Cost of Living Comparison Between Bethesda, MD and Ballerup Cost of Living Comparison Between Bethesda, MD and Ballerup

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,377 in Bethesda, MD versus $2,971 in Ballerup.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,921 in Bethesda, MD versus $4,573 in Ballerup.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,466 in Bethesda, MD versus $6,174 in Ballerup.

Living in Bethesda, MD is roughly 14% more expensive than in Ballerup, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bethesda, MD 153% above, Ballerup 122% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.42 $16.42

$25.76 DKK 168

-36.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.9 $79.9

$125 DKK 817

-36.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.20 $8.20

$15.76 DKK 103

-47.97%

Cappuccino

$5.83 $5.83

$7.13 DKK 46.60

-18.23%

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

$2.52 $2.52

$4.40 DKK 28.76

-42.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$3.20 DKK 20.90

-26.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 $5.93

$9.23 DKK 60.3

-35.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.82 $7.82

$7.78 DKK 50.8

0.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$2.03 DKK 13.30

-41.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.32 DKK 21.66

18.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$2.52 DKK 16.45

49.21%

Eggs

$4.23 $4.23

$4.93 DKK 32.23

-14.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.97 $8.97

$13.70 DKK 89.5

-34.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.87 $10.87

$10.76 DKK 70.3

1.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.70 $12.70

$15.83 DKK 103

-19.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$2.95 DKK 19.24

55.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 $1.35

$3.23 DKK 21.07

-58.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$3.59 DKK 23.42

11.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$5.42 DKK 35.44

-20.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.39 DKK 15.59

-10.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.81 DKK 11.82

46.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.34 DKK 15.30

-5.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$0.84 DKK 5.48

138.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.22 $14.22

$10.27 DKK 67.1

38.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.84 $17.84

$10.50 DKK 68.6

69.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.71 DKK 11.19

2.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.05 DKK 13.38

53.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.62 DKK 23.68

-19.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 $100

$77.3 DKK 505

29.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 $5.11

$7.64 DKK 49.93

-33.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.73 DKK 11.31

-21.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.79 $34.79

$61.8 DKK 404

-43.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$2.11 DKK 13.79

-61.61%

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

$23.1K $23.1K

$49.3K DKK 322.0K

-53.07%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$48.0K DKK 313.7K

-46.42%

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

$252 $252

$200 DKK 1,309

25.53%

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

$38.46 $38.46

$17.39 DKK 114

121.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 $84.8

$41.27 DKK 270

105.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$139 $139

$42.19 DKK 276

229.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.59 $29.59

$29.24 DKK 191

1.20%

Cinema Ticket

$14.91 $14.91

$18.83 DKK 123

-20.82%

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

$3,194 $3,194

$610 DKK 3,987

423.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$65.5K $65.5K

$5,760 DKK 37.6K

1036.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.2 $70.2

$103 DKK 671

-31.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.6 $57.6

$35.62 DKK 233

61.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 $95.7

$120 DKK 785

-20.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 $149

$200 DKK 1,304

-25.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,252 $2,252

$928 DKK 6,066

142.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,859 $1,859

$1,534 DKK 10.0K

21.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,011 $4,011

$3,108 DKK 20.3K

29.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,110 $3,110

$2,767 DKK 18.1K

12.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,941 $5,941

$5,697 DKK 37.2K

4.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,396 $5,396

$3,994 DKK 26.1K

35.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,537 $8,537

$6,077 DKK 39.7K

40.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

4.38

54.11%

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

Last update for Bethesda, MD: July 13, 2026

Last update for Ballerup: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,252 in Bethesda, MD and $928 in Ballerup. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bethesda, MD pays 40% 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: $80.0 in Bethesda, MD vs $125 in Ballerup. Groceries flip the comparison at $366 vs $365, 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

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

Ballerup is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 40% 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: $2,252 in Bethesda, MD versus $928 in Ballerup. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,194 in Bethesda, MD versus $610 in Ballerup. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Bethesda, MD. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,971 in Ballerup versus $3,377 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 14% less than in Bethesda, MD. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.