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 $646 in Mongolia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,132 in China versus $1,007 in Mongolia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,551 in China versus $1,367 in Mongolia.

Living in China is roughly 10% more expensive than Mongolia on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.81 ¥18.98

$4.75 MNT 17.0K

-40.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.30 ¥158

$28.76 MNT 102.8K

-18.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥33.87

$5.35 MNT 19.1K

-6.36%

Cappuccino

$3.01 ¥20.38

$2.51 MNT 8,976

19.92%

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

$0.45 ¥3.03

$0.73 MNT 2,612

-38.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.97

$0.45 MNT 1,594

-35.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.95 ¥6.41

$1.88 MNT 6,731

-49.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥13.87

$2.31 MNT 8,256

-11.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ¥11.87

$1.37 MNT 4,910

28.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.98

$0.91 MNT 3,237

78.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.45

$1.86 MNT 6,640

-48.92%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.55

$2.08 MNT 7,455

-25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 ¥88.3

$13.13 MNT 47.0K

-0.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 ¥22.17

$5.52 MNT 19.7K

-40.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 ¥72.0

$5.38 MNT 19.2K

97.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ¥12.03

$2.95 MNT 10.5K

-39.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.42

$2.53 MNT 9,036

-50.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.12

$3.72 MNT 13.3K

-59.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.79

$2.60 MNT 9,288

-55.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ¥5.07

$0.69 MNT 2,483

8.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.81

$1.01 MNT 3,611

-14.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.17

$1.06 MNT 3,796

-41.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.81

$0.71 MNT 2,521

-21.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ¥23.76

$1.73 MNT 6,198

102.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.66 ¥78.9

$9.56 MNT 34.2K

21.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.40

$1.26 MNT 4,495

-36.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.25

$1.61 MNT 5,765

3.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.93

$0.21 MNT 756

104.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.86 ¥141

$7.86 MNT 28.1K

165.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 ¥9.26

$0.57 MNT 2,034

140.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.38

$0.62 MNT 2,207

-43.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ¥44.82

$4.42 MNT 15.8K

50.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.69

$1.00 MNT 3,559

14.00%

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

$19.2K ¥129.7K

$21.5K MNT 77.0M

-10.92%

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

$16.8K ¥113.4K

$16.3K MNT 58.4M

2.67%

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

$51.2 ¥346

$73.5 MNT 262.7K

-30.36%

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

$10.16 ¥68.7

$7.57 MNT 27.1K

34.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.51 ¥77.9

$14.38 MNT 51.4K

-19.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.53 ¥274

$49.69 MNT 177.7K

-18.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.05 ¥102

$12.94 MNT 46.3K

16.31%

Cinema Ticket

$6.10 ¥41.26

$3.58 MNT 12.8K

70.39%

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

$402 ¥2,719

$175 MNT 626.1K

129.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ¥119.5K

$6,577 MNT 23.5M

168.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.57 ¥308

$73.4 MNT 262.5K

-37.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.26 ¥225

$59.8 MNT 213.8K

-44.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 ¥491

$99.8 MNT 357.0K

-27.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 ¥503

$133 MNT 474.3K

-43.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 ¥2,903

$487 MNT 1.7M

-11.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 ¥1,739

$375 MNT 1.3M

-31.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$895 ¥6,055

$1,320 MNT 4.7M

-32.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 ¥3,660

$718 MNT 2.6M

-24.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,015 ¥33.9K

$1,825 MNT 6.5M

174.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,469 ¥16.7K

$960 MNT 3.4M

157.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,055 ¥7,132

$596 MNT 2.1M

76.88%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mongolia: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $286 in China, $205 in Mongolia. Capital cities: $916 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $512 in Ulaanbaatar.

National salary averages: $861 in China, $454 in Mongolia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 40% higher in China.

Public transport is 500% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 90% higher in China, giving China stronger purchasing power.

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 $865 per month in China and $581 in Mongolia, there's a 49% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Mongolia is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.