Loppemarked Season

Before coming to Copenhagen, I would ask people who have been there what they thought about the city so I could gauge my own expectations. Almost every single person would mention how its reputation for being an expensive city to travel to is true. It made me nervous as this was repeated by even New Yorkers. Coming from a low-income, single-parent household, I wondered if studying in Copenhagen was a wise decision. I applied to scholarships to make it work, and now that I’m here: I can confirm that Copenhagen is a bit pricey, but there are budget friendly options for many things!

One of my favorite ways to shop for clothes are by going to loppemarkeder (flea markets). Thrift/vintage clothing stores here can be on the expensive side, so loppemarkeder are an amazing alternative to finding secondhand clothing at a good price. Absalon and The Studenthuset are great places to start because their calendar are full of activities year round, but as it gets warmer, loppemarkeder start moving outside. I found many through Facebook groups. They tend to be open on the weekends and are made up of independent sellers running their own booths. It’s a great way to meet new people since many are college-aged people getting rid of their old stuff. I have found lots of good pieces under 20 kroner (~$3). My best find has been a pair of Doc Marten boots in my size for roughly $6. Just make sure to have cash because that’s generally the only way to pay for international visitors.