For one person, living is cheaper in Mongolia: $1,161 a month against $2,626 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $17,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
How much you'll spend in Australia and in Mongolia
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Australia and in Mongolia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $2,626 per month in Australia vs $1,161 in Mongolia, rent included.
Australia $2,626
Mongolia $1,161
A couple spends around $3,810 per month in Australia vs $1,847 in Mongolia, rent included.
Australia $3,810
Mongolia $1,847
A family of three spends $4,994 per month in Australia vs $2,532 in Mongolia, rent included.
Australia $4,994
Mongolia $2,532
📏
The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,068–$3,303) than in Mongolia ($376–$1,192), so city choice matters more there.
🌍
The cost of living in Australia is about 126% higher than in Mongolia on average.
📊
Australia sits 93% above the global median, while Mongolia is 15% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Australia
Mongolia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.65A$25.09
$5.63MNT 20.2K
213.50%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.2A$121
$29.11MNT 104.6K
192.72%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.09A$15.77
$5.53MNT 19.9K
100.54%
Cappuccino
$3.90A$5.54
$2.42MNT 8,712
61.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85A$4.05
$0.86MNT 3,097
231.40%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31A$3.29
$0.57MNT 2,057
305.26%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$7.53A$10.70
$2.30MNT 8,249
227.39%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$8.59A$12.21
$3.37MNT 12.1K
154.90%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Australia
Mongolia
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.76A$2.50
$1.36MNT 4,895
29.41%
White Bread(500g)
$2.81A$3.99
$1.00MNT 3,583
181.00%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.24A$3.19
$2.07MNT 7,423
8.21%
Eggs
$5.02A$7.14
$2.06MNT 7,417
143.69%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.87A$14.03
$9.74MNT 35.0K
1.33%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$9.32A$13.25
$5.17MNT 18.6K
80.27%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$14.86A$21.13
$6.51MNT 23.4K
128.26%
Apples(1kg)
$3.82A$5.43
$2.98MNT 10.7K
28.19%
Banana(1kg)
$2.92A$4.16
$2.21MNT 7,938
32.13%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.13A$4.46
$3.67MNT 13.2K
-14.71%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.81A$6.84
$2.96MNT 10.6K
62.50%
Potato(1kg)
$2.80A$3.98
$0.82MNT 2,931
241.46%
Onion(1kg)
$2.38A$3.38
$0.88MNT 3,171
170.45%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.37A$3.37
$1.67MNT 5,992
41.92%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.65A$2.35
$0.76MNT 2,739
117.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$39.13A$55.6
$1.70MNT 6,101
2201.76%
Wine(Bottle)
$13.93A$19.80
$9.51MNT 34.2K
46.48%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$4.96A$7.05
$1.41MNT 5,085
251.77%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.17A$7.35
$1.76MNT 6,313
193.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Australia
Mongolia
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.42A$3.44
$0.27MNT 968
796.30%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$94.6A$135
$16.52MNT 59.4K
472.70%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.49A$4.97
$0.51MNT 1,847
584.31%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.60A$2.27
$0.56MNT 2,029
185.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$39.84A$56.7
$6.41MNT 23.1K
521.53%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.39A$1.97
$1.16MNT 4,172
19.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.0KA$42.7K
$27.4KMNT 98.4M
9.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8KA$36.6K
$31.7KMNT 113.8M
-18.68%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Australia
Mongolia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$205A$292
$72.1MNT 259.1K
184.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.33A$40.29
$7.11MNT 25.6K
298.45%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$58.8A$83.6
$12.32MNT 44.3K
377.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Australia
Mongolia
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$55.7A$79.1
$65.9MNT 237.0K
-15.59%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.57A$27.83
$17.40MNT 62.5K
12.47%
Cinema Ticket
$15.38A$21.86
$4.08MNT 14.7K
276.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Australia
Mongolia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$2,145A$3,050
$645MNT 2.3M
232.63%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$18.3KA$26.1K
$8,038MNT 28.9M
128.28%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Australia
Mongolia
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.3A$111
$79.2MNT 284.6K
-1.09%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.3A$80.0
$49.63MNT 178.4K
13.38%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$115A$164
$102MNT 366.7K
12.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123A$175
$167MNT 598.4K
-26.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Australia
Mongolia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,591A$2,262
$630MNT 2.3M
152.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,293A$1,838
$459MNT 1.7M
181.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,524A$3,589
$1,598MNT 5.7M
57.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,005A$2,851
$947MNT 3.4M
111.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$8,751A$12.4K
$1,785MNT 6.4M
390.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$6,260A$8,901
$982MNT 3.5M
537.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Australia
Mongolia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,984A$5,664
$590MNT 2.1M
575.51%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.93
9.6
-38.23%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Australia: October 27, 2026
Last update for Mongolia: October 27, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Australia
$1.3K 49.2%
Mongolia
$459 39.5% ↓ 64.5%$833
🛒Groceries & Markets
Australia
$374 14.3%
Mongolia
$222 19.1% ↓ 40.7%$152
🍽Eating Out
Australia
$297 11.3%
Mongolia
$115 9.9% ↓ 61.3%$182
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Australia
$292 11.1%
Mongolia
$92 7.9% ↓ 68.7%$201
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Australia
$168 6.4%
Mongolia
$179 15.4% ↑ 6.6%$11
🚌Getting Around
Australia
$116 4.4%
Mongolia
$21 1.8% ↓ 81.9%$95
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Australia
$86 3.3%
Mongolia
$74 6.4% ↓ 14.3%$12
🏠Accommodation & Living
Australia
$2K 40.2%
Mongolia
$947 37.4% ↓ 52.8%$1.1K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Australia
$848 17%
Mongolia
$508 20.1% ↓ 40.1%$340
🍽Eating Out
Australia
$1K 20.4%
Mongolia
$373 14.7% ↓ 63.3%$645
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Australia
$320 6.4%
Mongolia
$99 3.9% ↓ 69.2%$222
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Australia
$373 7.5%
Mongolia
$397 15.7% ↑ 6.6%$24
🚌Getting Around
Australia
$236 4.7%
Mongolia
$42 1.7% ↓ 82.1%$194
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Australia
$192 3.9%
Mongolia
$166 6.5% ↓ 13.9%$27
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $1,383 in Australia vs $530 in Mongolia. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,749 in Canberra and $636 in Ulaanbaatar.
💰Average salary: $3,874 in Australia vs $449 in Mongolia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 161% higher in Australia.
⭐Dining out costs 180% more in Australia.
⭐Public transport is 500% more expensive in Australia.
⭐Salaries are about 8.6 times higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.
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
Australia vs Mongolia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Australia more expensive than Mongolia?
Mongolia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 56% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,383 versus $530 in Mongolia.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Mongolia – part of why living there is about 56% cheaper overall.
Should I move to Australia or to Mongolia?
Mongolia is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.