In June 2018, I packed three suitcases and booked a 1-way flight from Texas to be a part of my husband in Denmark. We achieved in 2016 and experienced been dating extensive-distance for much of our marriage. We had been thrilled to get married and create a dwelling and everyday living collectively.
We found a wonderful apartment on the web in a new developing in Amager, positioned in the southern element of Copenhagen. My spouse viewed the apartment in human being and sent me pics although I was even now in Dallas.
I adore the sizing of Copenhagen. It feels like a city, but it really is small sufficient that all the things is even now accessible
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Right now, we hire our 1,020-square-foot, two-bedroom condominium for $2,100 a month. The community is a good commute to get the job done — I’m a most important school instructor and my partner is in finance — with a good deal of wonderful out of doors space and fun places to take our two-yr-aged son.
A look inside our Copenhagen condominium
We have a compact entryway with a crafted-in closet, and a bench to sit on when you choose your sneakers off.
Our lease is indefinite, and rent increases are tied to inflation. But we had to pay out two month’s lease upfront, and a few month’s hire as a security deposit.
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We had to get our possess light fixtures, due to the fact they often really don’t appear set up in a lot of Copenhagen flats. A ton of Danes like this due to the fact they can opt for factors that very best suit their design and style.
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When you go into a large amount of Danish homes, they have numerous of the same tiny layout parts, like this like this minor Hoptimist toy. They occur in a large amount of distinctive shades and variations.
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Our sleek, modern day lavatory doubles as a laundry room. We are lucky to have both of those a washer and dryer in the unit.
Modern rest room and kitchens can be challenging to arrive by in the city center on a finances, so we have been fortunate to locate a spot that had each.
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We liked how considerably area there was in the bedroom, and we are able to in good shape in almost a king sized bed.
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Given that this was a new setting up, the apartment came with closets now mounted. Most folks in Denmark have to acquire and established them up on their individual.
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The 2nd bedroom was initially our guest area and workplace, but we turned it into a nursery when our son was born. What’s wonderful about our primary bed room is that it came with a wardrobe now built in, which isn’t the scenario for lots of Danish residences.
The major area in our apartment is just one large room that includes our kitchen area, dining room and residing place.
I arrived here with just three suitcases and didn’t ship everything from the U.S., and my partner had been living with a roommate, so we started off refreshing.
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The kitchen area sits together a person wall, and is rather tiny by American requirements, but we essentially have a great volume of storage, especially due to the fact we have drawers instead of cabinets.
The kitchen area and eating place is somewhat smaller than I was utilised to in the U.S., but we do have some stylish storage possibilities.
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The neighborhood is extremely spouse and children-pleasant, with lots of dining establishments, bakeries, outlets, parks and playgrounds within strolling distance.
We have a amount of international neighbors. There is also a fantastic seashore close by, which is bustling in the summer season. And we have a modest balcony that my son loves to play on when the climate is pleasant.
I’m substantially happier living in Copenhagen than in Dallas. I believe a large part of that is work fulfillment. I’m equipped to get pleasure from the time that I’m not at do the job for the reason that I’m not as pressured out any longer.
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Even though it really is pricey, I am significantly happier here
For our utilities, we expend about $210 for each thirty day period: $36 for warmth, $55 for drinking water, $66 for electricity and $53 for WiFi.
I am not 100% fluent, but I can have most day to day discussions and exchanges in Danish.
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We have a auto and fork out $120 a month for a parking place in an underground garage. We also have renter’s insurance policies that will come to about $40 a month.
The price tag of living in Copenhagen is from time to time large. But I know that my salary goes way additional right here than it did in Dallas, primarily in phrases of what I was having to pay for healthcare and transportation in the U.S. And the rent we spend now is a excellent worth for the sum of area we have.
Before I moved in this article, I in no way lived in a town with fantastic general public transportation prior to, so I actually enjoy it now!
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We dwell near to the metro, so I can quickly get wherever in the Copenhagen area. I shell out about $90 a month for a general public transportation move that handles my get the job done commute and in all places else.
On community transit, it is 15 minutes from our front door to the metropolis centre in a single direction, and 15 minutes to the airport in the other direction, which is quite convenient.
Searching ahead, we’d like to ultimately get some far more house, and we could will need to move a bit additional out of the city to achieve that. But we really like Copenhagen, so we wouldn’t go way too far. And I have beloved living in this condominium. It has been a good to start with residence in my new region.
Ilana Buhl is an elementary college teacher. She studied overseas in Denmark and rapidly fell in like with the town. She now life in Copenhagen with her husband and son, and shares snippets of her lifetime on social media. Abide by her on TikTok and Instagram.
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