Zuidoost is Amsterdam's south-east, a borough apart: the honeycomb estates of the Bijlmer, the Amsterdamse Poort shopping core, the Arena stadium and the offices of Amstel III. With about 93.100 residents, separated from the rest of the city by water and motorway, it is the most affordable and most diverse borough in Amsterdam.

It suits people who want space, green and low prices, and who value its strong community life over central location. It works less well for those who want to be in the historic core or near the nightlife.

The most international borough, built on strong communities

Zuidoost is the most international part of the city, with about 52% of residents born abroad, home to large Surinamese, Antillean, Ghanaian and other West-African communities that give the borough its distinct culture. This shows in the markets, churches, food and music of the Bijlmer, and it makes Zuidoost feel culturally unlike anywhere else in the Netherlands.

Its diversity is rooted rather than transient. The origin mix is more concentrated than elsewhere, at about 0,5 on the standard index, because a few large communities anchor the borough rather than a wide scatter of nationalities.

Households are mid-sized, averaging about 1,8 people, a mix of families and single residents living in the high-rise and low-rise estates.

The most affordable market in the city

Zuidoost is the cheapest borough in Amsterdam, with an average home value near €294k, well below the inner city and the only part of town where prices stay within reach for many. For arrivals on a modest budget it is often the realistic alternative to leaving Amsterdam altogether, and the metro keeps it within half an hour of the centre.

It is the most heavily rented borough, at about 72% of homes, much of it in large managed estates rather than private flats.

Buying is hardest here of anywhere in the city, with owner-occupiers at only about 27% of homes, so most arrivals rent.

Steadily regenerating after the Bijlmer renewal

Zuidoost has been remaking itself for two decades since the Bijlmer renewal, and it keeps growing, with resident numbers up about 3.0% since 2023.

Economic activity is expanding alongside the housing, with business numbers up about +8.8% as Amstel III shifts from offices toward a mixed live-work district.

It remains the entry point to the city on price, and the affordability appeal has shifted by 0.0, even as renewal slowly lifts the borough's standing.

From the Bijlmer estates to Amstel III

The borough's heart is the Bijlmer, the famous estates of the Bijlmermuseum, Ganzenhoef, the H- and K-buurt, Holendrecht and Reigersbos, much of it social housing, which makes up about 49% of the borough's homes.

Around it sit the lower-rise, more owner-occupied pockets of Gein, Geerdinkhof and Kantershof, where families settle, with households raising children at about 26,7% of the total.

It is also the greenest borough, with about 44 ha of parkland nearby on average, woven between the estates, alongside the Arena entertainment cluster and the Amstel III business zone.

Spacious and green, but set apart

Zuidoost has the fewest businesses of any borough, around 14.140, concentrated in the Amstel III offices and the Amsterdamse Poort retail core rather than spread through the streets. The Arena, Ziggo Dome and AFAS Live form a national entertainment cluster on its doorstep, which brings jobs and crowds but sits somewhat apart from daily residential life.

Daily convenience is more spread out than the inner city, with the nearest supermarket typically about 0,8 km away, the furthest of any borough.

The metro line is the borough's lifeline into the centre, though car ownership is moderate, around 0,6 per household, reflecting the open, estate-based layout.

Zuidoost works for people who want space, green and the lowest prices in Amsterdam, and who value its strong community life. The trade-off is location and income: it is set apart from the historic city by water and motorway, and remains the borough furthest from the centre in both distance and prosperity.

Frequently asked questions

Is Amsterdam-Zuidoost safe?

It has improved markedly since the Bijlmer renewal, though registered safety incidents remain among the higher in the city, at about 17,3 per 1,000 residents.

Is Zuidoost cheaper than the rest of Amsterdam?

Yes, it is the most affordable borough by a clear margin. High earners are the smallest share in the city, at about 13% of residents.

How much do residents earn in Zuidoost?

Incomes are the lowest in the city, with average income per resident near €27k, reflecting the borough's social-housing base.

Has Zuidoost become easier or harder for expats since 2023?

It remains the most accessible borough on price, and the family-relocation appeal has shifted by +0.5 as renewal adds homes, so it has held its role as the affordable entry point.

How international is Zuidoost?

It is the most international borough in the city, with roughly 63.120 residents who have roots outside the EU, concentrated in large, established communities.

Who does Zuidoost actually work well for?

Households who want space, green and low rents, and who value community over central location, including young adults priced out elsewhere, at about 31,1% of residents. It works less well for those set on the historic core.

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