Moving to Denmark from Germany

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Germany to Denmark, you would find that Denmark is 16.6% more expensive than Germany overall. A €67,000 salary in Germany would need to be roughly DKK584,000 in Denmark to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Danish.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

€67,000 → DKK584,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Denmark

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 18.3% more

Groceries

pay 30.0% more

Transportation

pay 24.2% more

Housing

pay 12.3% more

Childcare

pay 36.0% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 31.3% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 7.48 DKK (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 Denmark cost about 19% more than cities in Germany.

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Moved in 2023
5,042 ↓ 10% vs 2022

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

Who's moving to Denmark?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

DE
0.9
DK
0.8
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

DE
3.3
DK
2.3

Denmark performs significantly better than Germany across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

DE
$8,826
DK
$7,262
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

DE
45.3
DK
45.0

Denmark generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Germany 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

DE
15.0
DK
13.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

DE
6.9t
DK
4.3t

Denmark performs significantly better than Germany across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

DE
45.6
DK
43.4
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

DE
35.4%
DK
25.3%

Denmark generally does better on infrastructure, though Germany leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

DE
3.7%
DK
5.5%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

DE
$60,496
DK
$76,970

Germany generally does better on employment & economy, though Denmark leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

DE
80.8 yrs
DK
82.2 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

DE
3.1
DK
3.5

Denmark generally does better on family life, though Germany leads in infant mortality.

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

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Berlin Rain: 22.5 in/yr (571 mm)
56° / 43°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Berlin Copenhagen
Jan–Mar 41°/31°F (5°/-1°C) 38°/29°F (3°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 64°/47°F (18°/8°C) 58°/44°F (15°/7°C)
Jul–Sep 72°/55°F (22°/13°C) 66°/53°F (19°/12°C)
Oct–Dec 47°/37°F (8°/3°C) 46°/37°F (8°/3°C)
View all months
Month Berlin Copenhagen
Jan 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.9°C) 36°/28°F (2.0°/-2.0°C)
Feb 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.5°C) 36°/28°F (2.0°/-2.0°C)
Mar 47°/34°F (8.5°/1.3°C) 41°/30°F (5.0°/-1.0°C)
Apr 56°/40°F (13.2°/4.2°C) 50°/36°F (10.0°/2.0°C)
May 66°/48°F (18.9°/9.0°C) 59°/45°F (15.0°/7.0°C)
Jun 71°/54°F (21.6°/12.3°C) 66°/52°F (19.0°/11.0°C)
Jul 75°/58°F (23.7°/14.3°C) 68°/55°F (20.0°/13.0°C)
Aug 74°/57°F (23.6°/14.1°C) 68°/55°F (20.0°/13.0°C)
Sep 66°/51°F (18.8°/10.6°C) 63°/50°F (17.0°/10.0°C)
Oct 56°/44°F (13.4°/6.4°C) 54°/45°F (12.0°/7.0°C)
Nov 45°/36°F (7.1°/2.2°C) 45°/37°F (7.0°/3.0°C)
Dec 40°/31°F (4.4°/-0.4°C) 39°/30°F (4.0°/-1.0°C)

Data: Deutscher Wetterdienst Deutscher Wetterdienst, Danish Meteorological Institute Danish Meteorological Institute

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Germany 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.

Germany passport

Germany passport holder visiting Denmark

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

Denmark passport holder visiting Germany

Visa Free
Denmark passport holders can enter Germany 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 Denmark than Germany?

Day-to-day costs in Denmark run about 17% higher than Germany 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 €67,000 comparable salary, that's around DKK146,000 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 Germany and Denmark.

Is Denmark safe for expats?

Denmark performs significantly better than Germany across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Denmark is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.9 in Germany.

How is healthcare in Denmark compared to Germany?

Denmark generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Germany leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 45.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Denmark, compared to 45.3 in Germany. Denmark scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Germany: 88).

What's the weather like in Denmark compared to Germany?

The average high temperature in Copenhagen is 52°F, compared to 56°F in Berlin. Copenhagen receives around 20.7 in of rainfall per year, while Berlin gets 22.5 in.

What language do they speak in Denmark?

The official language in Denmark is Danish. In Germany, the official language is German.

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At a Glance

DE DK
Population 83,491,249 6,009,169
Currency Euro (€) Danish Krone (DKK)
Languages German Danish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +49 +45
Time zones 1 5
Emergency number 112 112