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Last updated: October 2026. A few links in this guide are affiliate links (marked as sponsored). They don’t change our ranking: the cheapest place to buy food in Denmark is still a discount supermarket, and we say so.
Coming to a new country is exciting, but where do you buy affordable food, detergent and snacks? This guide covers which Danish supermarkets are cheapest, how they compare, and the apps and habits that make the biggest difference to a student food budget.
Quick answer
The cheapest supermarkets in Denmark are the four discount chains: Lidl, Rema 1000, Netto and 365discount. In a 2025 price investigation by Avisen Danmark, Lidl came out cheapest, with Rema 1000, 365discount and Netto close behind (The Local, 2026). The gap between them is small and the winner changes from test to test, so the nearest discount store is usually the right choice. SuperBrugsen sits in the middle, while Føtex, Meny and Bilka are at the pricier end.
The bigger savings come from how you shop: weekly offers (tilbud), the free member apps, reduced-price stickers near the best-before date, and Too Good To Go.
Danish supermarkets compared
| Chain | Price level | Owner | Free app / member scheme | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lidl | Discount (cheapest in the 2025 test) | Lidl | Lidl Plus | Weekly basics, bakery, non-food specials |
| Rema 1000 | Discount | Reitan (Norway) | Weekly offers leaflet (tilbudsavis) | Simple, predictable store layout, many locations |
| Netto | Discount | Salling Group | Netto+ | The most stores in Denmark, yellow-sticker deals |
| 365discount | Discount | Coop | Coop app | Coop member bonus, former Fakta stores |
| SuperBrugsen / Brugsen | Mid-range | Coop | Coop app | Wider range, local stores in smaller towns |
| Kvickly | Mid-range | Coop | Coop app | Big range including household goods |
| Føtex | Mid to higher | Salling Group | føtex plus | City-centre shopping, bigger range than discount |
| Bilka | Higher on groceries | Salling Group | Bilka Plus | Hypermarket: food, furniture, bikes, electronics in one trip |
| Meny / Spar | Higher | Dagrofa | Own apps | Quality fresh counters, convenience |
Price levels are based on the 2025 Avisen Danmark investigation summarised by The Local. Coop’s current chains are SuperBrugsen, Kvickly, Brugsen and 365discount (Coop).
Two changes many older guides miss: Fakta no longer exists. Coop closed the chain and converted most stores to 365discount (The Local). And Aldi left Denmark in 2023, selling 114 stores to the owner of Rema 1000 (ESM Magazine).
Which supermarket is cheapest in Denmark?
There is no permanent winner. Danish newspapers run basket tests regularly, and Lidl, Rema 1000, Netto and 365discount take turns at the top, usually only a few kroner apart on a full basket. In spring 2026 the chains were in a price war: Netto and Lidl cut prices on 1 May (Lidl on more than 200 items), 365discount cut prices in February and again in May, and Meny and Rema 1000 also lowered prices (The Local, May 2026).
For a student, that means:
- Pick the discount store closest to you. Walking to a Netto saves more time and money than cycling across town to save 3 kr at Lidl.
- Use the bigger stores for specific things. Bilka and Føtex have a much wider range, but you pay more for everyday groceries.
- Avoid shopping for your week in small convenience stores. Kiosks, 7-Eleven and petrol stations charge much more for the same products.
Netto vs Lidl vs Rema 1000
- Lidl: cheapest in the most recent investigation we found. Fewer stores than Netto and Rema 1000, often slightly outside the centre. Good bakery and rotating non-food specials.
- Rema 1000: consistently near the top in price tests, and stores share a similar layout, so you learn where everything is fast. Grew a lot after taking over Aldi’s stores.
- Netto: the chain with the most stores in Denmark (553 at the end of 2024, according to Lex.dk), so there is usually one nearby. The Netto+ app shows member prices and reduced items.
- 365discount: Coop’s discount chain. Worth it if you are a Coop member, since the bonus works across all Coop stores.
Is SuperBrugsen expensive? Is Føtex?
SuperBrugsen is mid-priced: dearer than the discount chains, cheaper than Føtex, Meny and Bilka in the 2025 test. Føtex is fine for a top-up shop or for things the discount stores don’t stock, but buying your whole week there costs noticeably more.
Where to find cheap groceries in Denmark
1. Weekly offers (tilbud)
Every chain publishes a weekly offer leaflet (tilbudsavis). The free eTilbudsavis app collects them all, so you can search for “kyllingebryst” or “kaffe” and see who has it on offer this week. Planning dinners around what is on offer is the single easiest way to spend less.
2. Free member apps
- Netto+: member prices (+Priser) taken off automatically when you pay with a registered card, personal offers, digital receipts, Scan&Go, and a view of the reduced-price “yellow label” items in your local store.
- Lidl Plus: weekly coupons, extra Lidl Plus offers deducted at the till, scratch cards and digital receipts.
- Coop app: works in 365discount, SuperBrugsen, Brugsen and Kvickly. The app is free, but full Coop membership costs a one-time 200 kr (refunded if you leave). Members get 5% bonus on fresh fruit and vegetables, plus personal offers.
- føtex plus and Bilka Plus give member prices and personal coupons at the bigger Salling Group stores, and Bilka Plus has Scan&Go.
You don’t need all of them. Install the app for the one or two stores you actually use.
3. Reduced stickers near the best-before date
Supermarkets reduce products close to their date, especially meat, bread and dairy, often late in the day. Look for yellow or red stickers. Most of it is perfectly fine if you eat it that day or freeze it.
4. Too Good To Go
Too Good To Go started in Copenhagen and is widely used across Denmark. Supermarkets, bakeries, cafés and restaurants sell “surprise bags” of surplus food at the end of the day, typically for about a third of the normal price. Bakery bags are the classic student win. You reserve and pay in the app and pick up in a set time window. It’s available on Android and iOS.
A single bakery bag can be a lot of bread. Freeze what you won’t eat in a day or two.
Motatos is the online version of the same idea: dry goods and snacks near or past their best-before date at low prices, delivered in bulk.
5. Compare the unit price
Danish shelf labels show the price per kilo or litre (kilopris / literpris). Use it. The big pack is not always cheaper, and the store brand usually is: look for Lidl’s own brands, Netto’s and Coop’s budget lines next to the branded products.
6. Get your pant back
Most drink cans and bottles in Denmark carry a deposit (pant), which you pay at the till and get back when you return the empty in a reverse vending machine (pantautomat) in almost every supermarket. You get a voucher for the store’s checkout. The rates from Dansk Retursystem are:
| Pant mark | Deposit | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| A | 1 kr | Glass bottles and metal cans under 1 litre |
| B | 1.50 kr | Plastic bottles under 1 litre |
| C | 3 kr | All bottles and cans from 1 to 20 litres |
Pant covers soft drinks, beer, water and alcohol mixes, and also juice and concentrated squash. A bag of empties from a party can easily be worth a meal.
7. Toiletries and cleaning products
Supermarkets stock hygiene products, but the range is limited and prices are not the friendliest. Normal is a Danish chain selling make-up, hair care, cleaning products, snacks and more from a big range of brands, usually cheaper than the supermarket shelf. If you take vitamins or protein powder, compare online shops too: Bodystore sells supplements and health foods online in Denmark.
Supermarket opening hours in Denmark
Most supermarkets are open every day including Sundays, typically from around 7:00 to 21:00 or 22:00 (Aarhus University). Hours vary by store, so check the chain’s store finder.
The Danish closing law (lukkeloven) means most shops close on public holidays: Easter, Ascension Day, Whitsun, Constitution Day (5 June), Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, and New Year’s Eve from 15:00 (Dansk Erhverv). Small grocery stores under a turnover limit are allowed to open, so on a holiday look for a small local store, a kiosk or a station shop, and expect higher prices. Shop the day before a holiday if you can.
Cheapest supermarket in Copenhagen
The same chains dominate Copenhagen, and the same ranking applies: Lidl, Rema 1000, Netto and 365discount for your weekly shop. Small inner-city stores tend to be pricier than bigger stores further out (The Local), so a bigger discount store on your way home from campus is often worth the detour. For the biggest range, Bilka and the larger Føtex stores are outside the centre.
Supermarket or meal box: which is cheaper?
Cooking from a discount supermarket is cheaper than any meal box. Meal boxes in Denmark cost roughly 32 to 50 kr per portion, and you pay for convenience: no planning, no shopping, little food waste. See our meal box comparison for prices and which box suits whom.
A box can still make sense if you otherwise order takeaway several times a week, or if planning is what stops you from cooking:
- HelloFresh has the widest weekly menu and is a good way to learn a few recipes. Use the first-box discount and cancel or pause if it doesn’t fit your budget.
- Factor delivers ready meals you only heat up. It costs more than cooking boxes, so treat it as an exam-period option, not your normal food plan.
Other cheap food options
Orchards and veggie farms
There are farms and orchards all over Denmark that let you pick your own fruit and vegetables and pay the farmer directly, and many have a roadside stand (gårdbutik) with seasonal produce and an honesty box. It’s often cheaper than the supermarket in season, supports local farmers, and makes a fun day out with friends. Search for “selvpluk” plus your area.
Eat seasonally
Danish strawberries in June, apples in autumn and root vegetables in winter are cheap and good. Out-of-season produce grown in greenhouses or flown in costs more.
Video: Danish supermarkets
FAQ
What is the cheapest supermarket in Denmark?
In the most recent investigation we found (Avisen Danmark, 2025), Lidl was cheapest, closely followed by Rema 1000, 365discount and Netto. The difference between the four is small and changes from test to test.
Is Netto cheaper than Lidl?
Usually they are within a few kroner of each other. Lidl won the 2025 Avisen Danmark investigation, but Netto has won other basket tests. Use the apps of both if you live near both.
Is Rema 1000 cheap?
Yes. Rema 1000 is one of the four discount chains and regularly comes out at or near the top in Danish price tests.
Is SuperBrugsen expensive?
It is mid-priced: more expensive than Lidl, Rema 1000, Netto and 365discount, but cheaper than Føtex, Meny and Bilka.
What is the biggest supermarket in Denmark?
Bilka is the hypermarket chain, with very large stores selling everything from food to furniture and bikes. Netto has the most stores.
Is there an Aldi in Denmark?
No. Aldi left Denmark in 2023, and most of its stores became Rema 1000.
Are supermarkets in Denmark open on Sundays?
Yes, most are open every day. They close on public holidays such as Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and Easter, when only small grocery stores may open.
How much is pant in Denmark?
1 kr for cans and glass bottles under 1 litre (A), 1.50 kr for plastic bottles under 1 litre (B), and 3 kr for containers from 1 to 20 litres (C).
More ways to stretch your budget
- 7 tips to improve your budget as a student
- Must-have apps in Denmark
- 5 traditional Danish dishes you can make on your own
- Your first week in Denmark: checklist
- Survival guide to SU, the Danish student grant
Prices, rates and app features checked October 2026. Supermarket prices change weekly, so check the current offers before you shop.
Which shop is your favourite in Denmark and why? Let us know in the comments!