Student housing in Copenhagen: residences, shared housing and budget for international students

For an international student in Copenhagen, three routes exist: a room in a university residence (kollegium) booked through your university, a room in a shared flat on the private market, or a small apartment rented on your own. The residence remains the safest route, but places are limited; the private market is more open, but more expensive and more exposed to fake listings.

Prices give the measure of the market. According to figures from the BoligPortal portal picked up by the Ritzau agency in July 2026, a one-room apartment costs an average of 9,900 Danish kroner (DKK) per month in Copenhagen, and a two-room 13,800 DKK, against about 4,000 DKK for a room in Aalborg, Esbjerg or Kolding. Copenhagen is by far the most expensive student city in the country.

This page details the options, the budgets to plan for, the timeline for applying from France and the precautions to take before paying any money.

University residences: the first request to make

Through your university: the example of the Housing Foundation

International students of the University of Copenhagen can go through the Housing Foundation Copenhagen, which rents rooms in residences and shared apartments. How it works is typical of what Danish institutions offer:

• you must be an international student enrolled at the university (or, in some cases, at another Copenhagen institution) and stay between one semester and two years;
• rooms are booked in an online system, by invitation, in three sessions a year: late November for the spring semester, late May for the summer, late June for the autumn semester;
• booking is first come, first served, with no waiting list;
• the foundation says it houses about half of the students who arrive in the autumn semester, and most of those who arrive in spring.

In other words, a September start is prepared as early as spring, and a place is never guaranteed. Ask the international relations office of your host institution as soon as you are admitted: it will tell you the procedure to follow.

How much a room in a residence costs

According to the grid published by the Housing Foundation (estimates based on the spring semester of 2026), a single room costs from 3,800 to 11,400 DKK per month depending on the residence. Most fall between 6,500 and 9,000 DKK; the cheapest (around 4,000 DKK) are classed as social housing and add administration fees each semester and monthly service fees. A place in a shared double room rents for 3,300 to 6,400 DKK. Rent is paid quarterly, which requires cash on hand at the start.

Joint waiting lists

For students enrolled in a long-term program, the Kollegiernes Kontor i København (KKIK) manages applications to many residences in Copenhagen and its surroundings. You can register up to three months before studies begin, provided you are 18 and admitted to a program that qualifies for the Danish student grant (SU). Your place on the list depends in particular on seniority, and the application must be renewed every month. These conditions mostly suit students on a full degree, less so a one-semester exchange.

The private market: shared housing or studio

Shared housing is very common in Denmark: Study in Denmark, the website of the Danish Ministry of Higher Education, notes that it is common to share an apartment or live in a collective (kollektiv or bofællesskab). To search, remember these keywords: lejlighed (apartment), værelse (room), kollektiv (shared housing).

Budget is the main obstacle. With a one-room apartment at 9,900 DKK on average, a studio on your own often exceeds the cost of a room in a residence. Sharing a two- or three-room apartment generally works out cheaper per person, and the most affordable neighborhoods according to the city sheet are Amager, Valby and Vanløse, well served by public transport, while the center (Indre By), Østerbro and Frederiksberg are among the most expensive. Nørrebro, young and lively, sits in between.

The entry budget

This is the point that surprises French students the most. A Danish landlord can ask for up to three months' rent as a security deposit and three months' rent paid in advance, that is up to six months' rent to pay at move-in, according to Study in Denmark. Utilities (heating, water) are often paid in quarterly installments, with an annual adjustment. For a room at 6,000 DKK, the entry cost can therefore be up to 36,000 DKK if the landlord applies the caps.