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: $2,173 in Denmark versus $711 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,416 in Denmark versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,658 in Denmark versus $1,550 in China.

Living in Denmark is roughly 206% more expensive than China on average.

Denmark (62% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Denmark: monthly costs span $1,808 to $3,107, compared to $525–$1,220 in China. City choice carries more weight in Denmark.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.67 DKK 151

$2.75 ¥18.83

760.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 DKK 684

$24.03 ¥165

346.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.46 DKK 92.3

$4.96 ¥33.95

191.53%

Cappuccino

$6.34 DKK 40.43

$3.12 ¥21.37

103.21%

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

$4.21 DKK 26.86

$0.48 ¥3.26

777.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 DKK 20.47

$0.27 ¥1.84

1088.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.35 DKK 53.3

$0.98 ¥6.73

752.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.57 DKK 48.29

$2.15 ¥14.69

252.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 DKK 13.40

$1.83 ¥12.53

14.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 DKK 22.28

$1.68 ¥11.54

107.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 DKK 15.87

$0.91 ¥6.21

173.63%

Eggs

$4.96 DKK 31.66

$1.56 ¥10.66

217.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.45 DKK 92.2

$12.97 ¥88.9

11.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.89 DKK 75.9

$3.25 ¥22.23

265.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.86 DKK 114

$10.51 ¥72.0

69.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 DKK 21.05

$1.81 ¥12.41

82.32%

Banana (1kg)

$3.37 DKK 21.48

$1.30 ¥8.90

159.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.68 DKK 23.48

$1.50 ¥10.26

145.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 DKK 30.09

$1.15 ¥7.87

310.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 DKK 14.03

$0.76 ¥5.20

189.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 DKK 12.84

$0.89 ¥6.07

125.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 DKK 13.29

$0.58 ¥3.97

258.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 DKK 9.41

$0.58 ¥3.95

153.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.21 DKK 65.1

$3.50 ¥23.95

191.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 DKK 67.8

$11.55 ¥79.1

-7.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 DKK 12.28

$0.78 ¥5.31

147.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 DKK 15.99

$1.61 ¥11.03

55.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.75 DKK 23.91

$0.44 ¥3.01

752.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.4 DKK 596

$21.15 ¥145

341.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.63 DKK 48.68

$1.36 ¥9.35

461.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 DKK 13.61

$0.36 ¥2.44

491.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$78.4 DKK 500

$6.61 ¥45.28

1086.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 DKK 13.78

$1.13 ¥7.74

91.15%

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

$49.1K DKK 313.1K

$19.7K ¥135.2K

148.59%

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

$50.1K DKK 319.6K

$17.1K ¥117.0K

193.28%

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

$229 DKK 1,458

$50.9 ¥349

348.87%

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

$19.50 DKK 124

$10.03 ¥68.7

94.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.96 DKK 268

$11.33 ¥77.6

270.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.63 DKK 285

$40.13 ¥275

11.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.40 DKK 207

$14.97 ¥103

116.43%

Cinema Ticket

$19.35 DKK 123

$6.09 ¥41.74

217.73%

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

$523 DKK 3,336

$418 ¥2,860

25.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,046 DKK 45.0K

$17.3K ¥118.2K

-59.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 DKK 734

$46.40 ¥318

147.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.02 DKK 306

$32.92 ¥226

45.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 DKK 796

$71.1 ¥487

75.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$176 DKK 1,126

$72.9 ¥499

142.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 DKK 7,795

$438 ¥3,003

178.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$934 DKK 5,959

$259 ¥1,775

260.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 DKK 13.4K

$926 ¥6,341

127.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,606 DKK 10.2K

$548 ¥3,754

193.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,313 DKK 40.3K

$5,047 ¥34.6K

25.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,621 DKK 29.5K

$2,666 ¥18.3K

73.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,253 DKK 27.1K

$1,074 ¥7,357

295.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.19

4.06

3.20%

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

Last update for Denmark: April 28, 2026

Last update for China: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $992 in Denmark, $286 in China. Capital cities: $1,993 in Copenhagen vs $886 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $3,943 in Denmark, $834 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 247% higher in Denmark.

Dining out costs 405% more in Denmark.

Public transport is 356% more expensive in Denmark.

Salaries are 373% higher in Denmark, giving Denmark stronger purchasing power.

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 $873 per month in China and $2,458 in Denmark, there's a 182% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.