Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ballerup

For one person, living costs are similar in Lisbon and in Ballerup: $2,210 and $2,202 a month, rent and utilities included.

Lisbon, Portugal
Ballerup, Denmark
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Ballerup
🇩🇰 Denmark
$2,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,202 in Ballerup.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Ballerup $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $3,495 in Ballerup.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Ballerup $3,495

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $4,788 in Ballerup.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Ballerup $4,788

Monthly costs are close between Lisbon and Ballerup; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Ballerup
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.92
$22.20 DKK 149
-25.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$120 DKK 802
-48.42%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.18
$14.84 DKK 99.4
-23.45%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$7.18 DKK 48.09
-58.64%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$4.18 DKK 27.98
-45.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$3.42 DKK 22.94
-49.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$9.19 DKK 61.5
-63.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$7.49 DKK 50.2
-55.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Ballerup
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$2.06 DKK 13.80
-43.69%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$3.80 DKK 25.44
-49.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$2.28 DKK 15.29
-33.77%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$4.86 DKK 32.58
-17.28%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$15.42 DKK 103
-16.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.97
$11.32 DKK 75.8
-31.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.92
$18.11 DKK 121
-1.93%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$3.19 DKK 21.38
-27.90%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$3.01 DKK 20.18
-42.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$3.82 DKK 25.56
-51.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$5.14 DKK 34.42
-49.61%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$2.31 DKK 15.46
-21.21%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$2.09 DKK 13.99
-5.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$2.12 DKK 14.20
-30.66%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$1.31 DKK 8.76
-45.04%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$9.66 DKK 64.7
-31.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$10.08 DKK 67.6
-44.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.85 DKK 12.37
-26.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$2.46 DKK 16.48
-13.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Ballerup
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
$3.56 DKK 23.83
-34.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.04
$86.2 DKK 577
-48.17%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$5.91 DKK 39.58
-34.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$1.62 DKK 10.85
-33.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.75
$63.0 DKK 422
-73.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$2.58 DKK 17.30
-14.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$51.4K DKK 344.3K
-33.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$52.8K DKK 353.5K
-26.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Ballerup
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$183 DKK 1,226
-11.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.50
$11.39 DKK 76.3
61.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.34
$37.57 DKK 252
-12.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Ballerup
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.92
$41.79 DKK 280
6.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.11
$24.41 DKK 164
-21.75%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$19.58 DKK 131
-50.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Ballerup
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$741 DKK 4,965
-9.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$5,934 DKK 39.8K
196.82%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Ballerup
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$108 DKK 726
-5.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.85
$46.28 DKK 310
-3.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.3
$127 DKK 851
-22.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$187 DKK 1,255
-34.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Ballerup
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,441
$914 DKK 6,123
75.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$775 DKK 5,188
53.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,520
$1,650 DKK 11.1K
70.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,804
$1,346 DKK 9,018
49.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,025
$4,984 DKK 33.4K
57.29%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,100
$3,793 DKK 25.4K
20.64%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Ballerup
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
$5,906 DKK 39.6K
-73.33%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
3.67
4.90%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Ballerup: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Ballerup
$775 34.9% $416
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Ballerup
$389 42.8% $117
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Ballerup
$400 64.7% $157
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Ballerup
$232 9.3% $20
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Ballerup
$211 27.2% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Ballerup
$81 27% $17
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Ballerup
$114 81.1% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $914 in Ballerup. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballerup pays about 3.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $120 in Ballerup for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $389 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇩🇰 Ballerup
🕒 Local time
11:33 11:33 AM
12:33 12:33 PM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
39,087
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

DKK, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Danish Krone exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.7 DKK (1 DKK = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.48 DKK (1 DKK = 0.134 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Ballerup 2,470 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • 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
Lisbon vs Ballerup: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Where can you earn more: Lisbon or Ballerup?
On paper, salaries run 73% lower in Lisbon. 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 Lisbon and Ballerup?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $914 in Ballerup. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Lisbon runs roughly 48% less than in Ballerup. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
How do food prices compare in Lisbon and in Ballerup?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 30% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Is $2,500 enough for either Lisbon or Ballerup?
Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Ballerup gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is it better to live in Lisbon or in Ballerup?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is safer, Lisbon or Ballerup?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Ballerup are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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