💶 How to calculate your budget for a 3–5 day trip to Denmark: a comprehensive expense calculator

A sensible budget for Denmark is not ‘take more, everything is expensive’, but a clear model: what exactly you are paying for and what amounts to aim for. 💼 Travellers all have the same question: ‘How much money should I take for 3-5 days?’ — and the answer is most often general phrases and scattered figures.

Denmark is indeed expensive when it comes to eating out and accommodation, but it also offers many options for optimisation: supermarkets, passes, free locations, and a sensible choice of areas. Below is a calculator: cost structure, ranges by item, and ready-made scenarios so you can plug in your inputs and calculate the budget for your trip.

📌 Budget structure: what 3–5 days in Denmark actually consist of

To begin with, it is not the amounts that are important, but the expense map — what items will make up your bill.

The main items of expenditure for a short trip (3–5 days):

• ✈️ Travel to and from Denmark: air tickets / train / bus. In the calculator, we use an estimated approach rather than a specific amount: flights and promotions vary greatly by country and date.
• 🚇 Transport within the country: transfer from/to the airport; city transport (metro, S-train, buses, water transport); intercity trains/buses; car rental (if you plan to visit the regions).
• 🏨 Accommodation: hostels and budget hotels; standard 3–4★ hotels in Copenhagen; apartments and boutique hotels; in the regions — guest houses, campsites (in summer), cottages.
• 🍽️ Food: supermarkets and street food; cafes and bakeries; restaurants; coffee and snacks ‘on the go’.
• 🎟️ Entertainment and museums: museums and exhibitions; parks (e.g. Tivoli, LEGOLAND — if you're visiting); observation decks, zoos; city cards (Copenhagen Card, etc.).
• 🧾 Additional: shopping and souvenirs; insurance; communication and eSIM; force majeure (flight delays, taxis instead of transport, hotel replacement, etc.).

🎯 Key idea: you don't calculate the ‘trip as a whole’, but rather the daily budget per person by category. Then multiply by 3–5 days, add the flight and a small safety cushion.

Below is the framework of the ‘calculator’ in the form of a table, excluding the flight:

💡 All amounts in the table are approximate per person per day (for two people sharing a room).

* Accommodation — based on double occupancy.

** Other — things that are usually ‘forgotten’ when planning, but paid for on the spot.

💸 Cost ranges: economy / average / comfort

It is important to understand not only the numbers, but also the lifestyle they represent. Below are guidelines for each level.

🏨 Accommodation

• Economy (250–450 DKK/person/night)
  • Hostels, budget hotels, simple guesthouses;
  • more likely to be located outside the city centre, but with access to the metro/train;
  • prices in the regions of Jutland and Funen are often lower than in Copenhagen.
• Mid-range (600–900 DKK/person/night)
  • Standard 3★ hotel or good apartments;
  • 10–20 minutes on foot or 1–2 stops by public transport to key areas;
  • the best balance for most city tourists.
• Comfort (1,000–1,500 DKK/person/night and above)
  • 4★ in the centre, boutique hotels by the water, large apartments;
  • often includes a good breakfast;
  • a typical choice for those who don't want to skimp on location and service.

🍽️ Food

• Economy (150–250 DKK/day)
  • breakfast/dinner from the supermarket;
  • 1 inexpensive meal outside the home (street food, pizza, smørrebrød, bakeries);
  • tap water, coffee — not every day.
• Medium (250–400 DKK/day)
  • 1 meal in a simple restaurant or café;
  • 1–2 coffees/desserts during the day;
  • light dinner or lunch from a supermarket/food court.
• Comfort (400–650 DKK/day)
  • restaurant almost every day;
  • the vibe is ‘let's go where we want’ rather than where it's cheaper;
  • desserts, cocktails, craft beer or wine — not just on holidays. 🍷

🚇 Transport around the city

• Economy (30–60 DKK/day)
  • mainly on foot;
  • 1–2 trips by metro/bus;
  • sometimes buying a 24-hour pass and getting the most out of it.
• Medium (60–120 DKK/day)
  • 3–4 trips per day, possibly to suburban areas;
  • comfortable use of the metro + S-train without counting every trip.
• Comfort (120–200 DKK/day and above)
  • A mix of public transport, taxis and rental scooters/bicycles;
  • the ‘don't bother with transfers, time is more important than money’ scenario.

🎟️ Museums and activities

• Economy (0–120 DKK/day)
  • focus on free areas, architecture, parks, embankments;
  • 1 paid attraction per trip;
  • possible choice of ‘one big day’ with museums.
• Medium (120–250 DKK/day)
  • 1–2 museums/attractions per day;
  • rational use of the Copenhagen City Card;
  • no ‘checklist race’, but not just walking either.
• Comfort (250–400 DKK/day and above)
  • Several paid attractions almost every day;
  • paid excursions, themed tours, Tivoli-style parks;
  • occasional VIP experiences (private boat trips on the canals, food tours, etc.).

🎯 Lower and upper limits of the daily budget (excluding flights):

• Economy: 600–900 DKK/person/day
• Average: 1,000–1,500 DKK/person/day
• Comfort: 1,600–2,300 DKK/person/day

These ranges are convenient to use as a basis for further calculations.

⚠️ Where the budget is most often inflated

Even with a good ‘Excel file in your head,’ money flies away due to typical mistakes. Below is a working checklist of what to keep an eye on.

☕ 1. Eating only ‘outside’

• Completely avoiding supermarkets and street food → breakfast, lunch and dinner in restaurants.
• Result: every couple of days, the ‘food’ budget can double.

✅ What helps: plan at least 1-2 meals a day at a supermarket or food court.

🏙️ 2. Hotel location ‘either too expensive or too far away’

• Choosing the very centre with no alternatives → overpaying for every metre to Rådhuspladsen/Nyhavn.
• The opposite extreme: a cheap hotel in the ‘deep’ suburbs → transport costs + wasted time.

✅ What helps: look at areas within one or two metro/train stops from the centre — this is often the best compromise.

🎟️ 3. City card without a real plan

• Buying a Copenhagen Card ‘just in case’, but in the end — 1-2 museums and little transport.
• On the contrary: an active museum programme without a card, even though it would have paid for itself on the 2nd or 3rd day.

✅ What helps: first, make a list of places to visit for 2–3 days, then check with a calculator: ‘single tickets vs. card’.

📅 4. Ignoring seasonality

• Arriving during peak season (July, Christmas, major events) with the expectation of ‘finding accommodation along the way’.
• Relying on ‘last minute’ deals when in reality demand is high and there is almost no choice.

✅ What helps: if your budget is tight, focus on the shoulder season (April–May, September–early November) and book accommodation in advance.

🍺 5. ‘Little things’ that eat up your daily budget

• Coffee to go 2–3 times a day, alcohol, desserts, taxis ‘just once’ ...
• Over a period of 3–5 days, these ‘little things’ can easily add up to 15–30% of your planned budget.

✅ What helps: immediately add a separate line for ‘little things’ in your calculator, rather than taking them for granted.

🧮 How to use this calculator step by step

The table itself does not solve anything unless you turn it into a personal calculation. Below is a simple diagram that is convenient to run through before booking.

Step 1. Determine the style of your trip

Answer a few questions for yourself:

• How many times a day do you plan to eat outside your accommodation?
• How important is the city centre as a location for your accommodation?
• How many paid museums/activities per day — 0–1, 1–2 or 3+?
• Are you willing to walk and use public transport, or is comfort more important?

Based on these answers, choose one of the levels: economy / medium / comfort.

For example:

• a couple who are willing to cook breakfast at home and walk a lot → economy/medium;
• a family with children who want to ‘go for a walk and visit Tivoli’ → medium;
• a short weekend to ‘relax to the max’ → comfort.

Step 2. Calculate your daily budget (excluding flights)

1. Take the level guidelines from the table.
2. Add up the categories:

Example for the medium level (approximate guideline):

• accommodation: 750 DKK/person/day
• food: 320 DKK
• transport: 80 DKK
• museums/activities: 180 DKK
• other: 100 DKK

Total: ≈1,430 DKK/person/day.

1. Multiply by the number of days (3–5) and add 10–20% on top as a safety cushion.

Step 3. Add flights and inter-city travel

Estimate separately:

• return flights (based on prices from your country);
• possible trips between cities (Copenhagen–Aarhus, Copenhagen–Odense, etc.).

These amounts are added to the already calculated ‘ground’ budget.

✅ Ready-made scenarios: 3–5 days for different travel styles

Below are approximate examples of what a full budget might look like (excluding airfare). These are not strict figures, but guidelines that are convenient to use as a starting point.

All amounts are approximately per person, based on double occupancy.

🔍 How to read this table:

• if your habits are closer to ‘economical’, focus on the lower limit of the range;
• if you like restaurants, taxis and lots of activities, look at the upper limit;
• feel free to add another +10–20% to the total amount for ‘living expenses’ and unexpected desires.

💼 The calculator's logic

1. Structure your budget by items, not by feelings.
2. Choose your comfort level and enter the number of days.
3. Calculate flights and inter-city travel separately.
4. Build in a safety cushion — Denmark does not like ‘tight budgets’.

With this model, the question of ‘how much money to take to Denmark for 3–5 days’ ceases to be a lottery and turns into a clear working calculation that can be quickly adapted to any dates, exchange rate and trip format.