According to new figures from Eurostat, Danish households use 29.3 percent of their disposable income on housing and standard utilities like water, electricity and gas. 

 

The EU average for total expenditures on housing and utilities is 24.4 percent of a household’s disposable income. 

 

Following Denmark as the most expensive countries to live in are Finland, France and Sweden. The cheapest EU country is Malta, where households use just 10.1 percent of their disposable incomes on housing and utilities. 

 

Not only is Denmark the most expensive country in the EU, it is also home to one of the largest jumps in housing costs over the past decade. Between 2005 and 2015, the share of housing and utilities in household expenditures increased by 3.1 percent in Denmark. The jump in Danish costs was the eighth largest in the 28-country bloc. 

 

Although the new Eurostat figures did not offer a detailed breakdown on utility spending, a previous analysis from the European electricity association Eurelectric showed that Danes pay the highest electricity prices in the EU thanks to extensive taxes and fees. 

 

While Danes face the highest housing costs in the union, their household consumption in other areas is cheaper than the EU average. For example, Danes spend just ten percent of their disposable income on food, slightly below the average but roughly just a third of what Romanians spend. 

 

Danes spend above the EU average when it comes to the purchase of vehicles, thanks to a 150 percent registration tax. But in categories including transport services, communications, household furnishings, clothing and insurance, costs in Denmark are at or below the EU average. 

 

An interactive graphic comparing household expenditures can be found below.