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: $2,964 in Ballerup versus $3,111 in Copenhagen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,578 in Ballerup versus $4,750 in Copenhagen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,191 in Ballerup versus $6,390 in Copenhagen.

Living in Ballerup costs roughly 5% less than in Copenhagen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ballerup 123% above, Copenhagen 134% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.77 DKK 168

$25.57 DKK 167

0.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 DKK 823

$123 DKK 803

2.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.24 DKK 99.3

$15.48 DKK 101

-1.55%

Cappuccino

$6.89 DKK 44.92

$6.81 DKK 44.38

1.17%

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

$4.42 DKK 28.78

$4.32 DKK 28.14

2.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 DKK 20.22

$3.36 DKK 21.92

-7.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.13 DKK 59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.74 DKK 50.4

$8.79 DKK 57.3

-11.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 DKK 13.46

$2.20 DKK 14.35

-5.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 DKK 20.71

$4.65 DKK 30.31

-31.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 DKK 16.77

$3.23 DKK 21.02

-20.43%

Eggs

$5.00 DKK 32.60

$5.69 DKK 37.09

-12.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.37 DKK 87.1

$15.34 DKK 100

-12.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.90 DKK 71.0

$12.49 DKK 81.4

-12.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.16 DKK 105

$16.64 DKK 108

-2.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 DKK 19.86

$3.36 DKK 21.87

-9.23%

Banana (1kg)

$3.33 DKK 21.69

$3.55 DKK 23.17

-6.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 DKK 23.16

$3.84 DKK 25.04

-7.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 DKK 35.54

$5.70 DKK 37.18

-4.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 DKK 14.98

$2.63 DKK 17.15

-12.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 DKK 11.69

$2.24 DKK 14.57

-20.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 DKK 14.62

$2.32 DKK 15.10

-3.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 DKK 5.21

$1.63 DKK 10.61

-50.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.18 DKK 66.3

$10.22 DKK 66.6

-0.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.18 DKK 66.3

$11.90 DKK 77.6

-14.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 DKK 11.39

$1.78 DKK 11.61

-1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 DKK 13.85

$2.50 DKK 16.31

-14.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.62 DKK 23.57

$3.74 DKK 24.39

-3.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.1 DKK 509

$116 DKK 753

-32.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.64 DKK 49.78

$7.94 DKK 51.8

-3.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 DKK 10.84

$2.05 DKK 13.33

-19.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.3 DKK 400

$109 DKK 712

-43.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 DKK 14.19

$2.18 DKK 14.23

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

$49.6K DKK 323.3K

$49.5K DKK 322.5K

0.25%

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

$48.3K DKK 314.6K

$52.0K DKK 339.1K

-7.23%

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

$198 DKK 1,290

$202 DKK 1,319

-2.17%

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

$17.29 DKK 113

$17.63 DKK 115

-1.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.13 DKK 268

$44.06 DKK 287

-6.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.82 DKK 273

$55.9 DKK 364

-25.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.14 DKK 196

$35.90 DKK 234

-16.04%

Cinema Ticket

$18.57 DKK 121

$20.46 DKK 133

-9.24%

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

$600 DKK 3,913

$602 DKK 3,923

-0.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,755 DKK 37.5K

$16.2K DKK 105.3K

-64.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 DKK 673

$129 DKK 838

-19.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.05 DKK 235

$52.4 DKK 341

-31.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 DKK 798

$142 DKK 925

-13.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$195 DKK 1,272

$198 DKK 1,289

-1.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$930 DKK 6,063

$2,018 DKK 13.2K

-53.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 DKK 10.0K

$1,462 DKK 9,530

5.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,061 DKK 19.9K

$3,527 DKK 23.0K

-13.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,788 DKK 18.2K

$2,515 DKK 16.4K

10.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,486 DKK 29.2K

$11.7K DKK 76.1K

-61.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,069 DKK 20.0K

$8,352 DKK 54.4K

-63.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,868 DKK 38.2K

$4,633 DKK 30.2K

26.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

4.19

4.53%

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

Last update for Ballerup: July 26, 2026

Last update for Copenhagen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $930 in Ballerup and $2,018 in Copenhagen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballerup pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $126 in Ballerup vs $123 in Copenhagen. Groceries flip the comparison at $365 vs $423, 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 Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 27% 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 $2,018 in Copenhagen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $600 in Ballerup versus $602 in Copenhagen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Copenhagen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,964 in Ballerup versus $3,111 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 5% less than in Copenhagen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.