Abroad On a Budget

Before my arrival, I heard through the grapevine that Copenhagen is one of the most expensive cities in the world. All the international students are baffled about the prices. At first, it took a lot of time for me to adjust from US dollars to Danish Kroners; my wallet is heavy from ores—1,2,5,10,20 Danish Kroner come in coin form—and (hating math) I find myself dividing everything by 5 to convert it to US dollars. In the beginning, I came with the mindset that everything will be pricey, but after a few weeks I’ve come to the conclusion that it really depends on what you are buying. Many things are actually only $1-2 dollars more expensive. I still have not found coupons yet (or ways to pay less than 320 DKK for a monthly 2-zoner Metropass without sneaking around the pass-checkers), but I just want to share a few tips of eating cheaper here, now that I have some knowledge about living cheap.

First, I have been dependent on all of the hundreds welcome receptions they hold for students, especially international students. I attended a welcoming reception for my mentors/mentees program in the faculty of psychology and after free coffee and tea, we headed out to a restaurant named “Pasta Basta.” The all-you-can-eat pasta buffet was supposed to cost each student 80 DKK or more, but these sweet mentors decided to have a fundraiser beforehand and paid for all the mentees! All the mentees had to pay was 20DKK (4 bucks) for a drink. I siezed the opportunity and ate 5 plates of bread and pasta. The next day was the reception at the faculty of humanities. (By the way, I think it is safe to say that if you were to choose a reception to go to, go to the faculty of humanities or faculty of law because they are the two biggest departments at the University of Copenhagen; in other words, free stuff galore.) The welcoming reception at the humanities was a brief 10-minute speech and “now, you are welcome to socialize and have a taste of the catered buffet as well as some free sodas and beers.” Excellent. Many student events offer free beers and there is nothing more comforting than knowing you can drink anywhere, anytime at school events. Other ceremonies include the Immatrikulation Ceremony (free cupcakes and coffee), City Hall Reception (free coffee/tea and pancakes), and many more; I wanted to attend the welcoming receptions for the faculty of law and the faculty of economics, but I felt a bit guilty. Thus, if you decide to study in Copenhagen, look up all these receptions and while not every one of them offer food, the risk of long speeches outweigh the benefits of free, tasty treats.

Eating out seems to be costly but there are several reasons why. Food is prepared differently, the portions are smaller, and a price is presented in 2-3 digits versus our good old “$5 footlong” 1-digit prices. This is a problem for me because as a Californian girl, I am used to big burgers, footlong subs, $5 rotisserie chickens from Costco and lovely value menus. Moreover, I worked at Carrillo Dining Commons for the past two years, so most of my meals were set and sitting pretty, waiting for me every single day. There are plenty of critiques about the ridiculously big portion sizes of America, but since I was born I was conditioned to eat those portion sizes; here, I would need to multiply the prices of a falafel, hot dog, or kebab by 2 in order to satisfy my tummy. At these foodstands all around the city, prices of these snacks range from $5-$10. I felt like I was developing an eating disorder from being hungry 24/7, but after talking to a few people, it seems that everybody is hungry all the time. Why? Because of that damn delicious smell of food EVERYWHERE. In addition, 7-11 is my new guilty pleasure; their pastries are so delicious for 3AM munchies when nobody else’s door is open except for the pearly gates (read: automatic sliding glass doors) of “Oh thank heaven, 7-11.” It is so inviting that I have to start control myself by bringing only enough money for a few drinks. Next, ice cream shops range from $4-6 for a scoop or popsicle or drumstick. I highly suggest walking into “Tiger,” the “Target” of Copenhagen, and buying your fix for $2-3. The cheaper restaurant prices range from $15-20 depending on where you are going but the best deal is at the buffets if you want to rage. Then, the more expensive restaurants are from $40+ for pastas, French/Greek/Australian cuisine, etc.  which really makes me miss Chili’s, TGIF, and Olive Garden. A few nights ago, I went to grab a pizza with 3 friends and split two pizzas for $5 per person. Again, the portion size was disappointing and the pizza was bland- nothing compared to a $5 pizza from Little Caesars, Dominoes, Costco or Woodstocks (Sorry, I can’t help but compare!).

Eating in is a different story. I am sure you have heard that people pregame before going to town, but here it is an essential money saver. A bottle of cheap but better-than-Natty beer cost 50 cents and cheap but good tasting wine cost as little as $3-5 bucks. Beer is almost cheaper than soda over here, but liquor is a different story. You can find this at my favorite grocery stores: Netto and Fakta (they are sprinkled everywhere in Copenhagen). Do not go to SuperBrugens. The returnee told us to go there, but if you are on a budget, Netto and Fakta is a money saver! I have to admit that I miss Albertson’s because these stores are a quarter of its size, but to be optimistic, the smaller selection calls for express shopping. love cooking at home and experimenting with throwing together cheap stuff and making it work. My diet consists mostly of eggs, toast, Digestive biscuits, pasta, sausage, meatballs, milk (CHEAP), and corn flakes. Luckily, I have an Indian roommate who makes the most delicious rice and curry. Groceries are not a problem for me here. I have become very selective in food shopping to save money so a loaf of toast for $1 is fantastic. Random fact for Nutella fans: it is only $5 a jar. For Toberone chocolate, it is only $3 bucks a stick. Wow! Also, there is a much bigger and neater superstore similar to Target with the food selection: BILKA. There is one located off Oresund metro station inside Scandinavia’s largest shopping mall: Field’s.

Final tip, work at Studenterhuset as a guest bartender. The shifts are extremely flexible: you just sign up for the times you want whenever you want it. It is a great way to meet people and you feel pretty baller behind a bar serving beers to drunk international students. If you’re a student at the University of Copenhagen, a nice large cup of beer is only $5 and a bottle of it is about $3. Whenever you are working, you can drink as many sodas and coffees as you want. You also receive 5 beer tickets per shift which means 5 cups/bottles of beers or shots. Carlsberg is luxury compared to the bland taste of Keystone so it is worth it! (Yes, you can be drunk on the job!) In addition, after 3 shifts, you can ask for a house card, which is an exclusive discount card for guest bartenders for cheaper beers, free entry (+1 friend) to Studenterhuset events, and free coffee anytime!

Towards the end of my stay here, I will probably learn more about what’s cheap and not, but will be sure to share this bible. Bon appétit!