Copenhagen is one of the most expensive cities in the world. At first I didn’t really notice because I was distracted and confused by Danish currency (The “krone”, or crown in English). By the time I could gauge prices without doing a currency conversion in my head, I was used to these prices. Now, when I go to the states, I’m shocked at how low the prices are.
Before talking about prices, however, it’s important to be aware that every price you see in Denmark includes 25% sales tax. It’s also important to know the exchange rate. Right now the dollar is low (5.7 kroner per dollar) so these prices look even worse.
McDonalds
A Big Mac meal is 47kr or $8.24. A Big-n-Tasty meal is 52kr, or $9.13. The small hamburger with no cheese is a much better deal, usually going for 8kr, or $1.40.
Gas
It’s sold by the liter here, at around 9 kroner, which works out to $1.58. There are 3.79 liters in a gallon, so gas in Denmark is about $6 a gallon. Yes, it is surreal to be back in the US and listen to people complaining about taxes and price of gas. There’s an interesting chart about global gas prices here.
Beer
For a 0.5 liter glass of Danish draft, you’ll pay between 35 and 50 kroner, or between $6.14 and $8.77. To get the lower price you’ll have to be in a bit of a dive. The higher price is typical at touristy sites like Nyhavn. Beer is 38kr, or $6.66 at my favorite bar. Bottled beer is cheaper, and in a dive you can get it for 15kr, or $2.63, but that’s about as low as it gets outside a grocery store. Imports are more expensive.
Cars
As shocking as this is to Americans, cars are quite cheap — except that there’s roughly a 200% tax on them. So yes, a $20,000 car effectively costs $60,000. There’s a saying here about cars, “Buy one for yourself, and two for the government.” And yet it’s not unusual at all to see cars that would cost $100,000 in the US.
Don’t forget when you go to the grocery store and need to buy a shopping bag. It’s between 2 and 3 kr per bag, or $0.35 to $0.52. Admittedly, they’re nicer bags than those flimsy plastic bags from Safeway, with real handles that don’t break and heavier plastic, but it’s pretty steep if you need to buy two or three. The good news is that people reuse these bags for pretty much everything, because they are nicer than U.S. bags.
When I would go to IKEA back in the U.S., I would always wonder why they sold a blue version of the yellow shopping bags that they let you use as you’re wandering the store but don’t want to use a cart. Who would need those? Well, when I went to IKEA here and discovered that these huge, durable bags are 5 kr each, I bought two. That’s only a couple of kronor more for a bigger bag that’s much, much more durable and bigger than what they sell at the grocery stores. I have now become that person.
(If you walk from the grocery store to your apartment, bag durability and comfort are key.)
Okay, Stan, you’re shown us how much more expensive things are in Denmark. I wonder if you simply cherry-picked the items you are most familiar with and which you chose to highlight.
Is there ANYTHING that costs less there than here in the states?
I’m certainly using items that are familiar to Americans and are on the pricey side. And there are things that aren’t necessarily more expensive here, the but the 25% sales tax insures that doesn’t happen very often.
The only thing that seems more affordable here is cheese — you can get nice cheese for the same or less as in the U.S. That’s about the only thing I’ve noticed that seems less expensive.
A pair of converse high-tops are about $100.
A 1/2 lb. bag of M&Ms is around $5.
Movie tickets are around $12 per ticket.
Movie rentals are about $5-7 for one night.
It’s tough to find a pair of jeans for less than $50.
A single coke at a convenience store costs around $2.00.
I’m going to Denmark next month- I hate to drag a whole suitcase with me of extra stuff but is there something that makes sense to bring with me like coffee, tea and such?
Hi Sandra. I wouldn’t bother. Beyond airfare, the most expensive parts of visiting Denmark will be accommodations and dining out. Groceries aren’t expensive enough to make it worthwhile bring your own.