Comprised of modern cities, iconic Viking heritage and a famously happy community, Denmark is a dream for expats after a high quality of life in an English-speaking country.

Denmark is generally regarded as an expensive country in which to live, however the amount of money you can expect to spend for accommodation and living costs differs greatly depending on the location within the country. According to the 2019 Mercer Annual Cost of Living Survey, Copenhagen was ranked the 20^th most expensive city to live in out of 209. Other popular cities for expats include Aarhus and Odense, and while these offer a cheaper cost of living than the capital, they are still relatively expensive compared to many other European cities.

The currency used in Denmark is the Danish krone, with 1 British pound equalling approximately 8.66 kr (as of 18^th December 2019). As a result, you’ll need to convert prices you see into British pounds to compare their value with UK living.

(All figures taken from Numbeo.com and exchange rates calculated on 18^th December 2019 at 11.41am).

 

How much does accommodation cost in Denmark?

Accommodation costs typically can differ depending on the city, size of the apartment, type of building and the proximity to the centre and other amenities. However, below is a general guideline for the cost of both renting and buying property in Denmark.

 

Copenhagen

Monthly rent for 1 bedroom apartment (city centre)	£1,048 (9,224 kr)
Monthly rent for 1 bedroom apartment (outside centre)	£779 (6,856 kr)
Monthly rent for 3 bedroom apartment (city centre)	£1,893 (16,658 kr)
Monthly rent for 3 bedroom apartment (outside centre)	£1,391 (12,242 kr)
Price per square meter to buy apartment (city centre)	£5,291 (46,545 kr)
Price per square meter to buy apartment (outside centre)	£3,608 (31,743 kr)

 

Aarhus

Monthly rent for 1 bedroom apartment (city centre)	£721 (6,346 kr)
Monthly rent for 1 bedroom apartment (outside centre)	£546 (4,803 kr)
Monthly rent for 3 bedroom apartment (city centre)	£1,371 (12,060 kr)
Monthly rent for 3 bedroom apartment (outside centre)	£1,037 (9,125 kr)
Price per square meter to buy apartment (city centre)	£4,018 (35,335 kr)
Price per square meter to buy apartment (outside centre)	£2,953 (25,972 kr)

 

Odense

Monthly rent for 1 bedroom apartment (city centre)	£536 (4,714 kr)
Monthly rent for 1 bedroom apartment (outside centre)	£415 (3,653 kr)
Monthly rent for 3 bedroom apartment (city centre)	£997 (8,773 kr)
Monthly rent for 3 bedroom apartment (outside centre)	£810 (7,125 kr)
Price per square meter to buy apartment (city centre)	£2,075 (18,250 kr)
Price per square meter to buy apartment (outside centre)	£1,591 (14,000 kr)

 

Cost of transport in Denmark

Most large cities within Denmark provide the opportunity to travel via car, bicycle, walking or public transport, all of which require a different level of cost. Public transport is an affordable option in most Danish cities, with a monthly transport ticket typically costing in excess of £40 (depending on your proximity within the city).

The cost of petrol, as well as cars themselves, are some of the highest in Europe however. This makes owning a car and making regular journeys an expensive way to travel. Famously, the Danish are big fans of cycling, with commuting to and from work via bicycle commonplace.

Single bus ticket	£2.61 (23.00 kr)
Monthly public transport ticket	£44.95 (395.00 kr)
Petrol (1 litre)	£1.23 (10.82 kr)
Volkswagen Golf	£28,450 (250,000 kr)
Toyota Corolla	£27,971 (245,789 kr)

 

What is the cost of living in Denmark?

Accommodation and transport typically form the majority of most people’s expenses, regardless of where you reside, however there are a few other expenditures that it’s worth educating yourself over. Below is a table of the average cost of some miscellaneous items and services within Denmark.

Milk (1 litre)	£0.97 (8.53 kr)
Bread (500g loaf)	£1.90 (16.75 kr)
Eggs (12pk)	£2.62 (23.06 kr)
Water (1.5 litre bottle)	£1.06 (9.33 kr)
Chicken Breast (1kg)	£7.10 (62.40 kr)
Cappuccino (regular, in a restaurant)	£4.15 (36.55 kr)
Beer (500ml, in a restaurant/pub)	£5.20 (45.00 kr)
Cinema ticket	£11.95 (105.00 kr)
Gym membership (monthly)	£27.64 (242.94 kr)
Preschool/Kindergarten (monthly)	£338.14 (2,972 kr)
Primary School (yearly)	£5,593.23 (49,167 kr)

 

Once you’ve considered the cost of living, you will want to identify how to get the most out of your money if you still decide to move to Denmark. With a moneycorp international payments account, you can rely on excellent exchange rates, low transfer fees and expert guidance for your currency exchange.