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: $3,117 in Copenhagen versus $3,010 in Ballerup.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,707 in Copenhagen versus $4,664 in Ballerup.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,297 in Copenhagen versus $6,317 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 124% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.31 DKK 163

$25.53 DKK 164

-0.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 DKK 785

$127 DKK 815

-3.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.47 DKK 99.7

$15.68 DKK 101

-1.34%

Cappuccino

$6.93 DKK 44.66

$6.78 DKK 43.70

2.21%

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

$4.48 DKK 28.87

$4.43 DKK 28.54

1.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 DKK 21.65

$3.24 DKK 20.89

3.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.19 DKK 59.2

$9.36 DKK 60.3

-1.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.72 DKK 56.2

$7.67 DKK 49.37

13.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 DKK 14.79

$1.99 DKK 12.82

15.58%

White Bread (500g)

$4.73 DKK 30.49

$3.26 DKK 20.98

45.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 DKK 21.43

$2.48 DKK 15.97

34.27%

Eggs

$5.83 DKK 37.56

$4.86 DKK 31.32

19.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.68 DKK 101

$13.64 DKK 87.8

14.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.12 DKK 78.1

$10.63 DKK 68.5

14.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.86 DKK 109

$15.97 DKK 103

5.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 DKK 21.51

$3.03 DKK 19.51

10.23%

Banana (1kg)

$3.54 DKK 22.82

$3.22 DKK 20.73

9.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 DKK 24.70

$3.54 DKK 22.80

8.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.71 DKK 36.76

$5.65 DKK 36.38

1.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 DKK 17.06

$2.28 DKK 14.68

16.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 DKK 13.94

$1.77 DKK 11.43

22.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 DKK 15.00

$2.34 DKK 15.10

-0.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 DKK 10.94

$0.84 DKK 5.38

102.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.27 DKK 66.1

$10.12 DKK 65.2

1.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.37 DKK 73.2

$10.25 DKK 66.1

10.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 DKK 11.55

$1.80 DKK 11.56

-0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 DKK 15.85

$2.05 DKK 13.23

20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.69 DKK 23.76

$3.65 DKK 23.53

1.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$118 DKK 763

$78.5 DKK 505

50.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.61 DKK 49.04

$7.65 DKK 49.25

-0.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 DKK 13.36

$1.75 DKK 11.25

18.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$110 DKK 707

$61.4 DKK 395

78.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 DKK 14.65

$2.11 DKK 13.57

7.58%

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

$49.6K DKK 319.3K

$48.0K DKK 308.9K

3.39%

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

$52.2K DKK 336.0K

$47.8K DKK 307.8K

9.19%

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

$197 DKK 1,271

$199 DKK 1,281

-0.71%

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

$17.90 DKK 115

$17.67 DKK 114

1.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.11 DKK 284

$40.94 DKK 264

7.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 DKK 355

$40.66 DKK 262

35.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.35 DKK 234

$30.29 DKK 195

20.01%

Cinema Ticket

$20.35 DKK 131

$18.46 DKK 119

10.24%

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

$608 DKK 3,917

$607 DKK 3,907

0.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K DKK 106.2K

$5,948 DKK 38.3K

177.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$126 DKK 813

$103 DKK 662

22.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 DKK 348

$34.98 DKK 225

54.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 DKK 919

$119 DKK 764

20.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$197 DKK 1,266

$198 DKK 1,274

-0.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 DKK 13.1K

$2,354 DKK 15.2K

-13.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 DKK 9,625

$1,549 DKK 9,976

-3.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,474 DKK 22.4K

$3,119 DKK 20.1K

11.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 DKK 16.5K

$2,751 DKK 17.7K

-6.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.0K DKK 71.0K

$4,593 DKK 29.6K

140.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,518 DKK 48.4K

$4,179 DKK 26.9K

79.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,834 DKK 31.1K

$6,077 DKK 39.1K

-20.45%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ballerup: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,034 in Copenhagen and $2,354 in Ballerup. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballerup pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $122 in Copenhagen vs $127 in Ballerup. Groceries flip the comparison at $426 vs $364, 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 26% 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: $2,034 in Copenhagen versus $2,354 in Ballerup. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Copenhagen versus $607 in Ballerup. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% 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.