I love the size of Copenhagen.Feels like a city, but small enough that you can access everything
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We currently rent a 1,020 square foot, two-bedroom apartment for $2,100 per month. This neighborhood is convenient for commuting. I am an elementary school teacher and my husband works in finance. Lots of beautiful outdoor spaces and fun places to take her 2 year old son.
The small entrance has a closet and a bench where you can sit while taking off your shoes.
Our lease is indefinite and rent increases are indexed to inflation. However, I had to pay two months’ rent in advance and three months’ rent as a deposit.
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Apartments in Copenhagen often don’t come with lighting fixtures, so we had to buy our own. Many Danes like this because they can choose what suits their style.
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If you go to many houses in Denmark, you’ll find lots of similar little designs, like this little Hooptimist toy. Available in a variety of colors and styles.
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A sleek, modern bathroom doubles as a laundry room. We are lucky to have both a washer and dryer in the unit.
It’s hard to get a modern bathroom and kitchen on a budget in the city center, so we were lucky to find a place that had both.
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I liked how spacious the bedroom was. It can accommodate almost a king size bed.
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Since it was a new building, a closet was already installed. Most people in Denmark have to buy and set it up themselves.
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The second bedroom was originally a guest room and office, but when our son was born, we turned it into a nursery. The good thing about our main bedroom is that it already has built-in wardrobes, which is not the case in many apartments in Denmark.
The main area of our apartment is one large room that includes the kitchen, dining room, and living room.
I came here with just three suitcases and nothing shipped from the US. My husband lived with a roommate, so I had a fresh start.
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The kitchen runs along one wall and is a bit small by American standards, but it actually has a fair amount of storage, especially since it has drawers instead of cabinets.
The kitchen and dining area are slightly smaller than I’m used to in the States, but there are some elegant storage options.
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This family-friendly area has many restaurants, bakeries, shops, parks, and playgrounds within walking distance.
We have many international neighbors. There are also great beaches nearby, which are busy in the summer. There is also a small balcony and my son loves playing there when the weather is nice.
I’m much happier living in Copenhagen than in Dallas. I think a big part of that is job satisfaction. Now that I’m stress-free, I’m able to enjoy my time outside of work.
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I spend about $210 a month on utilities. That’s $36 for utilities, $55 for water, $66 for electricity, and $53 for Wi-Fi.
Although I’m not 100% fluent, I can carry out most everyday conversations and interactions in Danish.
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We have a car and pay $120 a month to park in an underground garage. There’s also renters insurance for about $40 a month.
The cost of living in Copenhagen can sometimes be high. But I know my salary here is much higher than my salary in Dallas, especially considering how much I was paying for medical and transportation costs in the US. And the rent we’re paying now is worth the amount of space we have.
I’ve never lived in a city with good public transportation before living here, so I’m so grateful for it now!
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We live near the metro so it’s easy to get anywhere in the Copenhagen area. I pay about $90 a month for a public transit pass that covers my commute and other places.
Public transport is very convenient, with our main entrance just 15 minutes from the city center in one direction and 15 minutes from the airport in the other direction.
Looking to the future, we would like to eventually have a little more space and may need to move a little further out of the city to achieve that. But we love Copenhagen, so we won’t go too far. And I fell in love with living in this apartment. It was a great first home in a new country.
Ilana Buhl I’m an elementary school teacher. She studied abroad in Denmark and she instantly fell in love with the city. She currently lives in Copenhagen with her husband and her son and shares parts of her own life on her social media.follow her her tick tock and Instagram.
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