Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Ulaanbaatar

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulaanbaatar: $1,159 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Ulaanbaatar
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Ulaanbaatar Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Ulaanbaatar

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$1,159

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,159 in Ulaanbaatar, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Ulaanbaatar $1,159

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,881 in Ulaanbaatar, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Ulaanbaatar $1,881

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $2,602 in Ulaanbaatar, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Ulaanbaatar $2,602

Budapest costs about 40% more than Ulaanbaatar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Ulaanbaatar is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$5.62 MNT 20.2K

148.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$31.97 MNT 114.9K

88.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$5.59 MNT 20.1K

78.18%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$2.35 MNT 8,452

43.83%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$0.87 MNT 3,130

144.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$0.62 MNT 2,225

201.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$2.29 MNT 8,233

63.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$3.30 MNT 11.9K

8.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$1.41 MNT 5,064

-19.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$0.98 MNT 3,508

87.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$2.14 MNT 7,672

11.68%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$2.11 MNT 7,596

81.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$12.32 MNT 44.3K

-8.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$4.91 MNT 17.6K

37.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$6.76 MNT 24.3K

117.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$3.16 MNT 11.4K

-41.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$2.36 MNT 8,492

-14.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$3.65 MNT 13.1K

-35.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$3.11 MNT 11.2K

21.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$0.72 MNT 2,586

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$1.03 MNT 3,700

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$1.75 MNT 6,281

-10.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.73 MNT 2,610

-9.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$1.66 MNT 5,961

379.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$10.34 MNT 37.2K

-41.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$1.50 MNT 5,403

-13.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$1.74 MNT 6,246

19.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$0.29 MNT 1,045

417.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

$16.73 MNT 60.1K

65.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$0.54 MNT 1,952

511.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$0.52 MNT 1,863

150.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$6.49 MNT 23.3K

204.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.12 MNT 4,016

61.61%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$27.4K MNT 98.4M

7.09%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$34.3K MNT 123.1M

-0.46%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$71.1 MNT 255.5K

138.98%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$7.56 MNT 27.2K

217.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$13.87 MNT 49.8K

68.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$67.0 MNT 240.7K

-1.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$17.98 MNT 64.6K

6.67%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$4.24 MNT 15.2K

124.53%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$814 MNT 2.9M

-34.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$8,372 MNT 30.1M

98.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$81.3 MNT 292.0K

24.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$45.60 MNT 163.8K

-5.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$101 MNT 364.2K

11.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$184 MNT 661.7K

-35.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$578 MNT 2.1M

39.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$443 MNT 1.6M

42.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$1,661 MNT 6.0M

-6.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$992 MNT 3.6M

17.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$1,901 MNT 6.8M

195.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$973 MNT 3.5M

307.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$593 MNT 2.1M

174.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

10.32

-37.69%

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

Last update for Budapest: 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

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Ulaanbaatar

$443 38% 29.6% $186

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Ulaanbaatar

$234 20.1% 9% $23

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Ulaanbaatar

$114 9.8% 49.2% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Ulaanbaatar

$93 7.9% 57.4% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Ulaanbaatar

$186 15.9% 9.7% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Ulaanbaatar

$75 6.5% 11.5% $9.8

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Ulaanbaatar

$21 1.8% 51.6% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest 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 174% higher in Budapest, 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 $60.0 in Budapest versus $32.00 in Ulaanbaatar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $234 – making Ulaanbaatar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇲🇳 Ulaanbaatar

🕒 Local time

13:14 1:14 PM

19:14 7:14 PM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

1,401,200 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MNT, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 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 HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Ulaanbaatar 6,190 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
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

Budapest vs Ulaanbaatar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 40%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest 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.

Public transport costs about 65% less in Ulaanbaatar. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $814 in Ulaanbaatar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ulaanbaatar, where all-in costs run around $1,159, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Ulaanbaatar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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