What does a year of sport cost in Groningen?
A gym quotes a price per four weeks, a club per year, and a padel hall per court. That makes them impossible to compare. So we have converted everything to a full year.
Sportspots editorial team, updated on
Photo: kurokumo-bushido.nl
A year of sport, in euros
If you pay per session, we calculate with 40 sessions a year: every week, minus holidays and the weeks when it doesn't happen. A membership fee and a subscription you pay regardless.
The amounts come from the websites of the clubs, halls and gyms themselves. Prices change every season, so check their site before you choose.
And then there are sports that cost almost nothing
Running and walking only cost a pair of shoes. On a playing field or basketball court nearby you pay nothing, and at an outdoor bootcamp or running group it's often little. Look at free or cheap sport in Groningen. If you want to start running, there is a nine-week schedule.
Where it gets more expensive than you think
- Four-weekly is not monthly. You then pay thirteen times a year. A subscription of €29,99 every four weeks therefore costs over €390, not €360.
- Registration fees and a contract term. You often pay a one-off fee to get started, and a low monthly amount usually goes with a contract of a year or longer. If you stop earlier, it keeps running.
- The club doesn't include everything in the membership fee. Think of clothing, sometimes a kit you have to rent, a contribution to the federation or, for tennis, a membership plus lessons on top. And sometimes you work a bar shift or referee a match. That costs no money, but it does cost a Saturday.
- A card that expires. A multi-ride card looks good value per session, but check how long it is valid for. Work out how often you actually go.
So what is the best choice?
Work back to the price per session. A gym at €400 per year is cheap if you go twice a week, and expensive if you stop going after February. At a club you are tied to a year, but you train at fixed times with people who count on you, and many people find that easier to keep up. Paying per session is the most expensive per session, but it costs you nothing in the weeks you don't go.
If it is too much
In the municipality of Groningen there are three schemes that pay for sport: the Stadjerspas, the Jeugdfonds Sport & Cultuur and the Volwassenenfonds. You can read how to apply for them at help with costs.