Expenses In Denmark

Hello Everyone,

Today I want to tell you about the general expenses I’ve come across in Denmark.

*Disclaimer: Please know that your expenses may differ depending on where you are in Denmark and when you visit ie. prices of living space may go up in the future.

Okay so here is the breakdown. For comparisons reasons, I will be using the exchange rate of 5 DKK to $1 CAD

Rent(all-inclusive): ~2250 DKK = $450, this is my room in a 4 room apartment, shared with 3 other students…The Danes don’t have school residences but instead have apartments off-campus where many students live. The school still has an accommodations office that advocates and finds these apartments for you and gives you the keys.

*They also provided free linens and kitchen boxes for me which set me up with dishes, cookware, towels, blanket, pillow and bed lining so I didn’t have to worry about it when I arrived. This may not be the same for your situation. 

Monthly Bus Pass: 300 DKK = $60, Single Ride 22 DKK = $4.40. You may be eligible for a reduced student rate which will bring the monthly cost down to 250 DKK = $50, single ride 10 DKK = $2 but it requires a 185 DKK  = $37 sign up fee which is then valid for one year. The prices are for the FYN bus company, which operates in and around Odense, Denmark.

Bike-cycle: A pre-owned one will cost you 300~500 DKK and a new one starts at 1000 DKK, Denmark is one of the most bike-friendly countries in Europe and a bike-cycle is a preferred method of transportation for many Danes. Cycling is taken very seriously over here, riders are privileged by having their own lanes and intersection signals but they are many rules over here and like I have said previously bikes are like cars, you cannot be intoxicated, you cannot be on your mobile device, you must have a blinking front and backlights, you have to signal lane and direction changes and if your slower keep to the right, the left lane is only for passing.

Food: 800 DKK =  $160 for me, this totally depends on how and what you eat. I’ve heard the cities that neighbour Germany usually drives down to pick up bi-weekly groceries.

So this is actually my flatmate’s bill as I forgot to ask for mine but I’ll note down the few essentials.

• 15 Large Eggs for 23 DKK = $4.60
• 1 Litre Milk 6 DKK = $1.20
• A loaf of bread 9 DKK = $1.80
• A beer at a pub goes from 15~30 DKK = $3 ~ 6, bartenders usually don’t get tipped here. I don’t drink alcohol so I pay 25DKK($5) for juice and 20DKK($4) for Coke(500mL)
• Ice burg lettuce 11 DKK = $2.20
• 1 kg beef ~ 2.2 lbs 100 DKK = $20, this is a for raw steaks. Fancy sausages can got for more but I don’t eat much meat.

These prices are okay for Canadians for the most part, I’ve noticed a lot of Asian and other European students complain about the prices as these prices are double what they pay.

Going out to eat here to socialize with friends is for the most part non-existent like I’ve posted before students here usually host Potlucks and in apartment activities which I find is a refreshing change to the North American culture of eating out every weekend(The food is of better quality).

If you do want to go out and eat for a special occasion then there are a variety of price ranges and restaurants you can go to.

• A slice of Pizza will be 20 DKK = $4, add a drink(350mL) for 10 DKK($2)
• A 7/11(yes, they have those here) pastry will go for 20 DKK = $4, add a coffee for 15 DKK ($3)
• A Shawarma(chicken) goes for 50 DKK($10) with a drink included
• A nice meal at the restaurant will go for 200 DKK = $40, which isn’t too bad for us but again usually more than what other students are used to paying.

What you have to know is the minimum wage here is 110 DKK = $22 per hour, the costs are proportional to the living expenses here…actually it might even be considered as *cheap* but the personal income rate ~45% so it’s a little more then what we pay but I think it works out here. At least as far I can see.

Thank you for reading!

I’ll keep the updates coming just as long as something interesting comes up.

Take Care,

Written by: Hamza N