Moving to Denmark from Switzerland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Switzerland to Denmark — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Switzerland to Denmark, you would find that Denmark is 30.5% cheaper than Switzerland overall. A CHF62,000 salary in Switzerland would need to be roughly DKK348,000 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 Switzerland?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 29.1% less
Groceries
pay 12.7% less
Transportation
pay 6.2% less
Housing
pay 39.5% less
Childcare
pay 79.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 23.6% 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 Denmark?
What does your salary buy?
CHF62,000 → DKK348,000
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 24% less than cities in Switzerland.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Switzerland to Denmark, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Switzerland to Denmark · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How Switzerland 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
Switzerland generally does better on safety, though Denmark leads in road traffic deaths.
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 Switzerland leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Switzerland performs 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
Switzerland 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
Switzerland generally does better on employment & economy, though Denmark leads in poverty 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
Switzerland 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), Swiss Federal Tax Administration (2016), Danish Central Tax Administration (2017). How we calculate this
Weather in Denmark vs Switzerland
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Zurich | Copenhagen |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) | 38°/29°F (3°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 58°/44°F (15°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 66°/53°F (19°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) | 46°/37°F (8°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Zurich | Copenhagen |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) | 36°/28°F (2.0°/-2.0°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) | 36°/28°F (2.0°/-2.0°C) |
| Mar | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) | 41°/30°F (5.0°/-1.0°C) |
| Apr | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) | 50°/36°F (10.0°/2.0°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) | 59°/45°F (15.0°/7.0°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) | 66°/52°F (19.0°/11.0°C) |
| Jul | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) | 68°/55°F (20.0°/13.0°C) |
| Aug | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) | 68°/55°F (20.0°/13.0°C) |
| Sep | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) | 63°/50°F (17.0°/10.0°C) |
| Oct | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) | 54°/45°F (12.0°/7.0°C) |
| Nov | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) | 45°/37°F (7.0°/3.0°C) |
| Dec | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) | 39°/30°F (4.0°/-1.0°C) |
Data:
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology,
Danish Meteorological Institute
Can you move from Switzerland to Denmark?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Switzerland 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.
Switzerland passport holder visiting Denmark
Visa Free
Denmark passport holder visiting Switzerland
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 Switzerland?
Generally yes: Denmark runs about 31% cheaper than Switzerland 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 CHF62,000 comparable salary, that's around DKK87,000 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 Switzerland and Denmark.
Is Denmark safe for expats?
Switzerland generally does better on safety, though Denmark leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Denmark is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Switzerland.
How is healthcare in Denmark compared to Switzerland?
Denmark generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Switzerland leads in health coverage index. There are 45.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Denmark, compared to 44.8 in Switzerland. Denmark scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Switzerland: 86).
What's the weather like in Denmark compared to Switzerland?
The average high temperature in Copenhagen is 52°F, compared to 55°F in Zurich. Copenhagen receives around 20.7 in of rainfall per year, while Zurich gets 42.8 in.
What language do they speak in Denmark?
The official language in Denmark is Danish. In Switzerland, the official languages are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
