any UK expats living in DK here?

[dsc]

Just looking for people who have experience living both in the UK and DK. I'm doing a contract for a DK client and all is good but they are pushing hard to get me over there as a perm. I've told them no thanks for now, but heard good things about the quality of living there, so I'm not 100% opposed to moving. I've been there once at the start of the gig and just now for a week to have some face to face discussions and I'm absolutely horrified with the cost of everything. Groceries easily 10-15% more than UK (quality seems better), going out is easily 40-50% more, petrol currently at £2.40, cars are stupid expensive (100% tax or close to it), rent cheaper than UK and nicer properties, houses easily half the cost of the UK (down south at least) and way better. Everyone I've talked to repeats the same silly mantra that "well yeah it's expensive but they get paid a lot", but that seems to be bollocks. I've been offered around 500k DKK which is around £57k, so pretty low even for UK (yes I know depends where you are, but we are comparing to contractor money here) and there tax is close to 40-45% (at this level, 50-60% the more you earn), so take home pay is less per month and most stuff is more expensive.

So, main question is, am I missing something?

[cojak]

If a company in Europe offered me perm I’d bite their hand off.

I’m sure that accommodation and living expenses would have been factored into the salary, although you’re doing the right thing by checking.

[northernladuk]

If a company in Europe offered me perm I’d bite their hand off.

I’m sure that accommodation and living expenses would have been factored into the salary, although you’re doing the right thing by checking.

Same here, but not really. I couldn't move now but I'd dearly love to and regret not doing it. Maybe when I'm a bit older it will be on the cards. I'll certainly be telling my kids to go and follow their hearts. Why anyone wants to live their life out in pissing wet through Manchester when they could be experiencing life in places like Denmark I have no idea.

For myself, and I imagine Cojak is the same, the cost of stuff is irrelevant. Quality of life of Norway would far outstrip any cost of living rises. The buzz and life improvement far exceeds looking at the price of petrol and food IMO. If you want to go go, don't let the price of bread change that. Your equivalent wealth might not be the same over there but by god living life to the full will make up for it.

[d000hg]

Your equivalent wealth might not be the same over there but by god living life to the full will make up for it.

How do you live life to the full when you get a heart attack everytime you get your bill at a restaurant or buy a round?

[jamesbrown]

So, main question is, am I missing something?

Perhaps only that it ain't all about the money. I've lived and worked in a few different countries and you're unlikely to regret it.

As an aside, DK has an expat tax scheme for (IIRC) 7 years, so you'll be paying a much lower tax rate that would ordinarily be the case in DK.

[jamesbrown]

Oh, and that is obviously only the start of the negotiation if they want you that badly.

[Paddy]

Just looking for people who have experience living both in the UK and DK. I'm doing a contract for a DK client and all is good but they are pushing hard to get me over there as a perm. I've told them no thanks for now, but heard good things about the quality of living there, so I'm not 100% opposed to moving. I've been there once at the start of the gig and just now for a week to have some face to face discussions and I'm absolutely horrified with the cost of everything. Groceries easily 10-15% more than UK (quality seems better), going out is easily 40-50% more, petrol currently at £2.40, cars are stupid expensive (100% tax or close to it), rent cheaper than UK and nicer properties, houses easily half the cost of the UK (down south at least) and way better. Everyone I've talked to repeats the same silly mantra that "well yeah it's expensive but they get paid a lot", but that seems to be bollocks. I've been offered around 500k DKK which is around £57k, so pretty low even for UK (yes I know depends where you are, but we are comparing to contractor money here) and there tax is close to 40-45% (at this level, 50-60% the more you earn), so take home pay is less per month and most stuff is more expensive.

So, main question is, am I missing something?

Petrol is 2.38e per litre (1.68 DK) and not £2.40 per litre. Looking Lidle.dk , prices are about the same as the UK.

[SueEllen]

How do you live life to the full when you get a heart attack everytime you get your bill at a restaurant or buy a round?

The culture is different.

In most countries people don't buy "rounds" they buy a drink for themselves, their partner/spouse and their family members not friends.

They go out less often to restaurants in the evenings.

Most people don't drive they cycle and use public transport.

etc

[d000hg]

The culture is different.

In most countries people don't buy "rounds" they buy a drink for themselves, their partner/spouse and their family members not friends.

They go out less often to restaurants in the evenings.

There's a reason our Scandinavian friends don't go out, they cannot afford to. They nip across the border to Estonia or somewhere in a transit van every couple of months and load it up with cheap booze to drink at home.

I can indulge in that culture in the UK, I wouldn't say it was "living life to the full".

And yes, I know they don't buy rounds - I was talking about the price of 2 drinks

[northernladuk]

How do you live life to the full when you get a heart attack everytime you get your bill at a restaurant or buy a round?

Coming from Yorkshire it's something I've lived with all my life