Amsterdam runs $2,638 a month for a city-centre one-bedroom. These 2 places are cheaper — from 27% to 48% less. Every figure below comes from the same rent survey on the same day, so the comparisons are consistent rather than stitched together from different months. We lead with what you give up.
$1,377 vs $2,638 a month, city-centre one-bedroom
What you give upStudent city, very liveable, same DAFT/visa access — but small, far north, and quiet.
$1,934 vs $2,638 a month, city-centre one-bedroom
What you give upModern architecture, 40 minutes by train, same everything — less picturesque, which is exactly why it is cheaper.
Rent is one line of a budget, not the whole thing. A city that is 40% cheaper on rent may not be 40% cheaper to live in once flights, healthcare and tax are counted. Figures are city-centre one-bedroom asking rents, not what you will necessarily pay after negotiating a longer lease.