As with most of Scandinavia, Copenhagen is one of the most expensive cities in Europe to visit—especially for restaurants and alcohol. However, it is a beautiful city that’s worth a visit but budget travelers might want to limit their stay to a few days. In this Copenhagen price guide, we’ll outline the estimated travel expenses for food, accommodation, attractions, alcohol, and other things that you’ll experience to help you budget your trip.
This Copenhagen Price Guide is part of our City Price Guide Series — Click here to see all our city price guides.
Average Daily Costs To Visit Copenhagen
For budget-minded travelers, it costs around $75-$120/day to visit Copenhagen. These prices are based on what you’ll need to visit the city comfortably as a budget traveler.
If you want to upgrade your accommodations then you’ll want to add another $70-$110+ per night depending on where you stay. These prices also don’t include things like big nights out at the bar/pub, club entry fees, souvenir/clothing shopping, tours, random purchases, nicer food, etc. Don’t forget to budget extra for those “non-essentials.”
NOTE: Denmark uses the Krone, not the Euro. We’ve converted some of the prices to US Dollars since the Danish Krone (DKK) is a bit confusing to convert on-the-fly. Check out XE.com for the latest exchange rates.
Daily Cost of Budget Travel in Copenhagen: $110
- Attractions: $18 (one paid attraction + any free sights)
- Food: $42
- Breakfast: $5
- Lunch: $12
- Dinner: $19
- Treat (dessert/beer/wine): $6
- Transportation: $7.50
- Accommodation (Hostel): $45
Daily Cost of Frugal Travel in Copenhagen: $74
- Attractions: $10 (free walking tour + visit one of the free sights)
- Food: $21
- Breakfast: $0 (free hostel breakfast)
- Lunch: $7 (street food, takeaway shop fare, or similar)
- Dinner: $14
- Beer: $4
- Transportation: $0
- Accommodation: $35 (cheap hostel bed)
Copenhagen Attraction and Museum Prices
Paid attractions in Copenhagen aren’t cheap. Pick one or two things you want to do and then spend the rest of your time admiring the beautiful city and gorgeous people.
If you’re planning on visiting more than one of these attractions/museums, you should look into getting a Copenhagen Card. It includes admission to a ton of places, unlimited travel on public transport (bus, train, and subway), and airport transfers.
Copenhagen Card City Pass Prices:
- 24-hour: $65
- 48-hour: $96
- 72-hour: $120
- 120-hour: $140
Copenhagen Food Prices
You’re going to have a hard time finding many budget meal options so you’ll have to seek out the best deals. Grocery stores are probably your best friend in this city if you’re on a strict budget. Like any city, avoid touristy areas if you want the best prices and quality.
Budget Breakfast Prices in Copenhagen: $4 – $10
- Many hostels will offer a free simple breakfast that normally consists of cereal, bread/croissant, and maybe milk, coffee, tea, or juice (some hostels will offer more and some less).
- Homemade bread, jam, cheese: $7
- Coffee & pastry: $7-$10
A Few Budget-Friendly Breakfast Spots:
- Sankt Peders Bageri: Oldest bakery in Copenhagen. They serve up many kinds of Danish pastries but they’re famous for cinnamon buns.
- Lagkagehuset: Another great bakery with tasty pastries and coffee.
- Next Door Cafe: Big American breakfast things like pancakes, eggs, bacon, etc. at affordable prices.
- Groed: Tasty oatmeal breakfast spot with multiple locations.
Budget Lunch Prices in Copenhagen: $8-$18
- Hot dog from a street vendor: $4-$8
- Sandwich at a basic sandwich shop: $7-$12
- Open-faced sandwiches (known as smørrebrød) at a small, cheap café: $4-$6 each; you’ll need 3-5 for a meal.
- Cheap takeaway meals (like a kebab with fries): $9-$14
Budget Dinner Prices in Copenhagen: $15-$30
- You should be able to find dinner at a restaurant or a buffet in a less touristy part of town for around $15-$20.
- A quality cheeseburger, fries, and a drink will cost around $17-$22.
- A Neapolitan-style pizza costs around $18-$24
- Many of the options from the Budget Lunch section above also apply to dinner.
A Few Budget-Friendly Lunch and Dinner Spots:
Drinks and Alcohol Prices in Copenhagen:
- Pint of standard beer in a bar: $7-$10
- Pint of beer from the grocery store: $2.5
- Bottle of (drinkable) wine from a grocery store: $12
- Coffee: $4-$8
Copenhagen Transportation Prices
Buses, harbor buses, trains, and the Metro use the same ticket. The most complicated part of Copenhagen’s public transit is all of the zones and zone rings. Just keep in mind that most of the attractions you’ll want to see will be in zones 1 & 2 and the airport is in zone 3. For more information check out the Official Copenhagen Public Transportation Website.
Tickets:
- Single ticket: $3.45 (2 zones)
Passes:
- City Pass Small (24-120 hours): Price: 80-300 kr.
- City Pass Large (24-120 hours): Price: 160-600 kr.
- City Pass X-Large (24 hours): Price: 260 kr.
- City Pass Vest (24 hours):Price: 160 kr.
- City Pass Syd (24 hours): Price: 160 kr.
- Airport to city center by bus/metro/train (a single ticket for 3 zones): $5.50
- Taxi from airport to city: $38-$45.50
Copenhagen Hostel, Hotel, & Vacation Rental Apartment Prices
It’s no surprise that hostels and hotels are expensive in Copenhagen. To find any kind of deal you’ll need to lower your quality expectations or stay outside the city center.
Hostel Prices in Copenhagen: $35-$55/night
Expect to budget about $45/night per person for a decent hostel — although many hostels raise their prices on the weekend. Remember, these prices are for a bed in a shared dorm room. If you want a private room, expect to pay $80-$180.
Recommended Hostels in Copenhagen [Check out my Guide To The Best Hostels in Copenhagen]
I recommend booking hostels through Hostelworld so check your dates to get a better idea of prices.
Budget Hotel Prices in Copenhagen: $110-$200/night
Budget hotels in Copenhagen cost around $110-$200 per night. There are a few cheaper options but they could be very basic or in an undesirable location.
We suggest checking out Booking.com to see hotel prices for your dates since they’re always changing.
Rental Apartment Prices in Copenhagen: $90-$200+/night
Rental apartments can be a good option for large groups or travelers who want a little more space (and a kitchen). On the other hand, you may also have to deal with an inconvenient check-in process and a few other issues common with rental apartments. Additionally, many rental apartments charge a cleaning fee and service fees so it adds a bit extra to the cost — especially for short stays. That’s why we prefer hotels for shorter stays but longer stays are good for rental apartments. Airbnb is always popular but you can sometimes find cheaper/better options on our list of Airbnb Alternatives.
LEARN MORE ABOUT EUROPE TRAVEL COSTS
Check out our guide on How Much It Costs To Backpack Europe to learn more about budgeting your entire trip (including many more city price guides).
James Feess is the creator of The Savvy Backpacker and the author of the book “The Savvy Backpacker’s Guide To Europe On A Budget”. He’s been blogging about budget travel in Europe since 2010.
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