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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,107 in Copenhagen versus $2,985 in Ballerup.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,753 in Copenhagen versus $4,665 in Ballerup.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,399 in Copenhagen versus $6,346 in Ballerup.

Living in Copenhagen is roughly 4% more expensive than Ballerup, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Copenhagen 132% above, Ballerup 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.36 DKK 162

$25.64 DKK 164

-1.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 DKK 790

$125 DKK 795

-0.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.80 DKK 101

$15.32 DKK 97.8

3.13%

Cappuccino

$6.78 DKK 43.24

$6.90 DKK 44.05

-1.74%

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

$4.44 DKK 28.34

$4.36 DKK 27.80

1.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 DKK 21.86

$3.23 DKK 20.60

6.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.05 DKK 57.7

$9.06 DKK 57.8

-0.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.17 DKK 58.5

$7.94 DKK 50.6

15.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 DKK 13.81

$2.00 DKK 12.74

8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.89 DKK 31.18

$3.19 DKK 20.35

53.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 DKK 20.72

$2.58 DKK 16.45

25.97%

Eggs

$5.60 DKK 35.70

$4.86 DKK 30.98

15.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.22 DKK 97.1

$13.29 DKK 84.8

14.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.11 DKK 77.3

$10.57 DKK 67.4

14.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.79 DKK 107

$16.01 DKK 102

4.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 DKK 21.19

$3.07 DKK 19.60

8.14%

Banana (1kg)

$3.50 DKK 22.35

$3.38 DKK 21.53

3.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.71 DKK 23.69

$3.52 DKK 22.47

5.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.47 DKK 34.92

$5.47 DKK 34.88

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 DKK 16.45

$2.29 DKK 14.61

12.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 DKK 13.52

$1.73 DKK 11.04

22.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 DKK 14.96

$2.28 DKK 14.52

2.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 DKK 10.33

$0.83 DKK 5.27

95.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 DKK 64.4

$10.04 DKK 64.1

0.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.79 DKK 75.2

$10.22 DKK 65.2

15.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 DKK 11.44

$1.81 DKK 11.53

-1.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 DKK 15.32

$2.07 DKK 13.23

15.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.69 DKK 23.55

$3.68 DKK 23.46

0.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$116 DKK 740

$77.4 DKK 494

49.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 DKK 50.1

$7.94 DKK 50.7

-1.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 DKK 13.13

$1.67 DKK 10.63

23.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$110 DKK 700

$62.2 DKK 397

76.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 DKK 14.46

$2.20 DKK 14.01

3.18%

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

$50.3K DKK 321.0K

$48.3K DKK 308.0K

4.20%

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

$51.8K DKK 330.5K

$47.8K DKK 305.1K

8.34%

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

$203 DKK 1,297

$203 DKK 1,294

0.22%

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

$17.62 DKK 112

$17.66 DKK 113

-0.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.78 DKK 279

$41.30 DKK 264

6.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.2 DKK 359

$41.97 DKK 268

34.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.24 DKK 231

$29.70 DKK 190

22.02%

Cinema Ticket

$20.15 DKK 129

$18.26 DKK 117

10.35%

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

$606 DKK 3,869

$596 DKK 3,804

1.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K DKK 104.3K

$5,924 DKK 37.8K

175.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$130 DKK 829

$104 DKK 666

24.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.8 DKK 337

$36.38 DKK 232

45.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 DKK 890

$118 DKK 755

17.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 DKK 1,271

$195 DKK 1,245

2.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 DKK 12.7K

$2,329 DKK 14.9K

-14.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 DKK 9,375

$1,526 DKK 9,738

-3.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,528 DKK 22.5K

$3,145 DKK 20.1K

12.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,490 DKK 15.9K

$2,766 DKK 17.6K

-9.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K DKK 67.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,357 DKK 46.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,002 DKK 31.9K

$6,159 DKK 39.3K

-18.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.19

4.38

-4.34%

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

Last update for Copenhagen: April 26, 2026

Last update for Ballerup: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,993 in Copenhagen and $2,329 in Ballerup. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballerup pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $124 in Copenhagen vs $125 in Ballerup. Groceries flip the comparison at $420 vs $362, 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

Copenhagen vs Ballerup: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ballerup is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Ballerup earns 23% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,993 in Copenhagen versus $2,329 in Ballerup. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $606 in Copenhagen versus $596 in Ballerup. 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.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Ballerup is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Copenhagen 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 4% less than in Copenhagen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.