Verdict: Amsterdam can be done well on about €60–90 a day if you stay outside the centre, eat at markets, cycle, and use a tram pass. • Stay: pick the Jordaan, De Pijp or Oost — cheaper than the centre yet a 10-minute cycle from everything; a hostel dorm bed can jump from €35 (winter) to €65 (Apr–Sep), so book 6–8 weeks ahead. • Transport: a GVB 24-hour pass is about €9 and a 72-hour pass about €21; bike rental runs €10–15 a day, and most sights are a 20–30 minute walk apart. • Free sights: Vondelpark, Museumplein, Amsterdam Forest and Westerpark, plus walking the 165-canal ring (about 90 minutes). • Cheap eats: graze at the Albertcuypmarkt in De Pijp — raw herring, fresh stroopwafels and bitterballen; self-cater from Albert Heijn for a sub-€5 lunch; a pancake house meal runs €10–14. • Heads up: book the Anne Frank House timed ticket online — it sells out days in advance in peak season.