Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Mongolia Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Mongolia

Name: Mongolia
Address: MN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in China versus $643 in Mongolia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,131 in China versus $1,001 in Mongolia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,550 in China versus $1,359 in Mongolia.

Living in China is roughly 11% more expensive than in Mongolia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, Mongolia 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 ¥19.32

$4.67 MNT 16.7K

-38.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.44 ¥158

$28.79 MNT 103.2K

-18.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 ¥32.70

$5.28 MNT 18.9K

-8.33%

Cappuccino

$3.11 ¥21.03

$2.58 MNT 9,264

20.54%

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

$0.44 ¥2.99

$0.75 MNT 2,671

-41.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.99

$0.45 MNT 1,601

-35.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ¥6.63

$1.87 MNT 6,717

-47.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥13.86

$2.28 MNT 8,175

-10.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.45

$1.37 MNT 4,906

34.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.92

$0.98 MNT 3,497

65.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.27

$1.86 MNT 6,656

-50.00%

Eggs

$1.63 ¥11.01

$2.14 MNT 7,656

-23.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.15 ¥88.8

$13.09 MNT 46.9K

0.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.26 ¥22.06

$5.54 MNT 19.9K

-41.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.62 ¥71.8

$5.66 MNT 20.3K

87.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.17

$3.05 MNT 10.9K

-40.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.76

$2.51 MNT 9,005

-48.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.88

$3.70 MNT 13.3K

-60.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ¥8.13

$2.68 MNT 9,592

-55.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.13

$0.65 MNT 2,332

16.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.93

$1.02 MNT 3,668

-13.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ¥3.86

$1.10 MNT 3,956

-48.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.62

$0.69 MNT 2,487

-21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ¥23.14

$1.82 MNT 6,521

87.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.75 ¥79.4

$9.79 MNT 35.1K

20.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.39

$1.25 MNT 4,485

-36.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.94

$1.70 MNT 6,078

-4.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.93

$0.16 MNT 588

168.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.47 ¥138

$7.52 MNT 26.9K

172.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.22

$0.58 MNT 2,065

134.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.39

$0.60 MNT 2,165

-41.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.50 ¥43.90

$4.33 MNT 15.5K

50.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ¥7.58

$1.02 MNT 3,671

9.80%

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

$19.5K ¥131.6K

$21.8K MNT 78.2M

-10.75%

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

$16.9K ¥113.9K

$16.1K MNT 57.7M

4.72%

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

$51.7 ¥349

$72.0 MNT 257.9K

-28.15%

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

$10.17 ¥68.7

$7.19 MNT 25.8K

41.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.16 ¥75.4

$14.26 MNT 51.1K

-21.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.62 ¥268

$48.95 MNT 175.4K

-19.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.53 ¥98.2

$12.88 MNT 46.2K

12.81%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 ¥43.12

$3.59 MNT 12.9K

77.72%

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

$407 ¥2,752

$174 MNT 623.1K

134.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K ¥120.5K

$6,450 MNT 23.1M

176.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.53 ¥308

$75.2 MNT 269.5K

-39.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.31 ¥218

$61.4 MNT 220.1K

-47.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 ¥490

$99.5 MNT 356.6K

-27.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.4 ¥503

$132 MNT 474.0K

-43.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 ¥2,992

$480 MNT 1.7M

-7.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 ¥1,745

$372 MNT 1.3M

-30.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 ¥6,152

$1,346 MNT 4.8M

-32.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 ¥3,672

$740 MNT 2.7M

-26.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,934 ¥33.3K

$1,828 MNT 6.6M

169.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,398 ¥16.2K

$932 MNT 3.3M

157.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,065 ¥7,194

$595 MNT 2.1M

79.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

-32.33%

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

Last update for China: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mongolia: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $287 in China, $206 in Mongolia. Capital cities: $894 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $511 in Ulaanbaatar.

National salary averages: $855 in China, $451 in Mongolia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 39% higher in China.

Public transport is 500% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 90% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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

China vs Mongolia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $862 per month in China and $564 in Mongolia, there's a 53% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Mongolia: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in China is consistently higher than in Mongolia across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Mongolia, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in China it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Mongolia wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.