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Student eats · November 2026
Studying abroad in Amsterdam
Every meal here costs €12 or less.
About $14 US. Typical prices, checked November 2, 2026.Amsterdam isn't cheap, but students eat well on croquettes from a counter, herring from a cart, fries with mayo, and Surinamese roti in De Pijp.
A day of eating for €23
- Breakfast, €6: Winkel 43, a slice of apple pie with whipped cream
- Lunch, €5: Eetsalon Van Dobben, a broodje kroket (veal croquette roll) with mustard
- Dinner, €12: Warung Spang Makandra, roti with chicken, or a broodje pom
Breakfast, lunch and dinner: €23, about $26.
Eat for €12 or less
1
€6Breakfast
Winkel 43
Get: A slice of apple pie with whipped cream
The apple pie Amsterdam is known for. Monday and Saturday mornings it's in the middle of the market.
2
€5Lunch
Eetsalon Van Dobben
Get: A broodje kroket (veal croquette roll) with mustard
A counter since 1945 where the croquettes come fast and cheap. Open late.
3A photo like it
€5Snack
Stubbe's Haring
Get: A broodje haring with onions and pickles
A herring cart on a canal bridge. Two minutes, a few euros, the most Amsterdam thing you can eat.
4A photo like it
€12Dinner
Warung Spang Makandra
Get: Roti with chicken, or a broodje pom
Surinamese-Javanese food in De Pijp, cheap and generous. A neighborhood favorite for decades.
5A photo like it
€5Late
Vleminckx
Get: A cone of fries with mayo (or 'oorlog': mayo, peanut sauce, onions)
A fries window since 1957 with a dozen sauces. Standing room only.
The market
Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm
Albert Cuyp Markt
De Pijp
Get: Cheese, fruit, fish and cheap snacks from 260 stalls
Go late afternoon for cheaper fruit. The Dappermarkt in Oost is even cheaper and less touristy.
The supermarket to find
Albert Heijn, Dirk or Lidl
- A Gouda wedge and bread for lunch
- AH to go sandwiches and salads near stations
- Stroopwafels in a pack, much cheaper than at the stands
Dirk and Lidl are cheaper than Albert Heijn. Get the AH bonus card for discounts.
How students save in Amsterdam
- University canteens (UvA, VU) serve students a cheap hot lunch. Ask your program for access.
- Eat lunch, not dinner, out: lunch menus are cheaper everywhere.
- Use Too Good To Go: bakeries and cafés here sell end-of-day bags for a few euros.
More for Amsterdam
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Prices are typical, checked November 2, 2026, and move; places with branches all over (chains) are named so you can use any of them. "A photo like it" is the same kind of food, not from that place. Chef Amazing is not paid by any place on this page.
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