Cost of Living: New York vs Denmark (Copenhagen)
How expensive is Denmark compared with New York City? The national price level of everyday spending versus the New York metro area, and the salary — in US dollars and DKK — that buys the same standard of living.
Salary converter
Before taxes. Income tax, sales tax and benefits differ a lot between places and aren’t included.
The numbers
- Cities
- Copenhagen
- Price level vs US average
- 104.5 (New York metro: 112.6)
- Exchange rate (2025 avg.)
- 1 USD = 6.622 DKK
- Purchasing-power parity
- 1 USD of US-average spending ≈ 6.922 DKK
- Source
- World Bank, PPP conversion factor for private consumption ÷ exchange rate (2025); New York: BEA 2024
⚠️ This is Denmark’s national average. Major cities — especially Copenhagen — are usually more expensive, mostly because of rent, so treat this as a lower bound for big-city living.
Frequently asked questions
Is Denmark cheaper than New York?
Yes. Denmark is 7% cheaper than the New York metro area overall (index 93, New York = 100).
What salary in Denmark equals $100,000 in New York?
About $92,862 a year (about DKK 614,915 at purchasing-power parity) buys the same standard of living in Denmark as $100,000 in the New York metro area, before taxes.
Is Copenhagen more expensive than Denmark’s national average?
Usually, yes. The comparison here uses Denmark’s national average price level; large cities such as Copenhagen typically cost more than the national figure, especially for rent.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank price levels of household consumption for 2025 (purchasing power parity conversion factor divided by the market exchange rate), compared with BEA’s 2024 figure for the New York metro area.