Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Copenhagen and Ballerup

For one person, living is cheaper in Ballerup: $2,202 a month against $3,041 in Copenhagen, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Copenhagen, Denmark
Ballerup, Denmark
Copenhagen
🇩🇰 Denmark
$3,041
/mo nomad
Ballerup
🇩🇰 Denmark
$2,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Copenhagen 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 Copenhagen and in Ballerup actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,041 in Copenhagen versus $2,202 in Ballerup.

  • Copenhagen $3,041
  • Ballerup $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,552 in Copenhagen versus $3,495 in Ballerup.

  • Copenhagen $4,552
  • Ballerup $3,495

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,063 in Copenhagen versus $4,788 in Ballerup.

  • Copenhagen $6,063
  • Ballerup $4,788

Living in Copenhagen is roughly 38% more expensive than in Ballerup, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Copenhagen 123% above, Ballerup 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Copenhagen
Ballerup
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.82 DKK 140
$22.20 DKK 149
-6.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$118 DKK 793
$120 DKK 804
-1.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.23 DKK 88.8
$14.84 DKK 99.6
-10.85%
Cappuccino
$7.12 DKK 47.78
$7.18 DKK 48.21
-0.84%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.96 DKK 33.30
$4.18 DKK 28.05
18.66%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80 DKK 25.50
$3.42 DKK 22.99
11.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.79 DKK 59.0
$9.19 DKK 61.7
-4.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.50 DKK 50.4
$7.49 DKK 50.3
0.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Copenhagen
Ballerup
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.13 DKK 14.29
$2.06 DKK 13.83
3.40%
White Bread (500g)
$4.84 DKK 32.49
$3.80 DKK 25.50
27.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.92 DKK 19.63
$2.28 DKK 15.33
28.07%
Eggs
$5.84 DKK 39.22
$4.86 DKK 32.66
20.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.40 DKK 117
$15.42 DKK 104
12.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.76 DKK 92.4
$11.32 DKK 76.0
21.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$26.00 DKK 175
$18.11 DKK 122
43.57%
Apples (1kg)
$3.28 DKK 21.99
$3.19 DKK 21.43
2.82%
Banana (1kg)
$3.11 DKK 20.91
$3.01 DKK 20.22
3.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.38 DKK 29.42
$3.82 DKK 25.62
14.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.61 DKK 37.69
$5.14 DKK 34.50
9.14%
Potato (1kg)
$2.32 DKK 15.58
$2.31 DKK 15.50
0.43%
Onion (1kg)
$2.14 DKK 14.39
$2.09 DKK 14.02
2.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.27 DKK 15.22
$2.12 DKK 14.24
7.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 DKK 8.74
$1.31 DKK 8.78
-0.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.66 DKK 64.9
$9.66 DKK 64.9
-
Wine (Bottle)
$10.59 DKK 71.1
$10.08 DKK 67.7
5.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.84 DKK 12.32
$1.85 DKK 12.40
-0.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.41 DKK 16.19
$2.46 DKK 16.52
-2.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Copenhagen
Ballerup
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.69 DKK 24.79
$3.56 DKK 23.89
3.65%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$102 DKK 686
$86.2 DKK 579
18.55%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.89 DKK 39.58
$5.91 DKK 39.68
-0.34%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.67 DKK 11.22
$1.62 DKK 10.88
3.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$88.9 DKK 597
$63.0 DKK 423
41.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.50 DKK 16.79
$2.58 DKK 17.35
-3.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.5K DKK 339.0K
$51.4K DKK 345.1K
-1.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$53.8K DKK 361.3K
$52.8K DKK 354.3K
1.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Copenhagen
Ballerup
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 DKK 1,198
$183 DKK 1,229
-2.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.34 DKK 76.2
$11.39 DKK 76.5
-0.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$37.13 DKK 249
$37.57 DKK 252
-1.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Copenhagen
Ballerup
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.3 DKK 365
$41.79 DKK 281
29.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.20 DKK 236
$24.41 DKK 164
44.20%
Cinema Ticket
$20.82 DKK 140
$19.58 DKK 132
6.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Copenhagen
Ballerup
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$982 DKK 6,597
$741 DKK 4,977
32.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,717 DKK 58.5K
$5,934 DKK 39.8K
46.89%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Copenhagen
Ballerup
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$107 DKK 718
$108 DKK 728
-1.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.1 DKK 356
$46.28 DKK 311
14.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$129 DKK 867
$127 DKK 853
1.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$198 DKK 1,332
$187 DKK 1,258
5.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Copenhagen
Ballerup
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,042 DKK 13.7K
$914 DKK 6,138
123.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,527 DKK 10.3K
$775 DKK 5,201
97.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,426 DKK 23.0K
$1,650 DKK 11.1K
107.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,409 DKK 16.2K
$1,346 DKK 9,039
78.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$11.7K DKK 78.5K
$4,984 DKK 33.5K
134.54%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,806 DKK 59.1K
$3,793 DKK 25.5K
132.17%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Copenhagen
Ballerup
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,550 DKK 30.6K
$5,906 DKK 39.7K
-22.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.87
3.67
5.45%

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

Last update for Copenhagen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ballerup: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Copenhagen
$1.5K
Ballerup
$775 49.3% $752
Groceries & Markets
Copenhagen
$456
Ballerup
$389 14.6% $67
Eating Out
Copenhagen
$386
Ballerup
$400 3.6% $14
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Copenhagen
$227
Ballerup
$232 2.2% $5.1
Clothing & Footwear
Copenhagen
$219
Ballerup
$211 3.8% $8.3
Getting Around
Copenhagen
$131
Ballerup
$114 12.8% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Copenhagen
$96
Ballerup
$81 15.6% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,042 in Copenhagen and $914 in Ballerup. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballerup pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $118 in Copenhagen vs $120 in Ballerup. Groceries flip the comparison at $456 vs $389, with Ballerup cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇩🇰 Copenhagen
🇩🇰 Ballerup
🕒 Local time
14:01 2:01 PM
14:01 2:01 PM
Same time as Copenhagen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
613,288 Capital
39,087
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to DKK – Danish Krone Converter

Danish Krone exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.71 DKK (1 DKK = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.47 DKK (1 DKK = 0.134 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Copenhagen Ballerup 14 km
From you
  • Copenhagen
  • 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
Copenhagen vs Ballerup: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ballerup cheaper than Copenhagen?
Ballerup is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Copenhagen or Ballerup?
On paper, salaries run 23% lower in Copenhagen. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Copenhagen and Ballerup?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,042 in Copenhagen versus $914 in Ballerup. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Copenhagen and in Ballerup?
Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Copenhagen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Copenhagen and in Ballerup?
All in, you’ll spend $3,041 per month in Copenhagen versus $2,202 in Ballerup – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Copenhagen or in Ballerup?
At $2,202 in Ballerup versus $3,041 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.
Is Copenhagen or Ballerup more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Copenhagen or Ballerup?
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.

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