Moving to Denmark from Canada
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Canada to Denmark — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Canada to Denmark, you would find that Denmark is 13.2% more expensive than Canada overall. A CA$110,000 salary in Canada would need to be roughly DKK583,000 in Denmark to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Danish.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Canada to Denmark.
What does your salary buy?
CA$110,000 → DKK583,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Denmark
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 37.4% more
Groceries
pay 10.6% more
Transportation
pay 70.2% more
Housing
pay 9.9% less
Childcare
pay 39.3% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 34.0% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Denmark cost about 19% more than cities in Canada.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Canada to Denmark, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Canada and Denmark stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Denmark performs significantly better than Canada across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Denmark generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Canada generally does better on environment, though Denmark leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Canada generally does better on infrastructure, though Denmark leads in broadband per 100 people.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Canada generally does better on employment & economy, though Denmark leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Denmark performs significantly better than Canada across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Canada Revenue Agency (2016), Danish Central Tax Administration (2017), The World Factbook (2008). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Ottawa | Copenhagen |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) | 38°/29°F (3°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) | 58°/44°F (15°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 66°/53°F (19°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) | 46°/37°F (8°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Ottawa | Copenhagen |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) | 36°/28°F (2.0°/-2.0°C) |
| Feb | 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) | 36°/28°F (2.0°/-2.0°C) |
| Mar | 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) | 41°/30°F (5.0°/-1.0°C) |
| Apr | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) | 50°/36°F (10.0°/2.0°C) |
| May | 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) | 59°/45°F (15.0°/7.0°C) |
| Jun | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) | 66°/52°F (19.0°/11.0°C) |
| Jul | 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) | 68°/55°F (20.0°/13.0°C) |
| Aug | 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) | 68°/55°F (20.0°/13.0°C) |
| Sep | 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) | 63°/50°F (17.0°/10.0°C) |
| Oct | 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) | 54°/45°F (12.0°/7.0°C) |
| Nov | 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) | 45°/37°F (7.0°/3.0°C) |
| Dec | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) | 39°/30°F (4.0°/-1.0°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Service of Canada,
Danish Meteorological Institute
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Canada and Denmark. To live, work, or study long-term in Denmark, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Denmark's immigration authority.
Canada passport holder visiting Denmark
Visa Free
Denmark passport holder visiting Canada
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Denmark than Canada?
Day-to-day costs in Denmark run about 13% higher than Canada on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Denmark?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CA$110,000 comparable salary, that's around DKK145,750 in Denmark for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Denmark?
With 43.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Denmark can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Canada and Denmark.
Is Denmark safe for expats?
Denmark performs significantly better than Canada across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Denmark is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.0 in Canada.
How is healthcare in Denmark compared to Canada?
Denmark generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in health coverage index. There are 45.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Denmark, compared to 28.2 in Canada. Denmark scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Canada: 91).
What's the weather like in Denmark compared to Canada?
The average high temperature in Copenhagen is 52°F, compared to 52°F in Ottawa. Copenhagen receives around 20.7 in of rainfall per year, while Ottawa gets 37.1 in.
What language do they speak in Denmark?
The official language in Denmark is Danish. In Canada, the official languages are English and French.
