Moving to Denmark from Norway
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Norway to Denmark — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Norway to Denmark, you would find that Denmark is 10.3% cheaper than Norway overall. A NOK700,000 salary in Norway would need to be roughly DKK449,000 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 ↓Is Denmark cheaper than Norway?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 7.5% less
Groceries
pay 11.4% less
Transportation
pay 4.5% more
Housing
pay 20.3% less
Childcare
pay 21.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 13.8% 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 Denmark?
What does your salary buy?
NOK700,000 → DKK449,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Denmark
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 Denmark cost about 2% less than cities in Norway.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Norway to Denmark, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Norway 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
Norway performs better than Denmark 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 Norway 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
Norway 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
Norway 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
Norway performs better than Denmark across all employment & economy metrics.
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
Norway 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), Norwegian Tax Administration (2017), Danish Central Tax Administration (2017). How we calculate this
Weather in Denmark vs Norway
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Oslo | Copenhagen |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) | 38°/29°F (3°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) | 58°/44°F (15°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) | 66°/53°F (19°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) | 46°/37°F (8°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Oslo | Copenhagen |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) | 36°/28°F (2.0°/-2.0°C) |
| Feb | 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) | 36°/28°F (2.0°/-2.0°C) |
| Mar | 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) | 41°/30°F (5.0°/-1.0°C) |
| Apr | 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) | 50°/36°F (10.0°/2.0°C) |
| May | 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) | 59°/45°F (15.0°/7.0°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) | 66°/52°F (19.0°/11.0°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) | 68°/55°F (20.0°/13.0°C) |
| Aug | 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) | 68°/55°F (20.0°/13.0°C) |
| Sep | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) | 63°/50°F (17.0°/10.0°C) |
| Oct | 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) | 54°/45°F (12.0°/7.0°C) |
| Nov | 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) | 45°/37°F (7.0°/3.0°C) |
| Dec | 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) | 39°/30°F (4.0°/-1.0°C) |
Data:
Norwegian Meteorological Institute,
Danish Meteorological Institute
Can you move from Norway to Denmark?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Norway 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.
Norway passport holder visiting Denmark
Visa Free
Denmark passport holder visiting Norway
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 Denmark than Norway?
Generally yes: Denmark runs about 10% cheaper than Norway on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
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 NOK700,000 comparable salary, that's around DKK112,250 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 Norway and Denmark.
Is Denmark safe for expats?
Norway performs better than Denmark across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Denmark is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Norway.
How is healthcare in Denmark compared to Norway?
Denmark generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Norway leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 45.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Denmark, compared to 49.8 in Norway. Denmark scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Norway: 87).
What's the weather like in Denmark compared to Norway?
The average high temperature in Copenhagen is 52°F, compared to 49°F in Oslo. Copenhagen receives around 20.7 in of rainfall per year, while Oslo gets 30.0 in.
What language do they speak in Denmark?
The official language in Denmark is Danish. In Norway, the official languages are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami.
