Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bethesda, MD and Ballerup

For one person, living is cheaper in Ballerup: $2,155 a month against $3,141 in Bethesda, MD, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Bethesda, MD
Learn more

Bethesda, MD Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Ballerup
Learn more

Ballerup Living Index

Jump to prices

Bethesda, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,141

/mo nomad

Ballerup

🇩🇰 Denmark

$2,155

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bethesda, MD and in Ballerup

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bethesda, MD and in Ballerup actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,141 in Bethesda, MD versus $2,155 in Ballerup.

Bethesda, MD $3,141
Ballerup $2,155

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,927 in Bethesda, MD versus $3,444 in Ballerup.

Bethesda, MD $4,927
Ballerup $3,444

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,712 in Bethesda, MD versus $4,732 in Ballerup.

Bethesda, MD $6,712
Ballerup $4,732

Living in Bethesda, MD is roughly 46% more expensive than in Ballerup, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bethesda, MD 132% above, Ballerup 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.20 $22.20

$22.68 DKK 151

-2.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$120 DKK 800

-15.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 $10.92

$14.98 DKK 99.7

-27.10%

Cappuccino

$5.62 $5.62

$7.23 DKK 48.06

-22.27%

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

$3.03 $3.03

$4.16 DKK 27.67

-27.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$3.52 DKK 23.41

-32.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.86 $6.86

$9.22 DKK 61.3

-25.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.19 $9.19

$7.63 DKK 50.7

20.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$2.03 DKK 13.49

-43.35%

White Bread (500g)

$4.35 $4.35

$3.91 DKK 26.03

11.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.37 DKK 15.79

58.23%

Eggs

$4.50 $4.50

$4.88 DKK 32.43

-7.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.64 $16.64

$15.55 DKK 103

7.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.90 $15.90

$11.26 DKK 74.9

41.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$18.04 DKK 120

26.83%

Apples (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$3.20 DKK 21.30

74.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 $1.36

$3.02 DKK 20.06

-54.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$3.70 DKK 24.61

9.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$5.11 DKK 33.96

-15.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.26 DKK 15.03

-3.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.03 DKK 13.51

31.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.04 DKK 13.56

12.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.35 DKK 8.96

90.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.66 $9.66

$9.34 DKK 62.1

3.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.84 $17.84

$10.21 DKK 67.9

74.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.84 DKK 12.26

-4.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.49 DKK 16.55

16.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.69 DKK 24.53

-17.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.1 $99.1

$94.0 DKK 625

5.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.94 $3.94

$5.69 DKK 37.83

-30.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.62 DKK 10.76

-24.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.91 $24.91

$61.7 DKK 410

-59.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$2.59 DKK 17.22

-64.48%

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

$23.2K $23.2K

$49.9K DKK 332.1K

-53.50%

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

$23.9K $23.9K

$52.1K DKK 346.7K

-54.16%

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

$167 $167

$179 DKK 1,192

-7.12%

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

$38.68 $38.68

$11.25 DKK 74.9

243.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.6 $62.6

$37.68 DKK 251

66.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$105 $105

$40.81 DKK 271

156.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.93 $29.93

$25.01 DKK 166

19.67%

Cinema Ticket

$16.04 $16.04

$19.94 DKK 133

-19.56%

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

$1,611 $1,611

$730 DKK 4,856

120.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.6K $36.6K

$6,034 DKK 40.1K

505.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 $56.3

$106 DKK 707

-47.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.8 $57.8

$45.90 DKK 305

25.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$126 DKK 835

-19.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 $148

$189 DKK 1,257

-21.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,276 $2,276

$920 DKK 6,116

147.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,638 $1,638

$718 DKK 4,777

128.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,975 $3,975

$1,621 DKK 10.8K

145.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,209 $3,209

$1,265 DKK 8,415

153.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,921 $5,921

$4,736 DKK 31.5K

25.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,355 $5,355

$3,731 DKK 24.8K

43.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,587 $8,587

$5,945 DKK 39.5K

44.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.67

85.01%

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

Last update for Bethesda, MD: October 18, 2026

Last update for Ballerup: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bethesda, MD

$1.6K 52.1%

Ballerup

$718 33.3% 56.1% $920

Groceries & Markets

Bethesda, MD

$462 14.7%

Ballerup

$390 18.1% 15.6% $72

Eating Out

Bethesda, MD

$352 11.2%

Ballerup

$405 18.8% 15% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bethesda, MD

$268 8.5%

Ballerup

$228 10.6% 14.8% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Bethesda, MD

$163 5.2%

Ballerup

$210 9.8% 28.8% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Bethesda, MD

$137 4.4%

Ballerup

$81 3.7% 41% $56

Getting Around

Bethesda, MD

$121 3.9%

Ballerup

$123 5.7% 1% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,276 in Bethesda, MD and $920 in Ballerup. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bethesda, MD pays 44% 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: $101 in Bethesda, MD vs $120 in Ballerup. Groceries flip the comparison at $462 vs $390, with Ballerup cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bethesda, MD

🇩🇰 Ballerup

🕒 Local time

07:37 7:37 AM

13:37 1:37 PM

6 h ahead of Bethesda, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,858

39,087

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Danish Krone DKK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 DKK = 0.15 USD

1 DKK = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DKK, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇩🇰 Danish Krone (kr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Danish Krone exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 DKK (1 DKK = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.48 DKK (1 DKK = 0.134 EUR).

DKK to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bethesda, MD Ballerup 6,500 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Bethesda, MD
Ballerup

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Bethesda, MD vs Ballerup: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ballerup is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. The 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 44% higher in Bethesda, MD, 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: $2,276 in Bethesda, MD versus $920 in Ballerup. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,611 in Bethesda, MD versus $730 in Ballerup. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Bethesda, MD. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,155 in Ballerup versus $3,141 in Bethesda, MD, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ballerup but tight or insufficient in Bethesda, MD. 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 Bethesda, MD, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bethesda, MD and Ballerup 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 46% less than in Bethesda, MD. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.