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

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

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

Living in Copenhagen is roughly 5% more expensive than in Ballerup, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.57 DKK 166

$25.77 DKK 167

-0.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 DKK 798

$126 DKK 818

-2.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.48 DKK 100

$15.24 DKK 98.7

1.57%

Cappuccino

$6.81 DKK 44.09

$6.89 DKK 44.63

-1.16%

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

$4.32 DKK 27.96

$4.42 DKK 28.59

-2.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 DKK 21.78

$3.10 DKK 20.09

8.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.13 DKK 59.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.79 DKK 56.9

$7.74 DKK 50.1

13.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 DKK 14.26

$2.07 DKK 13.37

6.28%

White Bread (500g)

$4.65 DKK 30.12

$3.18 DKK 20.58

46.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.23 DKK 20.89

$2.57 DKK 16.66

25.68%

Eggs

$5.69 DKK 36.85

$5.00 DKK 32.39

13.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.34 DKK 99.4

$13.37 DKK 86.5

14.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.49 DKK 80.9

$10.90 DKK 70.6

14.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.64 DKK 108

$16.16 DKK 105

2.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 DKK 21.73

$3.05 DKK 19.73

10.16%

Banana (1kg)

$3.55 DKK 23.01

$3.33 DKK 21.55

6.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.84 DKK 24.88

$3.55 DKK 23.01

8.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 DKK 36.94

$5.45 DKK 35.31

4.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 DKK 17.04

$2.30 DKK 14.88

14.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 DKK 14.47

$1.79 DKK 11.61

25.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 DKK 15.00

$2.24 DKK 14.53

3.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 DKK 10.54

$0.80 DKK 5.18

103.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.22 DKK 66.2

$10.18 DKK 65.9

0.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 DKK 77.0

$10.18 DKK 65.9

16.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 DKK 11.54

$1.75 DKK 11.32

1.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 DKK 16.20

$2.13 DKK 13.76

17.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 DKK 24.23

$3.62 DKK 23.41

3.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$116 DKK 748

$78.1 DKK 506

47.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.94 DKK 51.4

$7.64 DKK 49.45

3.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 DKK 13.25

$1.66 DKK 10.77

23.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$109 DKK 707

$61.3 DKK 397

78.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 DKK 14.13

$2.18 DKK 14.10

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

$49.5K DKK 320.4K

$49.6K DKK 321.2K

-0.25%

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

$52.0K DKK 336.9K

$48.3K DKK 312.5K

7.80%

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

$202 DKK 1,310

$198 DKK 1,282

2.21%

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

$17.63 DKK 114

$17.29 DKK 112

1.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.06 DKK 285

$41.13 DKK 266

7.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 DKK 362

$41.82 DKK 271

33.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.90 DKK 232

$30.14 DKK 195

19.11%

Cinema Ticket

$20.46 DKK 132

$18.57 DKK 120

10.18%

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

$602 DKK 3,898

$600 DKK 3,888

0.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K DKK 104.6K

$5,755 DKK 37.3K

180.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$129 DKK 833

$103 DKK 668

24.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 DKK 339

$36.05 DKK 233

45.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 DKK 919

$122 DKK 792

15.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$198 DKK 1,280

$195 DKK 1,263

1.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 DKK 13.1K

$930 DKK 6,024

116.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 DKK 9,468

$1,538 DKK 9,958

-4.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,527 DKK 22.8K

$3,061 DKK 19.8K

15.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,515 DKK 16.3K

$2,788 DKK 18.1K

-9.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.7K DKK 75.6K

$4,486 DKK 29.0K

160.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,352 DKK 54.1K

$3,069 DKK 19.9K

172.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,633 DKK 30.0K

$5,868 DKK 38.0K

-21.03%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ballerup: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,018 in Copenhagen and $930 in Ballerup. 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: $123 in Copenhagen vs $126 in Ballerup. Groceries flip the comparison at $423 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

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 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Ballerup. 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: $2,018 in Copenhagen versus $930 in Ballerup. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $602 in Copenhagen versus $600 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.

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, 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 5% less than in Copenhagen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.