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Eight things in Denmark that are actually quite cheap

Denmark is more expensive overall than any other country in the EU, but some things are surprisingly good value.

Eight things in Denmark that are actually quite cheap
This house in Nørreballe on Lolland is listed for just €25,000. Photo: Kindsgaards Bolig
We asked foreigners in Denmark what things they are think are, if not a bargain, then at least fairly reasonable.
 
Here is what they told us. 
 
1. Houses outside the big cities
 
“Houses in the countryside,” said Nina Olczak, who lives in Lolland Falster. “Where I live you can get a nice house for as little as €15,000. In Germany prices start at €500,000 for a comparable house.” 
 
“Houses,” agreed Patrícia Castanheira. “Coming from England I was surprised at prices here.” 
 
“For the price my parents [in the UK] paid for their house in the middle of nowhere four hours from the nearest city, I can buy a small house 10km from the city centre,” added Ellie Cruickshank. “And then for the price of my tiny little city apartment here, I could buy an entire retired high school in Jutland.” 
 
The Local did a search and found the cute half-timbered house in the photo above, in Nørreballe on Lolland, listed for just €25,000, so they're not wrong. 
 
2. Mobile phone plans and internet 
 
“Data,” said Nina Olczak. “I have a Lebara prepaid card with 100 GB for 99. For that price in Germany I can get maybe 500 KB – 1 GB.” 
 
“Internet is one of the fastest in the world and the price is cheap when comparing to other countries,” said Mohammed Adel Elkhouly. 
 
 
3. Beer and cigarettes
 
Beer from supermarkets in Denmark is much, much cheaper than in Sweden, Norway or Finland, although perhaps a bit pricier than in Germany. 
 
Cigarettes, at about €5.39 a pack in 2019, are much cheaper than in Sweden, Finland, Norway, France, The Netherlands, the UK or Ireland, but more or less the same as in Germany, and more expensive than most other European countries. 
 
4. Private schools (and international schools) 
 
Denmark's free school system, through which privately-run schools are largely paid-for by the government, means that private schools are cheap in Denmark. 
 
This also goes for schools that teach towards the International Baccalaureate, for which according to the International Schools Database, Copenhagen is the second cheapest city in the world after Cape Town. 
 
 
5. Milk
 
Milk and other dairy products tend to be cheaper in Denmark, or at least in line with other countries where most other food is much cheaper. 
 
6. Organic and health food products 
 
A lot of foreigners said that they had found organic and health food products were relatively cheap compared to their home countries. 
 
One respondent said that people from southern Europe actually take 'natural' shampoo and soap with 0% perfume, colorants or parabens back to their countries because they are so much cheaper in Denmark. 
 
7. Municipality-organised children's activities. 
 
Municipalities in Denmark lay on loads of activities for children throughout the year and particularly during the summer. If they're not free (which they often are) they're normally very reasonable. Copenhagen residents can look at the Børn i Byen for ideas. 
 
8. Public swimming pools and gym membership
 
“One of the biggest surprises for me were gym prices. Prices in Estonia are easily two to three times higher,” says Laura Veelmaa. 
 
Others said that swimming pool entry prices were surprisingly low, as were sports clubs for windsurfing, sailing and other sports. 
 
Other suggestions. 
 
Other things that foreigners suggested weren't too pricey included: Pastries in local bakeries, Harald Nyborg, drinking fountains, soda, cut-your-own Christmas trees, dentist visits, Himalayan salt, popcorn and tortilla chips, books, toys, board games in libraries, rubber gloves, fresh yeast, diapers/nappies, products from Tiger, spirits in Lidl, toilet paper, and for some reason, capers.
 
 
 
 

Member comments

  1. Everything is So great in Denmark. I wish I lived there. Still, hopefully I’ll be visiting again once coronavirus is over.

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REVEALED: Your money-saving tips for life in Denmark

Denmark is famously one of Europe's most expensive countries, so we asked our readers in the Nordic nation for their top Danish savings tips.

REVEALED: Your money-saving tips for life in Denmark

Denmark was named as the most expensive European Union country for basic goods and services in 2022, along with Ireland. Data from the EU’s statistics agency Eurostat showed that price levels in Denmark were 40 per cent higher than the EU average.

For consumer goods and services, Denmark had the highest prices of all EU member countries, coming in at 49 percent above the EU average.
 

As many as 90 percent of our readers surveyed said that Denmark is an expensive country to live in but had many money-saving tips to share.

 
“Use Earlybird for booking restaurants…the Tilbudsavis app to find discounts on groceries, buy coffee capsules online, never pay for electricity Aconto – settle only for actual consumption, get a prepaid phone plan from Lycamobile or Lebara as it’s best value for money,” 31-year old Ivan in Copenhagen suggested.
 

Cooking at home and avoiding eating out was a popular suggestion from many readers. They also recommended researching online before buying expensive products and to check discounts in supermarkets.

 
37-year old Magda based in Copenhagen said, “Use the minetilbud app so you can buy øko [organic, ed.] products for lower prices, buy discounted products in a larger amount and store them, buy good quality bread or øko meat/fish with a short expiration date and freeze it…grow your own vegetables, use the Too Good To Go app.”
 
Reader Kevin added, “I buy bulk goods when they are on sale and then freeze them for later.”
 
Money-saving tips also included using the commuter discount card Pendlerkort for public transport and car-sharing or renting a car instead of buying.
 
One reader said, “For public transportation, check company card options with your employer. For insurances, check your employer schemes and do your research online with comparison tools. For car insurance, consider joining a motorist association as they offer much cheaper car insurance plus other benefits. There is little sense in buying new or large cars as they are excessively expensive.”
 
 
For those with children, it was recommended to buy annual membership cards to zoos, museums and amusement parks if you will visit at least twice a year.
 
“Buy second hand stuff especially for babies and small children and check out libraries or cultural centres for events, especially for kids as they are often free,” one reader said.
 

Petra, from the Czech Republic and living in Aarhus said, “use second hand apps and shops, circular economy apps like Reshopper, or apps selling close to sell-by-date foods like Too Good To Go.”

 
There were several suggestions from our readers to travel out of Denmark to buy certain goods and services. 
 
“Travel to Malmö and do a huge shop there and buy goods in Germany or Sweden, while on trips,” Scott, aged 67 and living in Copenhagen advised.
 
32-year old Hanna, based in Copenhagen said she got all her beauty procedures done abroad.
 
“Find psychologists, teachers, and even personal trainers abroad. Buy vitamins and basic medications in German online pharmacies,” she added.
 
 
Some 92 percent (34 out of 37) of our readers in the survey said the expense of Denmark had changed the way they live, compared to other countries. Many noted how they don’t go out to eat and drink as much, or to the cinema or theatre. Others said a lot of their money went on bills and rent, leaving less to spend on leisure activities.
 
A much lower proportion, 38 percent said they would consider moving away from Denmark because of how expensive it is. 
 
Items people found particularly expensive in Denmark included rent, property, food, especially healthy food and sweets, alcohol, coffee shops, clothing, the price of spectacles, eating out, cinema and theatre, family trips out for example the zoo, museums, public transport and taxis, petrol, cars, dry cleaning, hairdressers, spa treatments, handyman services, and electricians.
 
The items our readers found cheaper in Denmark compared to other countries were education, healthcare, internet and mobiles, car insurance, long-distance bus journeys, bikes, some food (such as rye bread), clothing, houses outside of city centres and even real estate in Copenhagen relative to other European capitals.
 
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