Friendly city break – from £41 a night

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This Scandinavian city has a reputation for being pricy, but these options show that it can be explored for less
Copenhagen on a budget?

The idea is enough to make you spit your cinnamon bun across the room.

Scandinavia’s hippest city is not known for being cheap – not for hotels , not for design, and not for dinner.

Instead, it’s more about value, in the sense that you get what you pay for.

There are very few hotels that cost under £100 per night, but if you can stretch to £150, you’ll find a handful of budget design stays and small hotels full of charm in the Danish capital.

Book early, preferably three months ahead of travel.

Danes love to be organised and forward planning is in their blood.

It might be wise to book somewhere with a kitchen or self-catering facilities so you can reduce your food costs – perhaps in one of the city’s many youth hostels.

For the best hotel deals, travel during the week – as with many city break spots, weekends are more expensive – and travel in the off-season.

February is when you’ll find the lowest prices for hotel rooms.

These are our favourite budget hotels in Copenhagen for 2026.

For the best family-friendly hotels , the best overall hotels , best LGBT+ hotels and the best luxury hotels in Copenhagen , see our guides.

Best cheap hotels in Copenhagen
There is so much charm at Kanalhuset that you won’t mind the simple rooms or boarding house feel.

A historic house dating back to 1754 in glorious Christianshavn overlooking a canal, its cosy bar and communal dining restaurant are a draw for locals as well as visitors, and it has 12 boutique bedrooms on the well-lit basement floor.

It’s an option for families as well as groups: some rooms sleep up to five, and all are simply furnished with a bed, wardrobe rack and occasional furniture.

Fourteen larger apartments on the upper floors also have a kitchenette, living room and dining area.

Decor throughout has a boutique, reclaimed-retro vibe: pieces come from flea markets, private collections and auctions, and include graphic print wall hangings and velvet-upholstered sofas.

It’s the kind of place where you can live like a local and fit in with the rhythm of the city.

It’s not the right option if you want a lift and a lot of mod cons.

Address: Overgaden Oven Vandet 62a, Christianshavn
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Instead of rooms, it has mini apartments: modular and spacious, each is set up like a studio apartment with raised loft beds, plus a kitchen-living-dining room space with a four-seater table, and a bathroom.

You can even personalise the space by choosing your own artwork from their collection.

It’s spacious and fun with a lively international atmosphere, and works well if you’re coming to the city for a longer stay.

The only rub is the location: it’s in the modern Ørestad area, a 10 to 15-minute metro ride from the heart of the city.

But for this space and set up, it’s really great value.

Address: Amagerfælledvej 108, Amager Vest
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A rule of thumb for Scandinavia: if you’re looking for a budget stay, think Scandic .

The hotel chain is one of the city’s most popular – there are 13 Scandics in Copenhagen itself – and it offers reliably good value, with well-kept hotels that do what they say on the tin.

Great for families, often with bunk bed family rooms, these hotels also welcome pets.

Scandic Kødbyen, on the fringe of the city’s Meatpacking District, puts you in the heart of the action for bars and nightlife, and a short stroll from Vesterbro.

It’s got a cocktail bar, hip gym and – veggies be warned – a “meaty” vibe, with wall decorations in the bar celebrating slabs of marbled beef and marble slabs in the bathrooms, nodding to the butchers of the Meatpacking District.

Rooms are comfortable and stylish, especially some of the family rooms, which offer a kids’ loft bed above the main bedroom.

Address: 3 Skelbækgade, Vesterbro
The Danish Guldsmeden hotel chain is known for its eco-appeal, including responsibly sourced and cleaned bed linens, and fantastic locally-sourced organic breakfasts.

The hotels are styled with a Balinese vibe, rather than a more serious Danish Design style, marking them out from most of the city’s boutique hotels – expect flowing curtains and dark wood four poster beds.

In the middle of Vesterbro, this 74-room outpost has Airstream caravans parked in the inner courtyard, and an optimistic orangerie for a tropical feel.

The cheapest bedrooms are the smallest, of course, but they’re still pretty, with four poster beds, Moroccan-style kilim rugs and modern white-tiled bathrooms with showers.

Check out is at 12pm, over an hour later than many hotels in this city.

Address: Vesterbrogade 66, Vesterbro
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Motel One styles itself as a modern interpretation of a Mid Century design hotel, but what’s really great about this place, beyond the price, is the location.

It’s right in the middle of the city, steps from the Town Hall, the National Museum and Christiansborg Castle, and only a short walk from boat tours at Nyhavn.

Bedrooms are minimal and simple, with peacock-patterned bed covers – perhaps a reference to the peacocks you’ll find strutting the grounds at nearby Tivoli Gardens – but otherwise the palette is of sensible neutrals, navys and pinks, all in keeping with the Danish Mid Century design theme.

It’s also a spot in the city where you can find a compact single room – they are few and far between.

A simple breakfast room, dimly-lit bar and green garden courtyard round the hotel out.

Address: Løngangstræde 27, Copenhagen
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Bright and cheerful, Ibis Styles is a budget design hotel in the Orestad area of the city, a 15-minute metro ride from the airport and the city centre, with a metro stop down the street.

While it feels a little out of the action, it’s easy to get into the city’s cobbled streets and it costs a fraction of the price of the hotels that lie along them.

The decor is fresh and fun, featuring neon lights and graffiti in the main lobby-lounge area, and delightful nature-inspired wallpaper throughout.

Bedrooms look out onto Copenhagen’s largest green space, Amager Fælled, a heath-like area criss-crossed with walking and cycling paths.

The neighbouring streets are a bit charmless but there’s an exceptional bakery, Andersen, just next door and it’s easy to use the hotel as a base to explore the rest of the city, by bike (which can be rented from the hotel) if you like.

Address: 47 Orestads Boulevard, Amager Vest
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Houseboat living is common in this waterfront city and you can experience it yourself at CPH Living , a maritime-styled 12-room boat hotel just off Islands Brygge in the heart of the city’s harbourside district.

The converted barge is a quirky and fun place to stay – sit on the rooftop terrace and admire the panorama of buildings, ancient and modern, along the harbour beside you as little boats and friendly kayakers make their way up and down it.

Bedrooms are decorated in coastal colours, with hidden storage and showers with a view of the sea, and are available as singles or doubles.

The communal lobby also acts as a breakfast room; the main delight is that in summer, you can sun yourself on the rooftop and then take a short stroll to the harbour swimming pool for a dip.

Address: Langebrogade 1A, Copenhagen K
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Just off the old town and some of its loveliest streets, a short walk from Kongens Nytorv and the colourful Nyhavn harbour, Generator Hostel is in a great location, especially if you like bar hopping in the evening.

It offers more than you might expect from a hostel: bedrooms – especially the eight-bed dorms – are relatively standard, but the communal spaces bring the place alive.

The main bar area is full of energy: design-led, colourful and welcoming, it includes a petanque court and shuffleboard centre.

Stumble down the street after a few cocktails to get a Gasoline Grill burger for a late night snack.

It’s not just for gaggles of twenty-somethings, the hostel has a full range of family rooms (though it can be noisy at night), which sleep four, and private double rooms, as well as its four, six and eight bed dorms.

Address: Adelgade 5-7, Copenhagen
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A stroll along the harbourside promenade to the south in a somewhat quieter part of Copenhagen, this L-shaped modern hotel has fantastic water views from its 326 rooms.

Favoured by business travellers as well as holidaymakers, Copenhagen Island makes the most of its artificial island setting and Danishness with rooms that reference the swoop of a sailboat’s sail, yacht-like rosewood mini bars and metallic ship masts in the bedside table.

The design is supremely calming, using a pale duck egg blue that nods to the sea and sky outside.

Rooms aren’t the largest – something you’ll find all over the city – and in some cases just about squeeze in the beds with space to walk around them, but you can upgrade to an executive or junior suite to get more space and a balcony.

Location is important: here, you’re a short stroll from the Meatpacking District for dinner, and then you can head back to this ultra-quiet spot for a good night’s sleep.

Address: Kalvebod Brygge 53, Vesterbro
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The best of Wake Up Copenhagen ’s mini chain of basic budget hotels in central Copenhagen, location-wise, is the one on Bernstorffsgade.

It is a towering concrete building with 585 rooms set over 11 floors, located between the harbour and central station, down the street from Tivoli Gardens.

Rooms are simple, white and clean, with graphic design-style curtains giving a little pop of colour.

The hotel itself isn’t packed with charming features, but at these prices, with this location, it hardly matters.

What you get by staying here is access to everything in the city and money in your pocket to enjoy it.

If what you need is a safe, clean bed for the night and aren’t looking for mod cons and extras, this place does the job well.

Standard rooms are on the lower floors and are the cheapest, while those towards the top of the 11-storey building have better views and cost more.

As well as double rooms, triple and family rooms that sleep four are also available.

You can rent bikes and there is a basic 24-hour cafe in the lobby.

Address: Bernstorffsgade, Copenhagen
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There’s no getting away from the fact that Danhostel CPH City is on one of the city’s busiest roads, but it’s also steps from the harbour and at a pocket-friendly price.

It’s a big hostel – 192 rooms – and works well if you’re travelling solo, as a group, or with family, as it offers triples, four-bed rooms, small apartments and family rooms.

There’s a bar and a breakfast buffet, plus kitchen and laundry facilities, and pets are welcome.

It’s not the most characterful of places, but the views from the top – this hostel has a huge 17 floors – take in the entire harbour.

Address: H.

C.

Andersens Blvd 50, Copenhagen
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The hotels featured in this list have been carefully selected by The Independent's expert travel writer, Laura Hall, who has a deep knowledge of Copenhagen.

Our hotel experts either live in these locations or visit frequently, ensuring a personal and informed perspective.

When picking the hotels to include, they consider their own experience staying in the hotels and evaluate location, facilities, service and all the other details that make for an exceptional stay for all types of traveller.

What is the currency in Copenhagen?

Copenhagen uses the Danish krone.

Is it worth hiring a car or using public transport?

Copenhagen’s four metro lines are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

However, the city is also known for being best explored on a bike, although if you are not a seasoned cyclist, it is recommended to avoid busier streets during rush hour.

It may be worth hiring a car if you plan on doing day trips out of the city, but national trains can also be used for this.

Stroget is one of the city’s most notable streets, with the department store Illum plus contemporary furniture and design store HAY, alongside some other recognisable high street shops.

Check out the fashionable Pilestræde, as well as Blågårdsgade, Jægersborggade and Elmegade, for boutique and vintage shopping.

What is Copenhagen most famous for?

One of Copenhagen’s best-known landmarks is the Little Mermaid Statue on the banks of the Langelinie promenade, based on the 1827 fairytale of the same name by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, who lived most of his life in the city.

Tivoli Gardens, one of the world’s oldest amusement parks, is also a major attraction, as well as Freetown Christiania, a hippie settlement founded in 1971.

Where to eat and drink in Copenhagen?

Copenhagen has an impressive coffee bar and bakery reputation.

Some of the best include The Coffee Collective, Andersen & Maillard, Juno, Hart, Lille and Meyers Bageri.

Smørrebrød (an open-faced sandwich), Danish hot dogs and natural wine are popular in the city.

If you can’t decide on dinner, the famous Reffen street food market, the largest of its kind in the Nordics, offers a wide range of options to tuck into overlooking the waterfront.

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