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: $3,010 in Ballerup versus $869 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,664 in Ballerup versus $1,362 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,317 in Ballerup versus $1,855 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Ballerup is roughly 246% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ballerup is 124% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.53 DKK 164

$1.98 ฿64.3

1189.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$127 DKK 815

$18.80 ฿612

572.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.68 DKK 101

$7.75 ฿252

102.32%

Cappuccino

$6.78 DKK 43.70

$1.92 ฿62.5

253.13%

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

$4.43 DKK 28.54

$0.79 ฿25.79

460.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 DKK 20.89

$0.36 ฿11.62

800.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.36 DKK 60.3

$2.21 ฿72.1

323.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.67 DKK 49.37

$3.66 ฿119

109.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 DKK 12.82

$1.65 ฿53.8

20.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 DKK 20.98

$1.63 ฿53.2

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 DKK 15.97

$1.19 ฿38.86

108.40%

Eggs

$4.86 DKK 31.32

$2.00 ฿65.1

143.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.64 DKK 87.8

$15.98 ฿520

-14.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 DKK 68.5

$3.03 ฿98.5

250.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.97 DKK 103

$10.86 ฿354

47.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 DKK 19.51

$2.76 ฿90.0

9.78%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 DKK 20.73

$1.18 ฿38.42

172.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 DKK 22.80

$1.64 ฿53.5

115.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 DKK 36.38

$1.52 ฿49.51

271.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 DKK 14.68

$1.38 ฿45.10

65.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 DKK 11.43

$1.19 ฿38.84

48.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 DKK 15.10

$0.70 ฿22.86

234.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 DKK 5.38

$0.56 ฿18.13

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.12 DKK 65.2

$4.58 ฿149

120.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.25 DKK 66.1

$16.56 ฿539

-38.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 DKK 11.56

$1.83 ฿59.5

-1.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 DKK 13.23

$3.20 ฿104

-35.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.65 DKK 23.53

$0.88 ฿28.56

314.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 DKK 505

$18.72 ฿610

319.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.65 DKK 49.25

$1.36 ฿44.16

462.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 DKK 11.25

$1.34 ฿43.65

30.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.4 DKK 395

$7.84 ฿256

682.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 DKK 13.57

$1.23 ฿39.92

71.54%

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

$48.0K DKK 308.9K

$21.6K ฿704.3K

121.76%

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

$47.8K DKK 307.8K

$22.5K ฿734.3K

111.95%

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

$199 DKK 1,281

$70.5 ฿2,298

181.85%

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

$17.67 DKK 114

$13.68 ฿445

29.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.94 DKK 264

$17.45 ฿568

134.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.66 DKK 262

$41.33 ฿1,346

-1.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.29 DKK 195

$6.96 ฿227

335.20%

Cinema Ticket

$18.46 DKK 119

$5.77 ฿188

219.93%

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

$607 DKK 3,907

$307 ฿10.0K

97.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,948 DKK 38.3K

$14.6K ฿475.9K

-59.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 DKK 662

$55.8 ฿1,817

84.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.98 DKK 225

$26.21 ฿854

33.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 DKK 764

$85.8 ฿2,793

38.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$198 DKK 1,274

$72.2 ฿2,353

173.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,354 DKK 15.2K

$430 ฿14.0K

447.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 DKK 9,976

$239 ฿7,774

548.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,119 DKK 20.1K

$817 ฿26.6K

281.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 DKK 17.7K

$511 ฿16.6K

438.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,593 DKK 29.6K

$1,983 ฿64.6K

131.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,179 DKK 26.9K

$1,484 ฿48.3K

181.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,077 DKK 39.1K

$619 ฿20.2K

882.00%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,354 in Ballerup and $430 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballerup pays 882% 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: $127 in Ballerup vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $241 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 246% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Ballerup pays 882% more on average, 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: $2,354 in Ballerup versus $430 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Ballerup versus $307 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Ballerup. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $869 in Chiang Mai versus $3,010 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 246% less than in Ballerup. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.