Written by: Elaine Uen Ling Lai 1/5/2025
Although Copenhagen has a high living cost, local and foreign students are attracted to study over there due to its openness and convenience.
Chinatsu Takeuchi, a Japanese exchange student, has been studying in Copenhagen since last August for two semesters. Her interest in urban planning brought her to Copenhagen.
“I think the courses are so interesting because the teaching styles are very different,” Takeuchi said. “In Japan, students just sit and listen to the professor and then take notes. But in Denmark, there are more interactions and focusing on group work.”
Takeuchi said she would love to work in Denmark but living costs can be a challenge.
“Living in Copenhagen is so expensive for me. Especially as foreigners, we pay sales taxes but cannot really enjoy the welfare benefits,” she added.
In 2023, there were 8446 foreign exchange students in Denmark, the highest number recorded since 2019.
Chinatsu Takeuchi (left) and Maja Mikkelsen (right), are students from University of Copenhagen. | Photo: Elaine Uen Ling Lai
Maja Mikkelsen, a Danish student studying film and media, said free education made her choose to study in Copenhagen.
“I think it’s very nice to live in Copenhagen. It’s very convenient anywhere. You can just bike everywhere or use other communal transport,” she said.
Living outside the center of Copenhagen, Mikkelsen agreed that while it is more costly to live in the city, she still hopes to stay after graduation.
“Especially with my major, I think there will be a lot of job opportunities in Copenhagen,” she added.
A rough estimate of monthly living expenses in Denmark ranges from 750 to 900 EUR, while living in Copenhagen could reach up to 1200 EUR per month, as reported by Studying in Denmark.
Campuses of University of Copenhagen are located in the centre of Copenhagen, which may mean higher living costs than other cities. | Photo: Elaine Uen Ling Lai
This story is for an international audience who want to know the living in Denmark and could be published on The Local Denmark.