Moving to France from Denmark
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Denmark to France — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Denmark to France, you would find that France is 15.4% cheaper than Denmark overall. A DKK500,000 salary in Denmark would need to be roughly €56,600 in France to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in French.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is France cheaper than Denmark?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 15.7% less
Groceries
pay 12.1% less
Transportation
pay 24.8% less
Housing
pay 21.0% less
Childcare
pay 78.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 19.6% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in France?
What does your salary buy?
DKK500,000 → €56,600
To maintain the same standard of living in France
Calculate with your salary →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 France cost about 13% less than cities in Denmark.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Denmark to France, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Denmark and France 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 better than France 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
France generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Denmark leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
France performs significantly better than Denmark across all environment metrics.
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
France generally does better on infrastructure, though Denmark leads in internet access.
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
Denmark generally does better on employment & economy, though France leads in top income tax 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
France generally does better on family life, though Denmark leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Danish Central Tax Administration (2017), Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in France vs Denmark
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Copenhagen | Paris |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 38°/29°F (3°/-2°C) | 48°/38°F (9°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 58°/44°F (15°/7°C) | 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 66°/53°F (19°/12°C) | 74°/58°F (23°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/37°F (8°/3°C) | 52°/43°F (11°/6°C) |
View all months
| Month | Copenhagen | Paris |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/28°F (2.0°/-2.0°C) | 44°/36°F (6.9°/2.5°C) |
| Feb | 36°/28°F (2.0°/-2.0°C) | 47°/37°F (8.2°/2.8°C) |
| Mar | 41°/30°F (5.0°/-1.0°C) | 53°/41°F (11.8°/5.1°C) |
| Apr | 50°/36°F (10.0°/2.0°C) | 58°/44°F (14.7°/6.8°C) |
| May | 59°/45°F (15.0°/7.0°C) | 66°/51°F (19.0°/10.5°C) |
| Jun | 66°/52°F (19.0°/11.0°C) | 71°/56°F (21.8°/13.3°C) |
| Jul | 68°/55°F (20.0°/13.0°C) | 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.5°C) |
| Aug | 68°/55°F (20.0°/13.0°C) | 76°/60°F (24.6°/15.4°C) |
| Sep | 63°/50°F (17.0°/10.0°C) | 69°/54°F (20.8°/12.5°C) |
| Oct | 54°/45°F (12.0°/7.0°C) | 60°/49°F (15.8°/9.2°C) |
| Nov | 45°/37°F (7.0°/3.0°C) | 51°/42°F (10.4°/5.3°C) |
| Dec | 39°/30°F (4.0°/-1.0°C) | 46°/38°F (7.8°/3.6°C) |
Danish Meteorological Institute
Météo-FranceCan you move from Denmark to France?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Denmark and France. To live, work, or study long-term in France, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check France's immigration authority.
Denmark passport holder visiting France
Visa Free
France passport holder visiting Denmark
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in France than Denmark?
Generally yes: France runs about 15% cheaper than Denmark on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to France?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a DKK500,000 comparable salary, that's around €14,150 in France for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from France?
With 48.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, France can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Denmark and France.
Is France safe for expats?
Denmark performs better than France across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in France is 1.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Denmark.
How is healthcare in France compared to Denmark?
France generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Denmark leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 32.8 doctors per 10,000 people in France, compared to 45.0 in Denmark. France scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Denmark: 82).
What's the weather like in France compared to Denmark?
The average high temperature in Paris is 60°F, compared to 52°F in Copenhagen. Paris receives around 25.6 in of rainfall per year, while Copenhagen gets 20.7 in.
What language do they speak in France?
The official language in France is French. In Denmark, the official language is Danish.
