^{If you're trying to figure out how much money you'll actually need for rent, a realistic budget for a student room in Leeuwarden is somewhere between €320 and €500 a month, depending on the size of the room, whether it's furnished, and what's included. According to the latest Kamernet Rental Report (Q1 2026), the average advertised room costs around €460 per month, making Leeuwarden one of the most affordable student cities in the Netherlands and the cheapest when you compare the price per square metre.}

Looking for housing in the Netherlands can feel a little overwhelming these days. Before you've even chosen a university, you're already reading headlines about housing shortages, rising rents, students struggling to find a room before the semester starts, and universities reminding incoming students not to travel without arranging accommodation first.

The interesting thing is that while almost every Dutch student city is dealing with the same housing shortage, they definitely aren't all equally expensive.

Take Groningen’s example: student room rents rose 12.6% compared with the previous year, one of the steepest increases anywhere in the country, averaging monthly rents of 580€. Amsterdam is in the different league altogether, with average room rents approaching 990€, while the national average has reached 660€. 

Leeuwarden, on the contrary, is highlighted for its housing affordability and accessibility. Rooms are still competitive, and it is recommended to start searching well in advance, since demand tends to outnumber availability, yet, the amount students pay is considerably lower than in many other Dutch university ities. According to Kamernet, students in Leeuwarden pay just over 26€ per square metre, compared with a national average of 46€. 

This is quite a big difference, especially thinking long-term over the course of an entire three-year bachelor, for example. If rent takes up a smaller share of a student’s monthly budget, there is more room for everything else: groceries, student associations, small day trips to visit other Dutch cities, etc.