Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Ulaanbaatar

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulaanbaatar: $1,159 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Ulaanbaatar
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Ulaanbaatar Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Ulaanbaatar

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$1,159

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX 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 Austin, TX and in Ulaanbaatar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,159 in Ulaanbaatar.

Austin, TX $2,704
Ulaanbaatar $1,159

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,881 in Ulaanbaatar.

Austin, TX $4,133
Ulaanbaatar $1,881

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,602 in Ulaanbaatar.

Austin, TX $5,562
Ulaanbaatar $2,602

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 133% more expensive than in Ulaanbaatar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Ulaanbaatar is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$5.62 MNT 20.2K

259.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$31.97 MNT 114.9K

165.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$5.59 MNT 20.1K

120.93%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.35 MNT 8,452

132.77%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.87 MNT 3,130

339.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.62 MNT 2,225

303.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$2.29 MNT 8,233

251.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$3.30 MNT 11.9K

172.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.41 MNT 5,064

-19.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$0.98 MNT 3,508

285.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.14 MNT 7,672

51.87%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.11 MNT 7,596

96.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$12.32 MNT 44.3K

6.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$4.91 MNT 17.6K

191.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$6.76 MNT 24.3K

136.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.16 MNT 11.4K

38.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.36 MNT 8,492

-38.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$3.65 MNT 13.1K

24.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.11 MNT 11.2K

34.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.72 MNT 2,586

265.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.03 MNT 3,700

129.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.75 MNT 6,281

0.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.73 MNT 2,610

195.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$1.66 MNT 5,961

490.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$10.34 MNT 37.2K

42.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.50 MNT 5,403

85.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.74 MNT 6,246

100.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.29 MNT 1,045

413.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$16.73 MNT 60.1K

142.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$0.54 MNT 1,952

394.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.52 MNT 1,863

203.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$6.49 MNT 23.3K

443.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.12 MNT 4,016

-11.61%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.4K MNT 98.4M

30.74%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$34.3K MNT 123.1M

-20.69%

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

$219 $219

$71.1 MNT 255.5K

208.35%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$7.56 MNT 27.2K

667.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$13.87 MNT 49.8K

392.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$67.0 MNT 240.7K

-13.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$17.98 MNT 64.6K

-17.58%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$4.24 MNT 15.2K

233.25%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$814 MNT 2.9M

85.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$8,372 MNT 30.1M

156.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$81.3 MNT 292.0K

-36.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$45.60 MNT 163.8K

-3.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$101 MNT 364.2K

-16.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$184 MNT 661.7K

-42.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$578 MNT 2.1M

234.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$443 MNT 1.6M

187.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,661 MNT 6.0M

121.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$992 MNT 3.6M

154.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$1,901 MNT 6.8M

300.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$973 MNT 3.5M

228.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$593 MNT 2.1M

760.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

10.32

-34.21%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: 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

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Ulaanbaatar

$443 38% 65.2% $829

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Ulaanbaatar

$234 20.1% 41.8% $169

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Ulaanbaatar

$114 9.8% 67.2% $234

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Ulaanbaatar

$93 7.9% 73.2% $253

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Ulaanbaatar

$186 15.9% 44.1% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Ulaanbaatar

$75 6.5% 12.4% $11

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Ulaanbaatar

$21 1.8% 63.1% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $578 in Ulaanbaatar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 761% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $32.00 in Ulaanbaatar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $234 per month, with Ulaanbaatar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇳 Ulaanbaatar

🕒 Local time

01:03 1:03 AM

14:03 2:03 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,401,200 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MNT, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇳 Mongolian Tögrög (₮)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,593 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,030 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR).

MNT to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Ulaanbaatar 10,980 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
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

Austin, TX vs Ulaanbaatar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ulaanbaatar wins on cost – living expenses run 133% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ulaanbaatar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 761% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $578 in Ulaanbaatar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,159 in Ulaanbaatar – a 133% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ulaanbaatar runs roughly 142% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,159 in Ulaanbaatar versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ulaanbaatar but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Ulaanbaatar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Ulaanbaatar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 133% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.