Amsterdam students are now paying an average of €945 per month for a room in 2025, up from €900 last year. New data from Kamernet shows the national average student room costs €601 monthly, rising just 0.5% from 2024.
The numbers are enough to make anyone’s eyes water, especially when you consider that, according to AD, most of these “rooms” are between 12 and 18 square metres.
That’s roughly the size of a decent garden shed — but with presumably better Wi-Fi.
We’re talking about nearly €1,000 for a space the size of a large walk-in wardrobe. At 14 square metres (the typical room size), that works out to about €67.50 per square metre.
Amsterdam is, of course, the most expensive
Amsterdam remains the undisputed champion of wallet-crushing student accommodation costs. The €945 monthly average represents a €45 increase from last year’s already painful €900.
To put that in perspective, you’re essentially paying luxury hotel prices for what’s often a glorified cupboard with a window.
But this national average of €601 masks some seriously dramatic regional variations that’ll make your head spin.
@dutchreview A €7 latte doesn’t fit into the budget #dutchreview #amsterdam #fyp ♬ original sound – muchoswago 😴 🛌
The winners, losers, and “what on earth happened here?” category
Some cities have gone a bit mental with their price increases. Nijmegen takes the crown for the most shocking jump, with the average rent for a room rocketing up by 24.3% to €635 per month.
Students in Tilburg aren’t faring much better, facing a 23% increase to €535 per month. Leiden rounds out the top three with a 16.4% spike, bringing average rents to €610.
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But it’s not all doom and gloom. Some cities are actually becoming more affordable — shocking, we know.
Eindhoven won this trend with rents dropping 7.4% to €440 for a room, while Breda saw a 2.7% decrease to €535.
Where your money goes furthest (and where it disappears fastest)
If you’re looking for a bargain, head to Enschede, where the average student room costs just €351 per month.
It’s practically a steal by Dutch standards — though “bargain” is relative when you’re still paying €351 for a space smaller than some people’s bathrooms.
Other relatively affordable options include Wageningen at €395, and both Leeuwarden and Ede at €425 each.
And what about apartments?
If you thought student rooms were pricey, wait until you see apartment prices. Amsterdam apartments now average €2,000 per month — that’s roughly €32 per square metre.
For comparison, Maastricht apartments cost €888 monthly at €20.80 per square metre, making them look positively reasonable.
Rotterdam and Tilburg apartment prices have surged by 14.3% (€1,600) and 10.6% (€1,225) respectively.
However, some cities like Eindhoven (-11.1%) and Groningen (-4.6%) are seeing decreases, bringing the average rent to €1,200 and €1,050.
Have you been hit by these shocking rent increases, or have you found a miracle affordable room somewhere? Share your housing horror stories (or success stories) in the comments below.
According to affordable housing act, room rental falls to social sector and its price is capped with points, isn’t it? I wonder how €945 for 14m² is legal.