Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Ulaanbaatar

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulaanbaatar: $1,159 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Ulaanbaatar
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Ulaanbaatar Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Ulaanbaatar

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$1,159

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Ulaanbaatar

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Almaty and in Ulaanbaatar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,387 per month in Almaty vs $1,159 in Ulaanbaatar, rent included.

Almaty $1,387
Ulaanbaatar $1,159

A couple spends around $2,135 per month in Almaty vs $1,881 in Ulaanbaatar, rent included.

Almaty $2,135
Ulaanbaatar $1,881

A family of three spends $2,883 per month in Almaty vs $2,602 in Ulaanbaatar, rent included.

Almaty $2,883
Ulaanbaatar $2,602

Almaty costs about 20% more than Ulaanbaatar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 3% above the global median, while Ulaanbaatar is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.31 ₸5,991

$5.62 MNT 20.2K

136.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 ₸19.5K

$31.97 MNT 114.9K

35.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 ₸3,959

$5.59 MNT 20.1K

57.42%

Cappuccino

$3.30 ₸1,486

$2.35 MNT 8,452

40.43%

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

$1.37 ₸616

$0.87 MNT 3,130

57.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₸406

$0.62 MNT 2,225

45.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 ₸1,409

$2.29 MNT 8,233

36.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ₸1,847

$3.30 MNT 11.9K

24.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₸749

$1.41 MNT 5,064

17.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 ₸403

$0.98 MNT 3,508

-8.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 ₸927

$2.14 MNT 7,672

-3.74%

Eggs

$2.37 ₸1,067

$2.11 MNT 7,596

12.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 ₸5,689

$12.32 MNT 44.3K

2.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 ₸2,978

$4.91 MNT 17.6K

34.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.87 ₸4,893

$6.76 MNT 24.3K

60.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₸839

$3.16 MNT 11.4K

-41.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 ₸1,067

$2.36 MNT 8,492

0.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 ₸1,348

$3.65 MNT 13.1K

-18.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 ₸1,273

$3.11 MNT 11.2K

-9.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ₸345

$0.72 MNT 2,586

6.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ₸262

$1.03 MNT 3,700

-43.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 ₸718

$1.75 MNT 6,281

-9.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸446

$0.73 MNT 2,610

35.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 ₸1,145

$1.66 MNT 5,961

53.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 ₸4,969

$10.34 MNT 37.2K

6.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸546

$1.50 MNT 5,403

-19.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₸1,085

$1.74 MNT 6,246

38.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸113

$0.29 MNT 1,045

-13.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.84 ₸9,831

$16.73 MNT 60.1K

30.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₸577

$0.54 MNT 1,952

137.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸289

$0.52 MNT 1,863

23.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.74 ₸4,836

$6.49 MNT 23.3K

65.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 ₸312

$1.12 MNT 4,016

-38.39%

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

$22.3K ₸10.0M

$27.4K MNT 98.4M

-18.66%

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

$29.3K ₸13.2M

$34.3K MNT 123.1M

-14.39%

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

$87.8 ₸39.5K

$71.1 MNT 255.5K

23.41%

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

$10.83 ₸4,874

$7.56 MNT 27.2K

43.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ₸7,831

$13.87 MNT 49.8K

25.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 ₸31.4K

$67.0 MNT 240.7K

4.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.58 ₸12.0K

$17.98 MNT 64.6K

47.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 ₸3,009

$4.24 MNT 15.2K

57.55%

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

$446 ₸200.8K

$814 MNT 2.9M

-45.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₸5.4M

$8,372 MNT 30.1M

42.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.7 ₸42.2K

$81.3 MNT 292.0K

15.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.91 ₸21.1K

$45.60 MNT 163.8K

2.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₸64.3K

$101 MNT 364.2K

40.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.1K

$184 MNT 661.7K

-27.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$773 ₸348.1K

$578 MNT 2.1M

33.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 ₸223.9K

$443 MNT 1.6M

12.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 ₸625.9K

$1,661 MNT 6.0M

-16.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$880 ₸396.0K

$992 MNT 3.6M

-11.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,546 ₸1.1M

$1,901 MNT 6.8M

33.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 ₸678.2K

$973 MNT 3.5M

54.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$834 ₸375.2K

$593 MNT 2.1M

40.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

10.32

100.10%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$497 36.4%

Ulaanbaatar

$443 38% 10.9% $54

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$251 18.4%

Ulaanbaatar

$234 20.1% 6.7% $17

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 15%

Ulaanbaatar

$114 9.8% 44.5% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$188 13.7%

Ulaanbaatar

$186 15.9% 1% $2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$116 8.5%

Ulaanbaatar

$93 7.9% 20.2% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$83 6.1%

Ulaanbaatar

$75 6.5% 9.1% $7.6

Getting Around

Almaty

$27 2%

Ulaanbaatar

$21 1.8% 23.1% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $773 in Almaty versus $578 in Ulaanbaatar. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 41% higher in Almaty, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Almaty versus $32.00 in Ulaanbaatar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $234 – making Ulaanbaatar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇲🇳 Ulaanbaatar

🕒 Local time

17:18 5:18 PM

19:18 7:18 PM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

1,401,200 Capital

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MNT, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 450 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,593 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,026 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Almaty Ulaanbaatar 2,370 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Ulaanbaatar

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

Almaty vs Ulaanbaatar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,080 per month in Almaty and $1,739 in Ulaanbaatar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ulaanbaatar, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Almaty and $32.00 in Ulaanbaatar. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,387 in Almaty and $1,159 in Ulaanbaatar. That's a gap of about 20%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ulaanbaatar, where all-in costs run around $1,159, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Ulaanbaatar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ulaanbaatar – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Ulaanbaatar. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Almaty makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.