Henry’s Cost-Candid City Chaperone: Malmø

Ticket: 192 DKK (~$28 – this covers the Øresund train to and from Malmø, and can also be used on buses in the city if you want to cover a lot of ground)
Food: 215 SEK / ~138 DKK (~20 – this encompasses a sandwich bought from a local Swedish deli and some locally-sourced sweets not found in Denmark)
Disgusting Food Museum: 175 SEK / ~113 DKK (this is the admission price for students)
Total basic expenses: ~443 DKK (~$65)
Miscellaneous expenses: 1400 SEK (~$132 – this is primarily some hefty clothes shopping that I’ve been waiting to do; if you go to Malmø for modest shopping, expect to spend at least 400 SEK, or $38)

While classmates might take expensive flights to Munich for Oktoberfest or to see the sights of Barcelona, for the budget-minded traveler there are still countless opportunities to travel and discover new things. When looking at a map, one will find that Copenhagen is a coastal city, just a stone’s toss away from Sweden and the city of Malmø (or Malmö in Swedish). So, let’s cross the Øresund and discover what the nation’s third largest city can offer!

If there is one thing Malmø excels at, it’s prices. Copenhagen is a very expensive city, and while you can go shopping outside of the big cities, at the end of the day you’re talking about a country with some of the most expensive cities in all of Europe. Plus, the Swedish krona is roughly 10:1 to the US dollar, which compared to the exchange ratio of 7:1 that the Danish krone boasts is a pretty good steal. Coupled with the many malls that dot Malmø, above all being Triangeln, it’s no surprise that Danes are somewhat known for making their big shopping trips in Malmø, especially whenever the krona devalues.

Take advantage of these comparatively cheap prices by visiting one of the many confectionaries in the area; Sweden in particular loves its sweets, and specialties such as guldnougat and marmeladstång (the latter pictured in the middle) are sure to soothe your sweet tooth. Make sure to pair your treat(s) with the scenic view of one of the nearby canals or parks. Of course, if you want some more nature in your life, Dalby Sköderskog National Park is 25 km outside of the city and can be reached by public transportation.

Think you got a stomach of iron? Challenge yourself at the famous Disgusting Food Museum, where you can learn about the meals throughout history that have appalled noses, eyes, and ethics alike, in some cases being able to get a whiff for yourself. At the end, visitors can put their tongues through a gauntlet of some of these gross foods, ranging from bugs to some of the very foods encountered in the museum. At the end, the bravest food warriors can endure the hot spice challenge, ending in one of the hottest chili extracts in the world – Do beware: this stuff will truly test just how strong your stomach really is!

At the end of your day out and as you return to Malmø Central Station, make sure you look around and take in the scenery of the night; from the canals to the city hall, you’re sure to catch the twinkle of the city’s lights and, if it’s Spring and Summer or you’re otherwise lucky, the stars breaking through the thin veil of the overcast above!

Safe travels, or, as they say in Swedish – ha en trevlig resa!

Now, if you want less city, more nature, consider the wonders of Denmark, from Naturpark Amager and Mons Klint to the expansive Danish mainland, Jylland, perhaps from a city like Esbjerg (hint hint) – more on that in my next Cost-Candid City Chaperone!