Cost of Living Comparison Between Ballerup and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Ballerup and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,964 in Ballerup versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,578 in Ballerup versus $1,360 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,191 in Ballerup versus $1,867 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Ballerup is roughly 248% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ballerup is 123% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.77 DKK 168

$2.04 ฿68.4

1163.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 DKK 823

$18.71 ฿626

575.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.24 DKK 99.3

$7.86 ฿263

93.89%

Cappuccino

$6.89 DKK 44.92

$2.03 ฿67.9

239.41%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 DKK 28.78

$0.80 ฿26.71

452.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 DKK 20.22

$0.35 ฿11.71

785.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.13 DKK 59.5

$2.14 ฿71.7

326.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.74 DKK 50.4

$3.67 ฿123

110.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 DKK 13.46

$1.73 ฿57.8

19.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 DKK 20.71

$1.57 ฿52.5

102.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 DKK 16.77

$1.20 ฿40.10

114.17%

Eggs

$5.00 DKK 32.60

$1.97 ฿66.0

153.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.37 DKK 87.1

$16.23 ฿543

-17.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.90 DKK 71.0

$3.06 ฿102

256.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.16 DKK 105

$10.80 ฿361

49.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 DKK 19.86

$2.77 ฿92.6

10.11%

Banana (1kg)

$3.33 DKK 21.69

$1.17 ฿39.05

184.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 DKK 23.16

$1.71 ฿57.1

107.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 DKK 35.54

$1.59 ฿53.3

242.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 DKK 14.98

$1.39 ฿46.63

65.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 DKK 11.69

$1.16 ฿38.67

54.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 DKK 14.62

$0.66 ฿22.11

239.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 DKK 5.21

$0.52 ฿17.35

53.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.18 DKK 66.3

$4.65 ฿155

118.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.18 DKK 66.3

$17.78 ฿595

-42.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 DKK 11.39

$1.79 ฿59.8

-2.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 DKK 13.85

$3.34 ฿112

-36.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.62 DKK 23.57

$0.91 ฿30.35

297.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.1 DKK 509

$18.64 ฿624

318.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.64 DKK 49.78

$1.41 ฿47.17

441.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 DKK 10.84

$1.34 ฿44.82

23.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.3 DKK 400

$8.11 ฿271

656.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 DKK 14.19

$1.23 ฿41.27

77.24%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$49.6K DKK 323.3K

$21.4K ฿717.0K

131.42%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$48.3K DKK 314.6K

$21.8K ฿730.0K

121.18%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$198 DKK 1,290

$71.3 ฿2,386

177.47%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$17.29 DKK 113

$14.01 ฿469

23.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.13 DKK 268

$17.93 ฿600

129.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.82 DKK 273

$40.82 ฿1,365

2.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.14 DKK 196

$6.88 ฿230

338.08%

Cinema Ticket

$18.57 DKK 121

$5.72 ฿191

224.65%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$600 DKK 3,913

$308 ฿10.3K

94.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,755 DKK 37.5K

$14.7K ฿491.0K

-60.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 DKK 673

$55.8 ฿1,865

85.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.05 DKK 235

$26.04 ฿871

38.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 DKK 798

$84.8 ฿2,837

44.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$195 DKK 1,272

$71.0 ฿2,375

174.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$930 DKK 6,063

$423 ฿14.2K

119.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 DKK 10.0K

$242 ฿8,110

534.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,061 DKK 19.9K

$797 ฿26.7K

283.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,788 DKK 18.2K

$507 ฿17.0K

450.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,486 DKK 29.2K

$1,918 ฿64.2K

133.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,069 DKK 20.0K

$1,464 ฿49.0K

109.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,868 DKK 38.2K

$595 ฿19.9K

886.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

-12.40%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ballerup: July 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $930 in Ballerup and $423 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballerup pays 886% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $126 in Ballerup vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $244 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ballerup vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 248% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 886% higher in Ballerup, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $930 in Ballerup versus $423 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $600 in Ballerup versus $308 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Ballerup. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $2,964 in Ballerup, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Ballerup. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ballerup, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ballerup and Chiang Mai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 248% less than in Ballerup. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.