Moving to France from Denmark

moving to

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 9.2% cheaper than Denmark overall. A DKK491,173 salary in Denmark would need to be roughly €55,180 in France to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in French.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Denmark to France.

What does your salary buy?

DKK491,173 €55,180

To maintain the same standard of living in France

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 23.5% less

Groceries

pay 7.4% less

Transportation

pay 22.4% less

Housing

pay 15.8% less

Childcare

pay 27.4% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 10.3% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 DKK = 0.1338 EUR (July 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

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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.

Moved in 2023
499 ↑ 67% vs 2022

people moved from Denmark to France · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to France?

Top countries of origin for France's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Denmark and France stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

DK
1.0
FR
1.6
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

DK
2.3
FR
4.7

Denmark performs better than France across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

DK
$7,262
FR
$6,868
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

DK
43.8
FR
33.4

Denmark generally does better on health & wellbeing, though France leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

DK
13.0
FR
10.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

DK
4.3t
FR
4.0t

France performs significantly better than Denmark across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

DK
45.0
FR
49.4
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

DK
26.4%
FR
21.6%

France generally does better on infrastructure, though Denmark leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

DK
5.1%
FR
7.3%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

DK
$72,000
FR
$55,200

Denmark generally does better on employment & economy, though France leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

DK
81.7 yrs
FR
82.6 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

DK
3.0
FR
3.1

Denmark generally does better on family life, though France leads in life expectancy.

Data: Danish Central Tax Administration, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Copenhagen Rain: 20.7 in/yr (525 mm)
52° / 41°F

Avg. annual high / low

Paris Rain: 25.6 in/yr (650 mm)
60° / 47°F

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)

Data: Danish Meteorological Institute Danish Meteorological Institute, Météo-France Météo-France

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Denmark passport holder visiting France

Visa Free
Denmark passport holders can enter France without a visa.
France passport

France passport holder visiting Denmark

Visa Free
France passport holders can enter Denmark without a visa.

Data: 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 16% 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 DKK491,173 comparable salary, that's around €13,795 in France for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from France?

With 49.4 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 1.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.0 in Denmark.

How is healthcare in France compared to Denmark?

Denmark generally does better on health & wellbeing, though France leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 33.4 doctors per 10,000 people in France, compared to 43.8 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.

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At a Glance

DK FR
Population 5,920,767 68,305,148
Currency Danish Krone (DKK) Euro (€)
Languages Danish French
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +45 +33
Time zones 5 14
Emergency number 112 112