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: $2,273 in Ballerup versus $950 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,590 in Ballerup versus $1,430 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,908 in Ballerup versus $1,909 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Ballerup is roughly 139% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ballerup is 65% above, Chiang Mai is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.21 DKK 150

$2.10 ฿69.3

1005.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 DKK 790

$19.84 ฿656

517.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.44 DKK 99.5

$5.79 ฿191

166.67%

Cappuccino

$7.42 DKK 47.81

$1.83 ฿60.4

305.46%

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

$4.45 DKK 28.68

$0.78 ฿25.61

470.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 DKK 23.61

$0.31 ฿10.37

1080.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.60 DKK 61.9

$2.34 ฿77.2

310.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.60 DKK 48.95

$3.70 ฿122

105.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 DKK 13.85

$2.03 ฿67.1

5.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.99 DKK 25.74

$1.60 ฿52.7

149.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 DKK 15.24

$1.42 ฿46.75

66.90%

Eggs

$5.02 DKK 32.35

$2.18 ฿71.9

130.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.12 DKK 104

$15.91 ฿526

1.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.97 DKK 77.1

$3.07 ฿102

289.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.33 DKK 125

$9.87 ฿326

95.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 DKK 21.04

$2.63 ฿86.8

23.95%

Banana (1kg)

$3.40 DKK 21.93

$1.10 ฿36.19

209.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.92 DKK 25.25

$1.63 ฿53.8

140.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.47 DKK 35.25

$1.53 ฿50.6

257.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 DKK 15.10

$1.24 ฿41.13

88.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 DKK 13.59

$1.13 ฿37.37

86.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 DKK 14.18

$0.74 ฿24.38

197.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 DKK 9.39

$0.50 ฿16.48

192.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.91 DKK 63.9

$4.28 ฿141

131.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.56 DKK 68.1

$17.97 ฿594

-41.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 DKK 11.99

$1.70 ฿56.1

9.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 DKK 15.56

$2.90 ฿95.7

-16.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.79 DKK 24.40

$0.94 ฿31.13

303.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.4 DKK 634

$55.3 ฿1,827

78.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.99 DKK 38.62

$1.23 ฿40.76

386.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 DKK 11.21

$0.53 ฿17.66

228.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.2 DKK 414

$2.40 ฿79.3

2575.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.58 DKK 16.65

$1.44 ฿47.55

79.17%

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

$52.9K DKK 340.8K

$21.2K ฿700.2K

149.54%

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

$54.0K DKK 348.3K

$27.3K ฿902.1K

97.94%

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

$192 DKK 1,237

$64.9 ฿2,145

195.67%

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

$12.24 DKK 78.9

$13.35 ฿441

-8.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.14 DKK 252

$20.83 ฿688

87.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.47 DKK 274

$40.42 ฿1,336

5.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.35 DKK 163

$3.95 ฿131

541.77%

Cinema Ticket

$20.67 DKK 133

$6.71 ฿222

208.05%

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

$751 DKK 4,838

$787 ฿26.0K

-4.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,235 DKK 40.2K

$15.1K ฿499.6K

-58.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 DKK 703

$56.2 ฿1,858

94.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.08 DKK 316

$24.95 ฿824

96.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 DKK 857

$92.7 ฿3,063

43.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$196 DKK 1,260

$75.1 ฿2,482

160.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$964 DKK 6,214

$484 ฿16.0K

99.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$762 DKK 4,910

$287 ฿9,491

165.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 DKK 11.0K

$910 ฿30.1K

88.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 DKK 8,372

$531 ฿17.5K

144.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,896 DKK 31.5K

$1,980 ฿65.4K

147.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,526 DKK 22.7K

$1,451 ฿47.9K

142.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,059 DKK 39.0K

$605 ฿20.0K

901.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.7

5.57

-33.57%

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

Last update for Ballerup: September 6, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $964 in Ballerup and $484 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballerup pays 901% 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: $123 in Ballerup vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $242 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 139% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 901% 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: $964 in Ballerup versus $484 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $751 in Ballerup versus $787 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Ballerup. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $950 in Chiang Mai versus $2,273 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 139% less than in Ballerup. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.