How much money do you need for your time abroad?
Semester: Your DIS housing will cover a portion of your food expenses through either a grocery store stipend card or meals provided, but you will also have personal expenses and food expenses beyond that. Semester students typically spend between $200-550 per month on food expenses beyond their coverage from DIS. Students report spending $1000-3000 over the semester for personal expenses that fall into categories such as toiletries, entertainment, food and beverage, and travel. A big factor is travel; students often say that traveling more locally is financially strategic and provides a deeper connection to Scandinavia.
Summer Session: For expenses per week, past summer students have reported spending approximately $100-$150 for meals and $100-150 for personal expenses.
Take our budgeting advice
Make use of DIS resources
Join events at the Student Hub where locals and DIS staff share information about deals, discounts, and suggestions for budget-friendly activities.
Research student discounts
From museums, to cafes, to concerts, and more, take advantage of the many special discounts students have access to in the city.
Get involved at DIS and beyond
Look for extracurriculars and other activities offered through DIS. These provide an opportunity to build community while seeing the city.
Shop secondhand
Head to a fleamarket or thrift store to save money and see locals sell clothes, vintage items, and other goods.
Explore the city as locals do
From community dinners to trivia nights, explore the affordable social activities locals enjoy. Ask DIS staff at the Student Hub for ideas.
Save while grocery shopping
Make cooking for yourself cost-effective. Capitalize on supermarket deals, bring your own bag, and be selective about the stores you shop at.
Get outdoors
Revel in all of the beautiful natural scenery Scandinavia has to offer! Outdoor daytrips tend to be low-cost or free.
Read more money saving tips
Read advice from former DIS students about managing money while studying abroad.
Best practices for using a debit card
- Tell your bank you are traveling abroad and might spend and take money out from various countries
- Ask about the fee per ATM withdrawal as well as your daily withdrawal limit
- In Stockholm, ATMs are widely available where you can withdraw Swedish kronor. In Copenhagen, we suggest using ATMs at local Danish banks to withdraw money (Danske Bank, Jyske Bank). Other ATM companies (such as Euronet) are all over Europe, but charge large transaction and conversion fees
- Some shops will not accept cards without a four-digit pin code; make sure your debit/ATM card has a four-digit pin code
Best practices for using a credit card
- Use a credit card with a chip
- Ask your bank if you can add a four-digit pin number to your credit card. This is not required, but could help with some transactions
- If you use a credit card without either a chip, pin, or both, you may need to tell the employee at the cash register that you wish to sign for the payment and do not have a pin. Using a credit card through Apple Pay (or similar) can bypass the requirement for a pin or signature
- Check with your company for fee information on international purchases. There are many credit cards available without international fees
Being thrifty in Stockholm
Eleanor (UNC Chapel Hill) offers tips and tricks for an affordable semester abroad. One advice is to get outside and explore the city.
Budgeting as a foodie
Julia (Bryn Mawr) describes what she learned from a semester of budgeting food and time, when cooking is an essential part of her identity.
Knowing your spending habits
Adriana (Colby College) shares their strategy for budgeting, allowing them sense of of freedom in spending.
Living cheaply
Ben (Northwestern University) has a reminder – that there are so many free activities in the city and you can take advantage of the student discounts.