Cost Of Living in Copenhagen: Is Batter for living 2023
By: Mahmuda Afreen / Read more about us.
Living in a city like Copenhagen is the dream of many people all around the world. Because of the environment and facilities of the city. However, living expenses here are pretty expensive. According to the expert, it is listed in the 5% of most expensive places to live in.
If one is dreaming to move in and reading this article, we like to give a spoiler, if you do not hold the proper skill to get a well-paid job, then it will be hard to survive in this capital of Denmark.
The Cost of Living in Copenhagen is 24 expensive compared to the most preferable city New York. Also, people living here will have to pay a maximum portion of their earnings on housing, insurance, and other things.
Cost Of Living in Copenhagen
Copenhagen is Denmark’s capital and the most populous city in this country. Though the geographical land of this city is not big enough millions of immigrants from all over the world live there. Mainly, from Asia and another European countries. It is because of the liveliness of this place and other opportunities.
when someone decides to move into one city from another, they look for many statistics and factors. If they found that their chosen place is better than their current one, they decide to move. As for one of the most creative and beautiful cities, they look for living quality which includes the living cost and statistics of jobs and other opportunities.
According to BBC, it ranked among the top cities to live with the highest quality of life. Because it is safe, clean, and beautiful. Rather than those, it has a stable economy, excellent education, and a safe trouble-free society.
Economic experts have stated that this city is in the top 15 most expensive places to live in. that means if one is planning to move here, they must put it in their mind before reading further. Because it will be expensive to live in and maintain all the facilities for themselves and their families.
However, if we compare this city with America, it is quite more affordable here than there. Overall, Copenhagen is 24.26% more affordable than the most popular city New York. However, the capital of America, Washington Dc will be more affordable compared to the capital of Denmark.
Also, the living quality of this capital will be far better. It is because of the many opportunities provided by the great government of America. Mainly, the tax-free income in this capital, less price of accommodation, well-developed public transport, and more.
Now, let’s demonstrate the living cost in different segments to get a proper idea of it.
Cost of Housing and utilities in Copenhagen
Whichever city one is going to live in, the majority of their living cost will be on the accommodation. Also, finding a home or place to live is one of the headache things to do. Cities like Copenhagen are another nightmare when it comes to finding a home.
Because of the high number of the population but fewer places to accommodate is the reason of it. Here, the housing cost will be high as hell. Moreover, the utility bill here is also expensive compared to other countries in Europe.
Overall, accommodating in this capital will be quite expensive and it will be at least 55% of the total expenses of living.
| Area | Expenses |
| 1 bedroom apartment in City Center (40 m2 or 430 ft2) | $1345 |
| Cheap 1 bedroom apartment (40 m2 or 430 ft2) | $995 |
| 3 bedroom apartment in city Center (80 m2 or 860 ft2) | $2304 |
| Cheap 3-bedroom apartment (80 m2 or 860 ft2) | $1766 |
| Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years | 1.56% |
| Apartment price to Buy in City Center (1 m2 or 10 ft2) | $7468 |
| House price to Buy in Suburbs (1 m2 or 10 ft2) | $5077 |
| Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc. | $106 |
| Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc. | $164 |
| Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited | $28.5 |
The cheapest option for accommodation is living in a shared apartment in one room. It will cost around $995 or more or less. Depending on the type of apartment and other things, the rent will vary. As with this, living in a studio apartment will vary. However, the rent will be around $1345 for a one-room apartment.
In the case of a family of 3 or 4 members, they will have to rent a whole apartment of at least 3 bedrooms. This one will cost a lot since they will need to rent the whole house. Depending on the location, it will cost not less than $2304 in the expensive areas.
Here, one can go for the cheapest option by paying $1766 in the local area, a little far from the center of the capital. People can also buy an apartment instead of renting it. There are a lot of opportunities for a home loan in Copenhagen which makes it easier to have a home of your own.
However, one will have to have a good amount on hand before applying for a loan. Also, there are other requirements to fulfill. In case they match all the requirements and have enough money, they should buy their home instead of renting.
Depending on the size of the apartment, the price will be different. Moreover, one can estimate the minimum price from $5000.
Along with the rent and even if one has brought their home, they will have to pay the utilities for water, electricity, gas, and other things. Based on the level of use, it will be $130 to $200 or more.
Transportation expenses in the capital of Denmark
Among the European countries, Denmark is well known for its transportation. Mainly, in the capital, the benefits of using both private and local transportation are not to be neglected. One can comfortably use any type of vehicle even late at night.
Moreover, using the public train and bus will be affordable in Copenhagen compared to any other city. For the ticket, they will have to pay $3 for a round trip. If one is on a regular traveling and goes to a different place, they can go for the monthly subscription which is the most convenient option in such a situation.
| Areas | Expenses |
| Local transport ticket | $3.28 |
| Monthly ticket local transport | $73.2 |
| Taxi Ride, 8 km, or 5 mi | $30 |
| Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal | $2.08 |
Moreover, one can buy a car too. Since Europe is pretty famous for automobiles, it is not hard to find a good functional car at an affordable price. But they will be adding a gas or petrol charge as well as insurance which is expensive in Denmark.
Overall public transport is the best option to grab if you are a mid-earning person with other responsibilities. However, holding a job in a high-paying range can go for either of the options. As there is no traffic issue, driving a private car on the road will not be a hassle.
How much are the daily needs in Copenhagen?
Living in a country, one of the most concerns the people have been the price hike. Places like Copenhagen are facing that from the middle of 2020 because of some brutal circumstances in Europe. This is not the scenario in this capital but all over the world.
Let’s see the recent price which will increase in the future and the range of the increment can be double than this.
| Areas | Expenses |
| Milk, 1 L or 1 qt | $1.61 |
| Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb | $2.25 |
| Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb | $1.98 |
| Eggs, x12 | $4.23 |
| Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb | $13.7 |
| Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb | $10.4 |
| Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb | $14 |
| Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb | $2.71 |
| Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb | $2.45 |
| Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb | $2.54 |
| Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb | $4.1 |
| Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb | $1.74 |
| Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb | $1.41 |
| Water, 1 L or 1 qt | $0.79 |
| Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz | $2.53 |
| Cold medicine, 1 week | $8.09 |
| Hair Shampoo | $4.36 |
| Toilet paper, 4 rolls | $1.64 |
| Toothpaste, 1 tube | $2.11 |
These are all the prices of the most needed things in a household. Overall, we can estimate that it will cost nearly $250 for a person for groceries. However, if we calculate this for a family of 4, the cost will be not less than $900.
Based on people and their needs, the groceries list above will be more or less. So, the expense for this area will be also subjective.
Expenses of eating outside in Copenhagen
People working full-time or part-time eat outside most of the time. Because they do not get the chance to go home for having their meal. Moreover, an outing with friends and family once or twice a month is necessary to balance life.
Well, in the capital of Denmark, eating outside is not that expensive. There are loads of international restaurants like KFC, McDonald’s, Domino’s Pizza, and many more. Also, one will find cuisine of different cultures such as Asian, Italian, and so on.
| Areas | Expenses |
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 18.45 $ |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 105.43 $ |
| McMeal at McDonald’s (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 10.87 $ |
| Domestic Beer (0.5-liter draught) | 6.59 $ |
| Imported Beer (0.33-liter bottle) | 6.19 $ |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.60 $ |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle) | 3.04 $ |
| Water (0.33-liter bottle) | 2.48 $ |
Moreover, if one goes into an expensive restaurant and orders a meal then it will cost them at least $18 per person. Depending on the choice of the menu this can be more or less. In a mid-level place, the cost will be around $100 to eat a full-course meal with someone. In that scenario, we can say eating outside will depend on the choice of restaurant and food.
However, the food cart in different areas of the city sells delicious food like kebabs, Chinese, cakes, and other meals at cheap prices. So, one can try that healthy and hygienic food too.
The total cost of one person for living in Copenhagen
Let’s calculate the total living cost in the selected city for one person. We will be calculating the average based on the pricing we have illustrated above.
| Cost of living | One person |
| Total with rent | $2071 |
| Without rent | $871 |
| Rent & Utilities | $1200 |
| Food | $525 |
| Transport | $185 |
Overall expense for one person will be around $2700 and the most cost will be in the rent and utility bills. For food and transport, he or she will have to spend around $700. Again, this range will be different from person to person. We have just illustrated a normal calculation.
Cost to live with family in Copenhagen?
We have already demonstrated individual costs and the total cost of one person for a month. Now, one can calculate the estimate for any number of families. For example, a family of two or four, or more. Here we will be giving the basic needs of a family of four.
| Cost of living | Family of 4 |
| Total with rent | $4667 |
| Without rent | $2601 |
| Rent & Utilities | $2066 |
| Food | $1373 |
| Transport | $508 |
Overall, it will be around $4667 for a family to live in Copenhagen. In the total as usual the maximum will be on housing and utilities, and the others will be on food and transportation.
One will have to remember that, if the family has one or more children, based on their age, they will have to send them to preschool, and school, and will have to cost health insurance for the whole family. All of the expenses will be pretty expensive.
Copenhagen Cost of Living Vs other capital
Comparatively living cost in Copenhagen is expensive. If we mention other capital of Europe like berlin, those are pretty much affordable. Let’s compare some of the popular capital living expenses of a family with this one.
| Capital | Living Expenses |
| Berlin | $2590 |
| Amsterdam | $3910 |
| Rome | $2430 |
| London | $6364 |
| Zurich | $3060 |
| Copenhagen | $4667 |
As we can see from the table above, this city is more expensive than almost all the capital of Europe.
Overall, living in Copenhagen is quite expensive if we compare it with job opportunities and living expenses. Though experts have given the quality of living the highest rate it is not appropriate for all people.
Mainly, the immigrant just moving there with their family and doing odd jobs will face hardship. Because they will have to bear expensive costs along with more than 45% income tax.
However, doing a properly paying corporate job will be well enough. So, before moving one must find out the job situation of their expertise and match it with the living expenses.
They must remember the fact that moving to another country or city is a big decision to make. Without proper planning and calculation, it is no wonder that they will get into trouble.
