Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Roskilde and Copenhagen

For one person, living is cheaper in Roskilde: $2,518 a month against $3,041 in Copenhagen, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Roskilde, Denmark
Copenhagen, Denmark
Roskilde
🇩🇰 Denmark
$2,518
/mo nomad
Copenhagen
🇩🇰 Denmark
$3,041
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Roskilde and in Copenhagen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Roskilde and in Copenhagen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,518 per month in Roskilde vs $3,041 in Copenhagen, rent included.

  • Roskilde $2,518
  • Copenhagen $3,041

A couple spends around $3,879 per month in Roskilde vs $4,552 in Copenhagen, rent included.

  • Roskilde $3,879
  • Copenhagen $4,552

A family of three spends $5,241 per month in Roskilde vs $6,063 in Copenhagen, rent included.

  • Roskilde $5,241
  • Copenhagen $6,063

Roskilde is about 17% cheaper than Copenhagen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Roskilde and Copenhagen sit above the global median – Roskilde by 85%, Copenhagen by 123%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Roskilde
Copenhagen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.08 DKK 121
$20.82 DKK 139
-13.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$111 DKK 744
$118 DKK 791
-5.99%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.66 DKK 98.2
$13.23 DKK 88.6
10.81%
Cappuccino
$7.19 DKK 48.14
$7.12 DKK 47.67
0.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.32 DKK 28.91
$4.96 DKK 33.22
-12.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.41 DKK 22.85
$3.80 DKK 25.44
-10.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.43 DKK 56.5
$8.79 DKK 58.9
-4.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.37 DKK 56.1
$7.50 DKK 50.3
11.60%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Roskilde
Copenhagen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.94 DKK 12.96
$2.13 DKK 14.25
-8.92%
White Bread (500g)
$3.94 DKK 26.38
$4.84 DKK 32.41
-18.60%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.29 DKK 15.34
$2.92 DKK 19.58
-21.58%
Eggs
$4.92 DKK 32.94
$5.84 DKK 39.12
-15.75%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.48 DKK 97.0
$17.40 DKK 117
-16.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.17 DKK 74.8
$13.76 DKK 92.2
-18.82%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.20 DKK 122
$26.00 DKK 174
-30.00%
Apples (1kg)
$2.65 DKK 17.76
$3.28 DKK 21.94
-19.21%
Banana (1kg)
$2.84 DKK 19.04
$3.11 DKK 20.86
-8.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 DKK 14.05
$4.38 DKK 29.35
-52.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.00 DKK 26.81
$5.61 DKK 37.60
-28.70%
Potato (1kg)
$1.73 DKK 11.62
$2.32 DKK 15.54
-25.43%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 DKK 9.25
$2.14 DKK 14.35
-35.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.38 DKK 9.25
$2.27 DKK 15.19
-39.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 DKK 4.50
$1.30 DKK 8.72
-48.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.06 DKK 60.7
$9.66 DKK 64.7
-6.21%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.27 DKK 48.71
$10.59 DKK 70.9
-31.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.97 DKK 13.17
$1.84 DKK 12.29
7.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 DKK 17.03
$2.41 DKK 16.15
5.39%
🚌 Getting Around
Roskilde
Copenhagen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$3.69 DKK 24.73
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$75.8 DKK 508
$102 DKK 685
-25.84%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.94 DKK 39.80
$5.89 DKK 39.48
0.85%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.72 DKK 11.55
$1.67 DKK 11.20
2.99%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$60.9 DKK 408
$88.9 DKK 596
-31.49%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.27 DKK 15.19
$2.50 DKK 16.75
-9.20%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$53.0K DKK 355.1K
$50.5K DKK 338.2K
5.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$53.1K DKK 355.7K
$53.8K DKK 360.4K
-1.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Roskilde
Copenhagen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$215 DKK 1,440
$178 DKK 1,196
20.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.49 DKK 104
$11.34 DKK 76.0
36.60%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.42 DKK 291
$37.13 DKK 249
16.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Roskilde
Copenhagen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.9 DKK 408
$54.3 DKK 364
12.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$35.20 DKK 236
-
Cinema Ticket
$16.63 DKK 111
$20.82 DKK 140
-20.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Roskilde
Copenhagen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$368 DKK 2,466
$982 DKK 6,581
-62.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,944 DKK 39.8K
$8,717 DKK 58.4K
-31.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Roskilde
Copenhagen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 DKK 697
$107 DKK 716
-2.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.54 DKK 318
$53.1 DKK 355
-10.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$152 DKK 1,019
$129 DKK 865
17.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$189 DKK 1,267
$198 DKK 1,329
-4.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Roskilde
Copenhagen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,278 DKK 8,558
$2,042 DKK 13.7K
-37.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,122 DKK 7,514
$1,527 DKK 10.2K
-26.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,552 DKK 17.1K
$3,426 DKK 22.9K
-25.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,986 DKK 13.3K
$2,409 DKK 16.1K
-17.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,679 DKK 44.7K
$11.7K DKK 78.3K
-42.86%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,952 DKK 39.9K
$8,806 DKK 59.0K
-32.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Roskilde
Copenhagen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,196 DKK 28.1K
$4,550 DKK 30.5K
-7.79%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.67
3.87
-5.17%

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

Last update for Roskilde: October 26, 2026

Last update for Copenhagen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Roskilde
$1.1K
Copenhagen
$1.5K 36.1% $405
Eating Out
Roskilde
$365
Copenhagen
$386 5.7% $21
Groceries & Markets
Roskilde
$351
Copenhagen
$456 29.7% $104
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Roskilde
$274
Copenhagen
$227 17.2% $47
Clothing & Footwear
Roskilde
$222
Copenhagen
$219 1.1% $2.4
Sport & Entertainment
Roskilde
$94
Copenhagen
$96 2% $1.8
Getting Around
Roskilde
$90 *
Copenhagen
$131 45.2% $41

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,278 in Roskilde versus $2,042 in Copenhagen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 8% higher in Copenhagen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $111 in Roskilde versus $118 in Copenhagen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $456 – making Roskilde the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇩🇰 Roskilde
🇩🇰 Copenhagen
🕒 Local time
06:37 6:37 AM
06:37 6:37 AM
Same time as Roskilde
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
50,781
613,288 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to DKK – Danish Krone Converter

Danish Krone exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.7 DKK (1 DKK = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.48 DKK (1 DKK = 0.134 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Roskilde Copenhagen 31 km
From you
  • Roskilde
  • Copenhagen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Roskilde vs Copenhagen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Roskilde or Copenhagen?
Copenhagen costs about 21% more than Roskilde, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Roskilde and in Copenhagen?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,777 per month in Roskilde and $4,562 in Copenhagen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Roskilde or Copenhagen?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Roskilde, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,278 there versus $2,042 in Copenhagen.
How do dining costs compare in Roskilde and in Copenhagen?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $111 in Roskilde and $118 in Copenhagen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Roskilde compared to Copenhagen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,518 in Roskilde and $3,041 in Copenhagen. That makes Roskilde about 17% cheaper.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Roskilde or in Copenhagen?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,518 in Roskilde and $3,041 in Copenhagen. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Roskilde – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Roskilde compared to Copenhagen?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Roskilde or to Copenhagen?
If budget matters most, go with Roskilde. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Copenhagen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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