Moving to United Kingdom from Denmark

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Denmark to United Kingdom — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Denmark to United Kingdom, you would find that United Kingdom is 1.7% more expensive than Denmark overall. A DKK500,000 salary in Denmark would need to be roughly £57,500 in United Kingdom to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

DKK500,000 → £57,500

To maintain the same standard of living in United Kingdom

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 17.0% less

Groceries

pay 27.8% less

Transportation

pay 9.6% less

Housing

pay 25.8% more

Childcare

pay 3.2 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 4.4% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 DKK = 0.1132 GBP (October 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.

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 United Kingdom cost about 3% more than cities in Denmark.

Denmark

Herning 69%
Vejle 65%
Svendborg 62%
Esbjerg 61%

United Kingdom

Surrey 79%
Harrow 74%
Ealing 72%
Wigan 68%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Denmark to United Kingdom, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2015
5,000

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

Who's moving to United Kingdom?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

DK
0.8
GB
1.1
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

DK
2.3
GB
2.4

Denmark performs better than United Kingdom across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

DK
$7,262
GB
$6,606
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

DK
45.0
GB
33.0

United Kingdom generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Denmark leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

DK
13.0
GB
13.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

DK
4.3t
GB
4.2t

Denmark generally does better on environment, though United Kingdom leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

DK
43.4
GB
42.2
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

DK
25.3%
GB
14.3%

Denmark generally does better on infrastructure, though United Kingdom leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

DK
5.5%
GB
4.8%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

DK
$76,970
GB
$57,602

Denmark generally does better on employment & economy, though United Kingdom leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

DK
82.2 yrs
GB
81.4 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

DK
3.5
GB
4.1

Denmark performs better than United Kingdom across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Danish Central Tax Administration (2017), HM Revenue & Customs (2016). How we calculate this

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

London Rain: 22.0 in/yr (558 mm)
60° / 46°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Copenhagen London
Jan–Mar 38°/29°F (3°/-2°C) 49°/38°F (9°/3°C)
Apr–Jun 58°/44°F (15°/7°C) 64°/48°F (18°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 66°/53°F (19°/12°C) 72°/56°F (22°/13°C)
Oct–Dec 46°/37°F (8°/3°C) 53°/43°F (12°/6°C)
View all months
Month Copenhagen London
Jan 36°/28°F (2.0°/-2.0°C) 47°/38°F (8.1°/3.1°C)
Feb 36°/28°F (2.0°/-2.0°C) 47°/37°F (8.6°/2.7°C)
Mar 41°/30°F (5.0°/-1.0°C) 53°/40°F (11.6°/4.6°C)
Apr 50°/36°F (10.0°/2.0°C) 58°/43°F (14.6°/5.9°C)
May 59°/45°F (15.0°/7.0°C) 65°/48°F (18.1°/8.9°C)
Jun 66°/52°F (19.0°/11.0°C) 70°/53°F (21.0°/11.8°C)
Jul 68°/55°F (20.0°/13.0°C) 74°/57°F (23.4°/13.7°C)
Aug 68°/55°F (20.0°/13.0°C) 74°/57°F (23.1°/13.8°C)
Sep 63°/50°F (17.0°/10.0°C) 68°/53°F (20.0°/11.4°C)
Oct 54°/45°F (12.0°/7.0°C) 60°/48°F (15.5°/8.8°C)
Nov 45°/37°F (7.0°/3.0°C) 52°/42°F (11.3°/5.8°C)
Dec 39°/30°F (4.0°/-1.0°C) 47°/38°F (8.4°/3.4°C)

Data: Danish Meteorological Institute Danish Meteorological Institute, Met Office Met Office

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Denmark and United Kingdom. To live, work, or study long-term in United Kingdom, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United Kingdom's immigration authority.

Denmark passport

Denmark passport holder visiting United Kingdom

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Denmark passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter United Kingdom.
United Kingdom passport

United Kingdom passport holder visiting Denmark

Visa Free
United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom than Denmark?

Headline costs are within a few percent between United Kingdom and Denmark; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences.

How much money do I need to move to United Kingdom?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a DKK500,000 comparable salary, that's around £14,375 in United Kingdom for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from United Kingdom?

With 42.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom.

Is United Kingdom safe for expats?

Denmark performs better than United Kingdom across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in United Kingdom is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Denmark.

How is healthcare in United Kingdom compared to Denmark?

United Kingdom generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Denmark leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 33.0 doctors per 10,000 people in United Kingdom, compared to 45.0 in Denmark. United Kingdom scores 88 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Denmark: 82).

What's the weather like in United Kingdom compared to Denmark?

The average high temperature in London is 60°F, compared to 52°F in Copenhagen. London receives around 22.0 in of rainfall per year, while Copenhagen gets 20.7 in.

What language do they speak in United Kingdom?

The official language in United Kingdom is English. In Denmark, the official language is Danish.

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At a Glance

DK GB
Population 6,009,169 69,487,000
Currency Danish Krone (DKK) British Pound Sterling (£)
Languages Danish English
Driving side Right Left
Calling code +45 +44
Time zones 5 9
Emergency number 112 999