After visiting Oslo and Stockholm and living in Switzerland for almost four years, we thought nothing could surprise us anymore when it came to prices. But then we landed in Copenhagen, and to answer the question in the title, two days in the Danish capital cost us A LOT—more than we anticipated.
Setting aside the fact that Denmark, like its Nordic sisters, is expensive, Copenhagen is definitely worth visiting. Without further ado, let’s break down the expenses from our two days in Copenhagen.
Accommodation
The last time we struggled to find affordable accommodation was in Dublin, where we barely found a guest house. In Copenhagen, we faced a similar situation, with prices for a double room with a private bathroom far exceeding our budget. Fortunately, we only needed two nights, and we managed to book a room at the Cabinn Metro Hotel, which at the time was the cheapest hotel room in Copenhagen.
The Cabinn Metro Hotel is located 8 km from the city center, just a 5-minute walk from the metro station and 5 km from the airport. The hotel’s location is ideal, as the metro station is very close, and in 10-15 minutes, you’re on Strøget Street, the main street in the old town. In terms of amenities, the hotel offers the basics: a private bathroom, cleanliness, two comfortable beds, a desk, internet, and a TV. Just enough for two nights!
So, what about the price? For two nights, we paid 220 euros for a double room. Compared to the budget we usually allocate for accommodation, we can say, with tears in our eyes, that we paid a fortune. 😅
Transport
If you’re staying for two days and choose a hotel outside the city center, we recommend getting a card that offers unlimited travel on all public transportation.
We opted for the City Pass Small, which costs 150 DKK/48 hours (about 20 euros) and gives you unlimited rides on all public transport in zones 1, 2, 3, and 4, including the airport transfer. It was totally worth getting this card because just the airport transfers would have cost us 72 DKK (36 DKK each way).
Other transport costs: a single ride in zones 1 and 2 costs 24 DKK.
Tourist Attractions
The only entry fee we paid in Copenhagen was for Tivoli Gardens. Initially, we were skeptical and didn’t think it would be worth paying the entrance fee, but we can honestly say it was the best decision, and Tivoli Gardens turned out to be the coolest place we visited in Copenhagen. Even now, nearly a month after our trip, the first thing that comes to mind when we think of Denmark is Tivoli. That’s how great it was!
Since we’re not big on extreme sports and roller coasters, we got the basic ticket, which only included entry to the park.
Entrance to Tivoli Gardens costs 155 DKK per person and can go up to 400 DKK if you choose unlimited rides.
Food
Here, we had a déjà vu! We remembered how expensive food was in Oslo and how we paid 8 euros for a sandwich at the train station. Back to Copenhagen—the first shock we had was at the airport when, hungry as we were, we decided to get a hotdog (we’d heard that hotdogs in Copenhagen are a must-try).
You might say it would have been cheaper in the city, but we were too hungry and didn’t feel like doing the currency conversion from DKK to CHF. After ordering two meals (hotdog + soda), we found out we’d be paying no less than 18 CHF (about 16 euros).
Other food costs:
- Two portions of sushi and two glasses of yuzu lemonade in Tivoli Gardens: 220 DKK (30 euros)
- Two huge shawarma portions + one cola: 213 DKK (28 euros)
- A KFC bucket with fillet bites and four sauces: 209 DKK (28 euros)
- A portion of churros with chocolate: 65 DKK (8 euros)
- Breakfast (a cinnamon roll and chia pudding): 60 DKK (8 euros)
As I mentioned in previous articles about Stockholm, 7-Eleven is the best option if you want to buy water or snacks (cakes, chips, etc.). Besides having a mini-market on every corner, 7-Eleven usually has various offers (e.g., two bottles of water for 40 DKK).
In total, we spent 150 euros on food and supermarket purchases.
Airplane Tickets
For two round-trip tickets from Milan Bergamo to Copenhagen, we paid 110 euros (55 euros per person round-trip). Fortunately, there are plenty of flights from to Copenhagen, both direct and with layovers, at fairly reasonable prices. You can also consider flying to Malmö and then taking a train or bus to the Danish capital.
Final Thoughts
Copenhagen is definitely not a cheap city; in fact, it’s among the top three most expensive cities we’ve visited, after Oslo and Dublin. The total cost of this trip (flights, accommodation, food, public transport, souvenirs, and entrance fees for two people) was around 600 euros. A steep price, but expected when traveling in Northern Europe. However, despite the high prices, Copenhagen has a lot to offer, with a unique way of life that you won’t find everywhere in Europe, and it’s known as the city where the happiest people live.
I hope this article will be helpful when you’re planning a short getaway to Copenhagen!
