Copenhagen isn’t a cheap place to visit, especially for backpackers from Asia. Many people recommend buying food from supermarkets, which Netto is the cheapest supermarket chain in Denmark.
I even went to its website http://www.netto.dk/Pages/Forside.aspx# to locate the supermarkets and find out opening hours and try to make a realistic budget for what I’d need to pay for food there…
It sounds a bit aggressive, but I felt a bit relived when I saw their catalogue and prices in it. (1 DKK = US$0.15)
But in reality, when I went, I was still shocked by the prices. For example, for a small box of berries (on sale?), it cost $2.2.. And of course, other fruits inside were more expensive than this. I tried to find a good offer inside, but it wasn’t ‘fruitful’.
However, to my surprise, when other supermarkets had some items on ‘discount’, it’s actually ‘cheap!’ I recommend 7-11, it reminds me of home, and it’s almost everywhere. And when this croissant was on discount, it was only 8DKK ($1.2). It’s cheap and it actually tasted great! I might not have a budget for normal bakery, but 7-11 was in my budget!
And, right in Copenhagen’s Central Station (København H) I discovered this expensive-looking supermarket called MAD Cooperativet. (http://en.hovedbanen.dk/stores/mad-cooperativet/)
What attracted me was the stall outside MAD had an offer of 5 DKK ($0.75) for each head of broccoli! That’s unbelievably cheap! (When I checked out, I found out its price before discount was 16 DKK ($2.4)
When I went inside, I found out there was food sampling! There wasn’t any food sampling in Netto, but in MAD I had a tiny piece of Asian fashion salad, a piece of steak and a piece of orange cream cake. And also, I found a ham (which weighed 550g) at only 29kr ($4.35!) That’s cheap! Its original price before discount was 35kr. Broccoli for 5kr, and ham for 29kr, a total of 34kr ($5.1) was enough for 6-8 meals!
I actually found MAD to be better value for money than Netto. This is a place with elegance, and free food sampling, and good discount on quality food!
And, well, if you are curious about hot dog in Copenhagen like me, this might be what you’d eat.
A sausage wrapped with bacon, and a bun. You’ll assemble then yourself. And this was also for 34 kr! ($5.1)!
Just for you to see how small the $5.1 hot dog is! I’d say it’s a better idea to go to MAD! But well, I completed what my couchsurfing host thought was a ‘must have’ experience in Copenhagen.
If you still want a dining experience in Copenhagen after surviving most of your meals in Copenhagen from supermarket, I can recommend a lunch/dinner buffet in Louisiana Modern Art Museum (provided if you have a Copenhagen Card). It costs 129kr or 159kr ($24) for lunch/dinner, inclusive of tax and tip.
So yup, with good planning, and good luck, you can survive in Copenhagen as a backpacker.
Traveling Mega
