The best (and worst) things about living in Denmark

I’ve often been asked about the pros and cons of living in Denmark. Overall, I love living here, but of course it’s not all rainbows and butterflies; there are downsides as well. So in my opinion, here are the best and worst things about living in Denmark as an American, in no particular order…

(Photo above is a throwback to the day I boarded my one-way fight to Denmark!)

The best!

Safety: I feel a thousand times safer in Denmark than I ever did in the US, especially as a woman. I know that crime does happen here, but I have honestly never felt unsafe walking around by myself at night, or anything like that. This was something that left a huge impression on me when I first came here to study abroad in college– I could walk home from a bar alone at 3 in the morning and not feel like I needed to have my keys ready for self defense, phone dialed to 911 (or rather, 112), and be looking behind me every 5 steps. Of course, it’s always important to be aware of your surroundings, but I had never had peace of mind like this in any city where I’d lived in the US.

Work/life balance and the social safety net: I think there are a lot of aspects of Danish society that work hand-in-hand to make the quality of life so good here. Some that I really appreciate are:

• Strong labor unions, including teachers’ union. Most Danes work about 37.5 hours/week, have 5 weeks of paid vacation, and make well above a living wage, despite there being no legal minimum wage–thanks to labor unions. As a teacher, I notice a huge difference in the way teachers are treated here vs. in Texas, where there was no teachers’ union. I am much happier professionally here than I was in Texas, and if we do move back to the US, I doubt I would ever teach in a non-union state again.
• Paid parental leave: My husband and I are entitled to at least a combined 52 weeks of parental leave, which we are free to divide how we’d like. And a lot of this parental leave is fully paid by our employers. The rest is paid from a government stipend (barselsdagpenge), which isn’t the equivalent of our normal salaries, but is still quite sizable — especially compared to what we’d get in the US (nothing).
• Universal health care: I was a little wary of public health care before moving to Denmark, but I have been totally satisfied — and in fact, impressed — by the health care that I have received here. This has been especially true during pregnancy (you can read more about my prenatal care here and here). And I have to say, there is nothing like the peace of mind that comes from knowing that I will never have to worry about paying for medical care for myself, my husband, or our child. Walking out of a doctor’s appointment without even having to think about insurance is absolutely LIBERATING.

The list goes on, but suffice it to say that I feel very lucky to benefit from these things as a Danish resident.

Not needing a car: Don’t get me wrong, I miss my car sometimes! But most of the time, I LOVE how accessible Copenhagen is by bike or public transportation. Not having to worry about parking is the ultimate freedom. (Cars do become more practical/necessary if you live outside of the city, but most places are still at least accessible by public transportation.)

Summers: There is truly something magical about Danish summers. The winters are rough (see below), but when the weather finally warms up and the sun blesses us with its presence, Danes everywhere rejoice and Copenhagen is like a brand-new city. There is really nothing better than gathering with friends outside and soaking up the sun for hours–something I never appreciated in the US! (I wrote about my favorite outdoor spots in Copenhagen here!)

Hygge: “Hygge” has become a bit of a buzzword in the last few years. It’s usually translated to English as “coziness” or a feeling of comfortable intimacy. It is honestly hard to describe and put my finger on, and yet hygge is such a constant, prominent part of life in Denmark. One example is the approach to social gatherings. Usually when we get together with friends or family here, it’s not just a quick visit or dinner out at a restaurant. It’s much more common to gather at people’s houses and spend several hours (at least 4, often closer to 6, sometimes more). It feels relaxed and unhurried (and yes, cozy), which is different from what I was used to in the US, where people are often busy and rushing from one thing to another. (At least, this was the case in my social circle.) And to be clear, it’s not that I didn’t enjoy my social life in the US!! I absolutely did. But I have really come to appreciate this aspect of Danish life.

Learning Danish: So this was a HARD thing about moving here (still is), but I love that I can speak and understand Danish with pretty good proficiency now (though I’m far from fluent). I’m proud of myself!!! And it’s also really fun to speak Danish in the US or other countries, where you can (pretty safely) assume that people around you can’t understand what you’re saying 😛 It’s like being in a little club with a secret language.

And the worst…

Food options: This sounds trivial but it is my most frequent complaint… The grocery stores here are very… meh. We are absolutely SPOILED for choice in the US and I miss the grocery stores I used to frequent in Texas: Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Central Market, and HEB. They are bigger, with more options, and specific products that are difficult or impossible to buy here (which is why I often bring back favorite snacks from the US, but I can’t bring back Honeycrisp apples or fresh tortillas from Central Market, you know?) Of course I can still get plenty of good food here — but sometimes not the things I really want. I think this is something that anyone living outside of their home country can probably relate to! On a related note, even though there are so many amazing restaurants in Copenhagen, I miss certain options that we had in the US that are harder to come across here. Like a super indulgent brunch, great BBQ (War Pigs is the only spot here, and it’s good, but not the saaaame), and incredible Tex-Mex (that is also cheap).

Not being able to buy US products: Beyond food, there are other products from the US that aren’t available here. I especially miss my favorite clothing stores and certain beauty/cosmetic products. I also get a little annoyed when I see something advertised on Instagram or a blog and can’t try it out!! Again, it’s not anything that I can’t live without — it’s just frustrating sometimes!

Being away from family: Obviously this is a big one, especially now that we’re having a baby. I wish my family was closer so they could be part of this whole process with us, in person. I am very grateful that my husband’s family is close by, and they have all been so welcoming to me since day one! But it’s still hard being away from my side. If I could move them all over here, I would!

Feeling like an outsider: I’ve been here for almost 3 years now, and while I have gotten pretty accustomed to living in Denmark, there are still things that I’m learning as I go. Denmark is a small, fairly homogeneous country, and there is very much a “Danish way” of doing things. I’m mostly talking about things are small and easy to catch onto (like putting the right combination of toppings on smørrebrød, haha) — but still things that you might not realize until you do it “wrong” and get some weird looks. I will say that learning Danish has helped a lot with this “outsider” feeling, because at least I usually know what’s going on around me now! But honestly, I think it probably doesn’t matter how long I live here or how well I can speak Danish – I’ll always feel a little bit like a foreigner here (because I am, after all). To be clear, this feeling is not because anyone is making me feel this way — I have never had a Dane be unkind or unwelcoming to me because I’m not from here (except the occasional TikTok troll). It’s more about me being self-conscious and wanting to fit in!

Winters: The summers are glorious, but the winters… suck. It’s mostly the darkness that’s difficult. The days start getting noticeably shorter around October, and it’s mostly pretty tolerable until after Christmas. (Christmas is extremely hyggeligt, after all.) But by January, it starts to get depressing. The daylight hours are mostly between 8:30-4:30ish, but even then, there’s no sun. It’s just grey and dark and cold. February and March drag on forever. All in all, I’d say there are about 6 months of “winter” even if some of that is technically fall and spring. We just have to hope for lots of sun between April-September to make up for it!

Prices of everything: Everything is expensive here. Everything. Denmark in general has a higher cost of living than the US in general, but Copenhagen in particular is pricey. A latte? 45 kroner ($7.50). A casual takeout dinner? 150 kroner ($25). A nice 2 bedroom apartment in the city? Easily 6 million kroner ($1 million). Gahhhhhh.

Well, that turned into a bit of an essay, but there you have it. Again, I think the pros of living here far outweigh the cons (like yes, I will take safety and health care over access to my favorite snacks!). It can be hard at times, but I’m mostly very content here, and we have no plans to leave Denmark anytime soon 🙂

Can you relate to any of these? What would you add?