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: $720 in China versus $620 in Mongolia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in China versus $1,016 in Mongolia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,576 in China versus $1,411 in Mongolia.

Living in China is roughly 16% more expensive than in Mongolia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 48% lower, Mongolia 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.93 ¥19.60

$5.61 MNT 20.2K

-47.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.72 ¥152

$31.00 MNT 111.5K

-26.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 ¥33.95

$5.30 MNT 19.1K

-4.34%

Cappuccino

$2.94 ¥19.70

$2.34 MNT 8,430

25.64%

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

$0.48 ¥3.21

$0.79 MNT 2,848

-39.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$0.58 MNT 2,069

-48.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ¥7.10

$2.33 MNT 8,371

-54.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ¥15.07

$3.41 MNT 12.3K

-34.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ¥11.99

$1.41 MNT 5,082

26.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥11.35

$0.94 MNT 3,390

80.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.45

$2.10 MNT 7,553

-54.29%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.79

$2.11 MNT 7,574

-23.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.60 ¥91.1

$9.50 MNT 34.2K

43.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.84

$5.13 MNT 18.5K

-33.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 ¥74.2

$6.52 MNT 23.5K

69.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$3.09 MNT 11.1K

-41.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.74

$2.19 MNT 7,889

-40.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.91

$3.78 MNT 13.6K

-60.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.72

$3.06 MNT 11.0K

-57.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.82

$0.78 MNT 2,803

-7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.31

$0.94 MNT 3,372

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.08

$1.67 MNT 5,988

-63.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.73

$0.76 MNT 2,731

-26.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.67 ¥24.58

$1.69 MNT 6,093

117.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 ¥79.7

$9.63 MNT 34.6K

23.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.56

$1.44 MNT 5,180

-42.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.08

$1.77 MNT 6,375

-6.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.29 MNT 1,054

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.61 ¥151

$16.82 MNT 60.5K

34.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.72

$0.51 MNT 1,828

184.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ¥2.31

$0.57 MNT 2,064

-40.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 ¥48.72

$6.22 MNT 22.4K

16.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥8.26

$1.05 MNT 3,779

17.14%

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

$19.5K ¥130.9K

$27.7K MNT 99.7M

-29.50%

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

$17.2K ¥115.5K

$32.3K MNT 116.2M

-46.64%

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

$55.5 ¥371

$71.5 MNT 257.1K

-22.42%

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

$8.51 ¥57.0

$7.32 MNT 26.3K

16.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.81 ¥72.4

$12.23 MNT 44.0K

-11.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.02 ¥268

$67.5 MNT 242.7K

-40.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.80 ¥99.1

$17.39 MNT 62.5K

-14.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.73 ¥45.09

$4.11 MNT 14.8K

63.75%

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

$454 ¥3,042

$771 MNT 2.8M

-41.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K ¥130.8K

$8,119 MNT 29.2M

140.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.95 ¥301

$78.7 MNT 283.1K

-42.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.81 ¥240

$48.67 MNT 175.0K

-26.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 ¥514

$101 MNT 362.5K

-23.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.3 ¥518

$166 MNT 598.0K

-53.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 ¥2,581

$575 MNT 2.1M

-33.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ¥1,623

$433 MNT 1.6M

-44.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 ¥5,603

$1,646 MNT 5.9M

-49.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 ¥3,177

$989 MNT 3.6M

-52.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,619 ¥30.9K

$1,783 MNT 6.4M

159.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,316 ¥15.5K

$937 MNT 3.4M

147.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,062 ¥7,110

$580 MNT 2.1M

83.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

9.6

-63.85%

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

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Last update for Mongolia: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $295 in China, $168 in Mongolia. Capital cities: $957 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $586 in Ulaanbaatar.

National salary averages: $865 in China, $444 in Mongolia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 76% higher in China.

Dining out costs 19% more in Mongolia.

Public transport is 143% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 95% 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 $852 per month in China and $580 in Mongolia, there's a 47% 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.