Cost of Living · CN vs DK
🇨🇳 Shanghai vs 🇩🇰 Copenhagen: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $1,011 in China vs $2,353 in Denmark — 132.7% more expensive.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Denmark
- ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L: 30.56%
- 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle: 31.67%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): 31.68%
Closest to China prices
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: +162.03%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: +162.03%
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: +162.03%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | China | Denmark | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $650 | $1,704 (11,281 DKK) | +162.03% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $520 | $1,363 (9,025 DKK) | +162.03% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $1,189 | $3,115 (20,629 DKK) | +162.03% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $8.27 | $17.62 (117 DKK) | +113.06% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $34.45 | $73.43 (486 DKK) | +113.15% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $5.42 | $10.79 (71 DKK) | +99.08% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $0.62 | $1.08 (7 DKK) | +74.19% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $1.82 | $3.15 (21 DKK) | +73.08% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $1.93 | $3.35 (22 DKK) | +73.58% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $5.68 | $9.85 (65 DKK) | +73.42% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $2.27 | $3.94 (26 DKK) | +73.57% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $2.73 | $4.73 (31 DKK) | +73.26% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $6.81 | $11.82 (78 DKK) | +73.57% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.14 | $1.97 (13 DKK) | +72.81% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $2.76 | $5.87 (39 DKK) | +112.68% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $6.03 | $7.94 (53 DKK) | +31.67% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $2.30 | $4.90 (32 DKK) | +113.04% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $1.31 | $2.26 (15 DKK) | +72.52% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $32.05 | $63.77 (422 DKK) | +98.97% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $1.36 | $2.70 (18 DKK) | +98.53% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $1.84 | $3.92 (26 DKK) | +113.04% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $0.83 | $1.76 (12 DKK) | +112.05% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.72 | $0.94 (6 DKK) | +30.56% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $98.60 | $196 (1,299 DKK) | +98.99% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $34.51 | $68.67 (455 DKK) | +98.99% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $22.19 | $44.15 (292 DKK) | +98.96% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $22.97 | $48.96 (324 DKK) | +113.15% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $6.43 | $13.71 (91 DKK) | +113.22% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $13.78 | $29.37 (194 DKK) | +113.13% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $41.45 | $54.58 (361 DKK) | +31.68% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $67.82 | $89.31 (591 DKK) | +31.69% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $115 | $245 (1,621 DKK) | +113.17% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- How much more expensive is Denmark than China?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $2,353 in Denmark versus $1,011 in China — 132.7% more. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Denmark?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $5.87 in Denmark (≈ 38.87 DKK), versus about $2.76 in China.
- How much is rent in Denmark compared to China?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $1,704/month in Denmark versus $650/month in China (+162.03%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.