters)
- Best Beach Nearby
- Zandvoort aan Zee (30 mins by train from Centraal)
- Top Regional Airline
- Transavia (Low-cost subsidiary of KLM)
- Top International Airline
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (Hub: Schiphol AMS)
- Highway Access
- A10 Ring Road encircles the city, connecting to A1, A2, A4, and A9
- Main Train/Transit Hub
- Amsterdam Centraal Station and Amsterdam Zuid
- Public Transport Passes
- OV-Chipkaart or OVpay (Tap with Debit Card). GVB Day Pass: €9.00
Health and Wellness
- Best Hospital
- OLVG (East and West locations), Amsterdam UMC (Academic Medical Center)
- Yoga & Wellness Centers
- Delight Yoga (Prinseneiland), Equal Yoga (Hot Yoga), and The Conscious Club
- Gyms & Fitness Centers
- Basic-Fit (€25/mo), TrainMore (Discount for working out), David Lloyd Amsterdam
- Laundry Services
- The Laundry Industry (City Center), CleanLease, or various 'Wasserettes' in De Pijp
Food and Drink
- Best Food Delivery App
- Thuisbezorgd.nl (Takeaway.com), UberEats, Wolt
- Best Local Dish to Try
- Bitterballen (savory snacks), Herring (raw with onions), Stroopwafels
- Vegan/Vegetarian Options
- Vegan Junk Food Bar, Meatless District, Mr. & Mrs. Watson (Vegan Cheese)
- Best Dessert Spots
- Van Stapele (Cookies), Winkel 43 (Famous Apple Pie), Lanskroon (Stroopwafels)
- Affordable Shopping Spots
- Albert Heijn, Lidl, Dirk van den Broek
- E-commerce/Online Store
- Bol.com (The Dutch Amazon equivalent), Coolblue.nl, Amazon.nl
- Grocery Delivery
- Picnic (App-only), Flink, Getir (Instant delivery)
- Bar/Nightlife Area
- Leidseplein, Rembrandtplein, and NDSM Wharf (Industrial vibe)
- Local Brewery
- Brouwerij 't IJ (Next to a windmill), Oedipus Brewing (Noord)
- Wine Bars
- Glou Glou (Natural wines), Rayre (Oud-West), Wester Weinfabriek
- Street Food Stalls
- Albert Cuyp Market (Fresh Stroopwafels and Herring), Foodhallen
- Popular International Cuisine
- Fuumi (Sushi Burritos), Kantjil & De Tijger (Indonesian Rijsttafel)
Culture and Attractions
- Must-See Landmarks
- Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank House, Dam Square, Royal Palace
- Museums & Art Venues
- Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijk (Modern Art), MOCO Museum
- Historical Sites
- Oude Kerk (Oldest building), Begijnhof (Hidden courtyard)
- Religious Sites
- Westerkerk, Portuguese Synagogue, Our Lord in the Attic (Museum Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder)
- Annual Events
- King's Day (April 27), ADE (Amsterdam Dance Event - October), Pride (August)
- Cultural Districts
- NDSM Wharf (Street art/creative), Museumkwartier
- Theater Venues
- Royal Theater Carré, Stadsschouwburg (ITA), DeLaMar Theater
- Local Markets
- Albert Cuypmarkt, Waterlooplein (Flea market), Noordermarkt
- Music Scene
- Paradiso (Converted church), Melkweg, Concertgebouw (Classical)
- Street Art
- STRAAT Museum (NDSM), Spuistraat murals
- Cooking Classes
- 6-ready (Workshops), Keukenvuur, Amsterdam Baking Academy
- Art Galleries
- Spiegelkwartier (Antiques and art), Galerie Ron Mandos
- Historic Buildings
- Magere Brug (Skinny Bridge), Waag (Old city gate)
- Local Heritage
- The 'XXX' symbol (St. Andrew's Crosses) found on the coat of arms and bollards
Nature and Outdoor Activities
- Nearby Nature Escapes
- Amsterdamse Bos (Large forest park), Vondelpark, Westerpark
- National Parks Nearby
- Nationaal Park Zuid-Kennemerland (Near Haarlem/Beach)
- Cycling/Walking Paths
- Amstel River route (South to Ouderkerk aan de Amstel), Sloterplas
- Scenic Viewpoints
- A'DAM Lookout (Overlooking the harbor), Blue Amsterdam (360-degree glass cafe)
- Birdwatching Locations
- Het Nieuwe Meer, Waterland area (North of the city)
- Bonfire-Friendly Spots
- Generally prohibited in parks; authorized bonfire events at Pllek (NDSM) beach
Other Services and Amenities
- Parcel Delivery Service
- PostNL, DHL Parcel Points (found in shops like Primera or Gamma)
- Tech Repair Services
- The Phone Lab (Multiple locations), MicroFix
- Table Tennis Spots
- PONG - House of Ping (€12.50/table/hour), various public stone tables in Vondelpark
- Language Classes
- Taalthuis, UvA Talen, British Council (English), Dutch Language Cafe
- Libraries & Study Spots
- OBA Oosterdok (huge central library with over 1,000 work seats)
- Community Centers
- De Hallen (Cultural complex), Pakhuis de Zwijger
- Gaming Lounges
- Blast Galaxy (Arcade club), Go-Gaming (Pathé Schouwburgplein)
- Casino & Gaming Halls
- Holland Casino (Leidseplein)
Business
- Studio Purchase Price (City Center)
- Approx. €10,500 per m² (e.g., 40 m² = €420,000)
- Studio Purchase Price (Outside City)
- Approx. €7,000 per m² (e.g., 40 m² = €280,000)
- 1-Bedroom Purchase Price (City Center)
- Approx. €9,800 per m² (e.g., 60 m² = €588,000)
- 1-Bedroom Purchase Price (Outside City)
- Approx. €6,500 per m² (e.g., 60 m² = €390,000)
- 2-Bedroom Purchase Price (City Center)
- Approx. €9,200 per m² (e.g., 80 m² = €736,000)
- 2-Bedroom Purchase Price (Outside City)
- Approx. €6,000 per m² (e.g., 80 m² = €480,000)
- Corporate Tax
- 19% on profits up to €200,000, 25.8% on profits exceeding that
- Dividend Withholding Tax
- 15% standard rate
- Tax System
- Worldwide income for residents; Box 1, 2, and 3 system
- Highest Income Tax Bracket
- 49.5% for income over €75,518
- VAT
- 21% (Standard), 9% (Food, books, services)
- Controlled Foreign Company (CFC) Rules
- Yes, implemented via ATAD1/ATAD2 directives
- Property Tax
- OZB (Onroerende-zaakbelasting) approx 0.04% of property value annually
- Property Transaction Tax
- 2% for homes (transfer tax), 10.4% for investments; 0% for first-time buyers under 35 (<€510k)
- Attractive Tax System for Digital Nomads
- No specific DN visa; 30% Ruling available for highly skilled migrants (tax-free allowance)
Working and Networking
- Best Coworking Space
- WeWork (Strawinskylaan), TSH Collab (€250/month), or Meet Berlage (€25 Day Pass)
- Best Cafe for Work
- OBA Public Library (Free), Kanarie Club (Oud-West), or Coffee & Coconuts (De Pijp)
- Networking Events
- Silicon Canals events, Amsterdam Tech Week, and Creative Mornings Amsterdam
- Social Events for Expats
- Amsterdam Expat Meetup (Meetup.com), Internations Amsterdam, and AIC (Amsterdam International Community)