Cost of Living Comparison Between Denmark and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Denmark and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,270 in Denmark versus $720 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,514 in Denmark versus $1,148 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,758 in Denmark versus $1,576 in China.

Living in Denmark is roughly 215% more expensive than in China on average.

Denmark (65% above) and China (48% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Denmark: monthly costs span $1,443 to $3,237, compared to $468–$1,236 in China. City choice carries more weight in Denmark.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.62 DKK 152

$2.93 ¥19.60

706.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 DKK 696

$22.72 ¥152

375.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.86 DKK 89.3

$5.07 ¥33.95

173.37%

Cappuccino

$6.57 DKK 42.33

$2.94 ¥19.70

123.47%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 DKK 28.28

$0.48 ¥3.21

814.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 DKK 21.37

$0.30 ¥2.02

1006.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.60 DKK 55.5

$1.06 ¥7.10

711.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.58 DKK 48.87

$2.25 ¥15.07

236.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 DKK 14.04

$1.79 ¥11.99

21.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 DKK 23.35

$1.70 ¥11.35

112.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.60 DKK 16.77

$0.96 ¥6.45

170.83%

Eggs

$5.33 DKK 34.36

$1.61 ¥10.79

231.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.82 DKK 102

$13.60 ¥91.1

16.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.81 DKK 82.6

$3.41 ¥22.84

275.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.44 DKK 145

$11.07 ¥74.2

102.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 DKK 21.43

$1.81 ¥12.09

83.98%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 DKK 20.33

$1.30 ¥8.74

142.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.77 DKK 24.27

$1.48 ¥9.91

154.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 DKK 30.22

$1.30 ¥8.72

260.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 DKK 15.09

$0.72 ¥4.82

225.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 DKK 13.56

$0.94 ¥6.31

123.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 DKK 13.25

$0.61 ¥4.08

237.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 DKK 9.45

$0.56 ¥3.73

162.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.42 DKK 60.7

$3.67 ¥24.58

156.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.14 DKK 65.4

$11.90 ¥79.7

-14.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 DKK 12.45

$0.83 ¥5.56

132.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 DKK 17.00

$1.65 ¥11.08

60.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.63 DKK 23.38

$0.29 ¥1.92

1151.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.9 DKK 611

$22.61 ¥151

319.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.95 DKK 51.2

$1.45 ¥9.72

448.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 DKK 13.91

$0.34 ¥2.31

535.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.0 DKK 419

$7.27 ¥48.72

794.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 DKK 14.85

$1.23 ¥8.26

86.99%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$51.3K DKK 330.8K

$19.5K ¥130.9K

162.71%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$53.8K DKK 346.4K

$17.2K ¥115.5K

211.71%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$227 DKK 1,465

$55.5 ¥371

309.94%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$17.34 DKK 112

$8.51 ¥57.0

103.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.88 DKK 270

$10.81 ¥72.4

287.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.62 DKK 300

$40.02 ¥268

16.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.20 DKK 182

$14.80 ¥99.1

90.54%

Cinema Ticket

$20.34 DKK 131

$6.73 ¥45.09

202.23%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$618 DKK 3,981

$454 ¥3,042

36.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,616 DKK 42.6K

$19.5K ¥130.8K

-66.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 DKK 751

$44.95 ¥301

159.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 DKK 334

$35.81 ¥240

44.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 DKK 867

$76.8 ¥514

75.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$179 DKK 1,156

$77.3 ¥518

132.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,174 DKK 7,568

$385 ¥2,581

204.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$918 DKK 5,915

$242 ¥1,623

278.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 DKK 13.0K

$837 ¥5,603

140.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 DKK 10.2K

$474 ¥3,177

232.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,887 DKK 44.4K

$4,619 ¥30.9K

49.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,745 DKK 30.6K

$2,316 ¥15.5K

104.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,259 DKK 27.4K

$1,062 ¥7,110

301.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

3.47

14.12%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Denmark: September 6, 2026

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $999 in Denmark, $295 in China. Capital cities: $2,044 in Copenhagen vs $957 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $3,935 in Denmark, $865 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 239% higher in Denmark.

Dining out costs 410% more in Denmark.

Public transport is 424% more expensive in Denmark.

Salaries are 355% higher in Denmark, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Denmark.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Denmark vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $852 per month in China and $2,340 in Denmark, there's a 175% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Denmark is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Denmark it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; Denmark may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.