How House Prices in Amsterdam, Utrecht, and The Hague Compare in 2026

House prices in Amsterdam, Utrecht, and The Hague no longer move in lockstep. In the second quarter of 2026 Amsterdam posted the smallest year-on-year rise of the four largest Dutch cities (0.8%), The Hague the largest (4.5%), and Utrecht sat steadily in between (2.2%), according to CBS. Understand what a home is worth before you bid.

Key takeaways

• National prices are still rising: existing owner-occupied homes were 4.2% more expensive in Q2 2026 than a year earlier, the tenth consecutive quarter of growth (CBS).
• Amsterdam cooled the most: 0.8% year-on-year, the smallest rise of the big four cities, a sharp break from its double-digit years.
• The Hague ran hottest: 4.5% growth, the largest of the four, plus the biggest jump in transactions.
• Utrecht stayed steady: 2.2% for the city, 3.7% for the province; the average existing home there sold for €549,113 in 2025 (CBS).
• The index keeps climbing: the Dutch house price index reached 154.9 points in May 2026, above the 149.5 full-year 2025 average.

How did Amsterdam, Utrecht, and The Hague compare in 2026?

In the second quarter of 2026, CBS's Q2 2026 city figures recorded a striking split between the three cities. Amsterdam, still the most expensive of the big four, posted the smallest year-on-year price rise of the four largest Dutch municipalities: just 0.8%. The Hague did the opposite, with a 4.5% increase, the largest of the four, alongside the biggest jump in the number of transactions. Utrecht sat between them at 2.2% for the city itself, while the wider province of Utrecht rose 3.7%. That gap matters. A city that cools while its neighbours climb changes the calculation for anyone weighing where to buy. Amsterdam's near-flat growth is a clean break from the double-digit years buyers still remember, and it hints at more room to negotiate. To read these shifts against your own shortlist, our guide on why you should look beyond average selling prices is a good place to start, and the 2024 numbers show how quickly the picture turns.

Are house prices going down in the Netherlands?

No, not nationally: CBS reports that existing owner-occupied homes were 4.2% more expensive in the second quarter of 2026 than a year earlier, the tenth consecutive quarter of price growth. So the headline fear of a falling market does not match the data. What does happen is that the pace differs sharply by place. Amsterdam has slowed to almost flat (0.8%), while The Hague and the province of Groningen are climbing faster. A single national figure hides that spread completely. For a first-time buyer this means the real question is not whether prices are dropping, but where growth is slowing enough to give you breathing room. If you are still weighing the buy-or-wait decision, our piece on buying versus renting right now walks through the trade-offs without pushing you either way.

What is the current trend of the Netherlands house price index?

The Dutch house price index (PBK), published by CBS, rose to 154.9 points in May 2026, up from 154.0 in April and well above the full-year 2025 average of 149.5. The series has never stood higher. The trend is clearly upward, not the temporary dip some 2024 headlines suggested. An index of 154.9 means existing homes cost roughly 55% more than in 2020, the index's base year. That steady month-after-month climb is exactly what makes timing so hard: waiting for a dip the data does not show can cost more than acting on a home you actually understand. The index is a national gauge, so it smooths over the city differences that really shape your bid. To turn a national number into a value picture for one specific home, start with what determines the value of a house.

What is the average price of a house in Utrecht?

CBS figures) put the average selling price of an existing owner-occupied home in the municipality of Utrecht at €549,113 in 2025, up from €519,924 in 2024 and more than double the €245,900 recorded in 2015. That decade of growth explains why Utrecht keeps ranking among the more expensive Dutch cities, behind Amsterdam but ahead of The Hague. In 2026 the pace cooled to a steadier 2.2% year-on-year for the city, calmer than the frantic years but still firmly positive. An average, though, is only a midpoint: a canal-adjacent apartment in the centre and a terraced house on the edge of town sit far apart around that €549,113 line. Before you read one average as "the Utrecht price", it helps to understand how a property's true value is determined for the specific home you want, not for the city as a whole.

Beyond the averages: what really matters when you buy

NVM-registered data give the national backdrop: the average sale price was €506,000 in the second quarter of 2026, up 2.1% year-on-year, with 37,727 homes for sale, over 20% more listings than a year earlier. More supply and cooler growth in Amsterdam can read as opportunity. But a Funda snapshot or a citywide average tells you nothing about the street, the property type, or the condition of the one home you actually want. Kadaster registers every transaction, yet even that record is a rear-view mirror. What matters is a value picture built for your specific home, not the citywide midpoint.

"A city average tells you where the pressure is, not what to pay. Amsterdam at 0.8% doesn't mean its cheaper, and The Hague at 4.5% isn't saying you are priced out of the region. What matters more is the market value and offer number attached to the address you're actually looking at."

Steven van Wel, CEO Walter Living

That gap is exactly what we help you see: the same data, the same day, before your bid goes out, so you can decide what is logical for you. Walter doesn't gamble. Walter explains. Pull a free Walter report for your target home and check the citywide average against a value built for that exact address. Knowing why you're bidding what you're bidding is what keeps the decision yours.

What does this mean if you're buying in Amsterdam, Utrecht, or The Hague?

For buyers, the 2026 split between the three cities changes strategy. Amsterdam's near-flat 0.8% growth and rising listings hint at more negotiating room than in the overbidding years, while The Hague's 4.5% climb and surging transactions signal a market still moving fast. Utrecht sits in between, steady rather than frantic. None of that tells you what to bid. It tells you where the pressure is. A slower Amsterdam is not automatically a bargain, and a hot Hague is not automatically off-limits; both depend on the specific home and what it is worth to you. The right price is the one that is logical within the same value framework, whatever the city average does. And sometimes the best choice is: not to bid, if the number you would need to write does not hold up. Our facts, myths, and rules on bidding covers the ground rules, and Sophie's story of buying in Amsterdam shows the approach in practice.

Understand the home's value before you bid, and a citywide headline stops feeling like a verdict and starts being what it is: context. Generate a free Walter report for your target home in Amsterdam, Utrecht, or The Hague and see the market data lined up against that one address, with no strings attached.

Frequently asked questions

Which of the three cities is the most expensive?

It depends on the year and the property type, but the ranking has been stable: Amsterdam sits highest, Utrecht second, The Hague more moderate. In 2025 the average existing home in the municipality of Utrecht was €549,113 (CBS), with Amsterdam higher still. City averages hide big neighbourhood gaps, so treat the ranking as orientation, not a price tag.

Is now a good time to buy in Amsterdam?

There is no universal good time, only your own situation. That said, Amsterdam's 0.8% year-on-year rise in Q2 2026 (CBS) is far calmer than the double-digit years, and listings are up nationally, which can mean more room to negotiate. Whether that suits you depends on the specific home and your budget, not the citywide average.

Why did The Hague's prices rise faster than Amsterdam's?

No single factor explains it, but affordability is a big part. The Hague started from a lower base than Amsterdam and stayed closer to the national average, so it drew buyers priced out of the capital. In Q2 2026 it posted the largest rise of the big four (4.5%) and the biggest jump in transactions (CBS).

Does Walter tell me what I should bid?

No, and that is deliberate. We build a value picture from housing-market data and recent comparables so you can see what a home is worth, independent of the asking price. What you bid stays your decision. A free Walter report gives you the grounding; the choice, and the control, stay with you.