Copenhagen through students’ eyes

Copenhagen is said to be one of Europe’s most liveable cities. Known for its architecture, cycling culture, hygge, sustainability and much more. These factors not only attract tourism to the city but a large number of tertiary students. Copenhagen is home to over 150,000 students enrolled across 11 different universities and higher education institutions, with over 25,000 of these students being from outside of Denmark.

But moving to a new city can be stressful, especially when you don’t know where to start, from CPR numbers to accommodation. For Andria Luo, an exchange student from the USA, the support from her programme has made the move stress-free. 

“I feel like our programme is helpful, like they give us the step by step about what we need to do and like what forms to fill out,” where they also helped Andria in finding accommodation and help with transportation costs.

Nightlife is important for many students to have fun and meet people where they can have fun and meet new people.

“A lot of people come here to go out from Switzerland, from Norway and especially Sweden,” says Danish student Christian Gimm. “It’s quite social, there are bars every Friday, they do a lot to bring people together.”

Studenterhuset is a cafe/bar where any student can come and work or drink. They host welcome events for new students and other fun events to meet new people. Addison, an exchange student from the USA, met friends by volunteering at Studenterhaus,

“Here [studenterhuset] it’s very easy to be around young people and meet people and like, grab a drink and such... There are very few student-oriented spaces like this in Copenhagen.”

Among all the positives of being a student living in Denmark it is also one of Europe's most expensive cities with high costs of rent, public transport and dining out of the house. The average cost of rent for student accommodation in the city is between DKK 4,000–7,500 (€540–1,000) per month. Christian has found a way to making living affordable, 

“I live in the city, close by, I’m lucky it’s my friends who has the apartment, so I don’t pay that much, but I know for similar rooms, it would be around $1,000 maybe or up.” 

 For students coming into Denmark from within the European Union they receive monthly Erasmus payments which is an EU funded initiative established in 1987 that supports education and youth training programs aiming to allow international study to be more accessible to young Europeans. The grant typically provides between €470 and €600+ per month which can assist students with being able to fund their international study and yet for many, doesn't even cover half the cost of their rent. 

For students choosing to study in Copenhagen from outside the EU funding is dependent on their home institutions as well as government initiatives in their respective countries. This could range from similar levels of financial support as those that receive Erasmus to significantly less or none at all. Such as for students coming from the United States that likely have to pay their host institutions directly for their semester or year abroad and do not receive any sort of financial aid.

As well as this day-to-day costs of living in Copenhagen can be high such as use of public transportation, with a day pass costing up to 100 DKK or 13.39 euros. Students do have the option to purchase monthly or two monthly passes through the DSB app or the Rejsekort self-service site may be the most cost-effective option for those using public transportation daily in Copenhagen.

Denmark's capital is also considered one of Europe's best food cities boasting 26 Michelin Stars across 15 different restaurants. However exciting this may be, for travellers and residents, it may not be the most practical option for students.

“Food prices like even groceries are crazy. I think eight dollars for a single cup of coffee is unheard of,” says Andria.

With such high costs of dining out it is recommended that students cook at home, visit food markets or find cheap eats within the city centre, Indre By to best enjoy dining in Copenhagen on a budget.

 This article is intended for an international student audience that read The Guardian.