Cost of Living Comparison Between Ballerup and Copenhagen Cost of Living Comparison Between Ballerup and Copenhagen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,273 in Ballerup versus $3,071 in Copenhagen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,590 in Ballerup versus $4,668 in Copenhagen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,908 in Ballerup versus $6,265 in Copenhagen.

Living in Ballerup costs roughly 26% less than in Copenhagen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ballerup 65% above, Copenhagen 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.21 DKK 150

$23.19 DKK 149

0.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 DKK 790

$122 DKK 789

0.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.44 DKK 99.5

$13.88 DKK 89.4

11.24%

Cappuccino

$7.42 DKK 47.81

$7.05 DKK 45.46

5.25%

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

$4.45 DKK 28.68

$5.55 DKK 35.79

-19.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 DKK 23.61

$3.98 DKK 25.66

-8.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.60 DKK 61.9

$9.34 DKK 60.2

2.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.60 DKK 48.95

$7.77 DKK 50.1

-2.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 DKK 13.85

$2.25 DKK 14.48

-4.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.99 DKK 25.74

$4.78 DKK 30.82

-16.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 DKK 15.24

$3.06 DKK 19.75

-22.55%

Eggs

$5.02 DKK 32.35

$6.08 DKK 39.17

-17.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.12 DKK 104

$18.09 DKK 117

-10.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.97 DKK 77.1

$14.47 DKK 93.3

-17.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.33 DKK 125

$25.92 DKK 167

-25.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 DKK 21.04

$3.47 DKK 22.33

-6.05%

Banana (1kg)

$3.40 DKK 21.93

$3.27 DKK 21.08

3.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.92 DKK 25.25

$4.46 DKK 28.73

-12.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.47 DKK 35.25

$5.74 DKK 37.01

-4.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 DKK 15.10

$2.45 DKK 15.81

-4.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 DKK 13.59

$2.23 DKK 14.35

-5.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 DKK 14.18

$2.32 DKK 14.94

-5.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 DKK 9.39

$1.39 DKK 8.95

5.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.91 DKK 63.9

$9.89 DKK 63.8

0.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.56 DKK 68.1

$11.30 DKK 72.8

-6.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 DKK 11.99

$1.88 DKK 12.12

-1.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 DKK 15.56

$2.45 DKK 15.81

-1.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.79 DKK 24.40

$3.67 DKK 23.64

3.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.4 DKK 634

$123 DKK 796

-20.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.99 DKK 38.62

$6.13 DKK 39.53

-2.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 DKK 11.21

$1.72 DKK 11.09

1.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.2 DKK 414

$93.1 DKK 600

-31.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.58 DKK 16.65

$2.51 DKK 16.16

2.79%

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

$52.9K DKK 340.8K

$51.8K DKK 333.7K

2.13%

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

$54.0K DKK 348.3K

$54.6K DKK 351.9K

-1.03%

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

$192 DKK 1,237

$197 DKK 1,273

-2.78%

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

$12.24 DKK 78.9

$12.30 DKK 79.3

-0.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.14 DKK 252

$39.33 DKK 253

-0.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.47 DKK 274

$65.3 DKK 421

-34.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.35 DKK 163

$37.83 DKK 244

-32.99%

Cinema Ticket

$20.67 DKK 133

$20.82 DKK 134

-0.72%

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

$751 DKK 4,838

$1,004 DKK 6,473

-25.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,235 DKK 40.2K

$9,077 DKK 58.5K

-31.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 DKK 703

$111 DKK 714

-1.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.08 DKK 316

$56.2 DKK 362

-12.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 DKK 857

$137 DKK 880

-2.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$196 DKK 1,260

$208 DKK 1,341

-6.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$964 DKK 6,214

$2,044 DKK 13.2K

-52.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$762 DKK 4,910

$1,479 DKK 9,534

-48.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 DKK 11.0K

$3,321 DKK 21.4K

-48.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 DKK 8,372

$2,359 DKK 15.2K

-44.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,896 DKK 31.5K

$11.8K DKK 76.1K

-58.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,526 DKK 22.7K

$8,657 DKK 55.8K

-59.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,059 DKK 39.0K

$4,678 DKK 30.1K

29.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.7

3.81

-2.89%

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

Last update for Ballerup: September 6, 2026

Last update for Copenhagen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $964 in Ballerup and $2,044 in Copenhagen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballerup pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $123 in Ballerup vs $122 in Copenhagen. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $469, with Ballerup cheaper for home cooking.

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 Copenhagen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ballerup is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 30% 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 $2,044 in Copenhagen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $751 in Ballerup versus $1,004 in Copenhagen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Copenhagen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,273 in Ballerup versus $3,071 in Copenhagen, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ballerup but tight or insufficient in Copenhagen. The gap between the two cities makes Ballerup the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Ballerup and Copenhagen 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 Ballerup gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Copenhagen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.