Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Mongolia

Name: Mongolia
Address: MN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $1,161 in Mongolia, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Mongolia
Learn more

Mongolia Living Index

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🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$1,161

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $791 in China versus $1,161 in Mongolia.

China $791
Mongolia $1,161

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,251 in China versus $1,847 in Mongolia.

China $1,251
Mongolia $1,847

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,711 in China versus $2,532 in Mongolia.

China $1,711
Mongolia $2,532

China ($465–$1,222) and Mongolia ($376–$1,192) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in China costs about 32% less than in Mongolia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 42% lower, Mongolia 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ¥19.81

$5.63 MNT 20.3K

-47.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.09 ¥147

$29.11 MNT 104.8K

-24.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥34.60

$5.53 MNT 19.9K

-5.97%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.74

$2.42 MNT 8,724

22.73%

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

$0.48 ¥3.19

$0.86 MNT 3,101

-44.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.01

$0.57 MNT 2,060

-47.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ¥7.18

$2.30 MNT 8,260

-53.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.15

$3.37 MNT 12.1K

-32.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.96

$1.36 MNT 4,902

32.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.15

$1.00 MNT 3,588

68.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$2.07 MNT 7,433

-55.56%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.73

$2.06 MNT 7,427

-21.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 ¥89.1

$9.74 MNT 35.1K

37.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.28

$5.17 MNT 18.6K

-35.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 ¥75.5

$6.51 MNT 23.4K

74.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.12

$2.98 MNT 10.7K

-38.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.69

$2.21 MNT 7,949

-40.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.89

$3.67 MNT 13.2K

-59.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.47

$2.96 MNT 10.6K

-57.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.73

$0.82 MNT 2,935

-13.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$0.88 MNT 3,175

5.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.12

$1.67 MNT 6,000

-62.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.74

$0.76 MNT 2,743

-26.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥25.15

$1.70 MNT 6,109

122.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 ¥80.8

$9.51 MNT 34.2K

27.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.54

$1.41 MNT 5,092

-41.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.21

$1.76 MNT 6,321

-4.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.27 MNT 969

7.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.83 ¥119

$16.52 MNT 59.5K

7.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ¥9.89

$0.51 MNT 1,850

192.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.49

$0.56 MNT 2,032

-33.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 ¥47.24

$6.41 MNT 23.1K

10.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.37

$1.16 MNT 4,178

8.62%

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

$19.4K ¥129.4K

$27.4K MNT 98.6M

-28.99%

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

$17.5K ¥116.7K

$31.7K MNT 114.0M

-44.62%

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

$54.6 ¥363

$72.1 MNT 259.4K

-24.31%

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

$8.73 ¥58.1

$7.11 MNT 25.6K

22.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 ¥73.7

$12.32 MNT 44.3K

-10.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 ¥271

$65.9 MNT 237.3K

-38.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ¥96.4

$17.40 MNT 62.6K

-16.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ¥45.12

$4.08 MNT 14.7K

66.18%

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

$517 ¥3,438

$645 MNT 2.3M

-19.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ¥131.8K

$8,038 MNT 28.9M

146.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.53 ¥310

$79.2 MNT 284.9K

-41.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.66 ¥237

$49.63 MNT 178.6K

-28.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥512

$102 MNT 367.2K

-24.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 ¥534

$167 MNT 599.2K

-51.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 ¥2,567

$630 MNT 2.3M

-38.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 ¥1,561

$459 MNT 1.7M

-48.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,469

$1,598 MNT 5.8M

-48.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 ¥3,015

$947 MNT 3.4M

-52.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,697 ¥31.3K

$1,785 MNT 6.4M

163.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 ¥15.8K

$982 MNT 3.5M

141.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,093 ¥7,275

$590 MNT 2.1M

85.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

9.6

-63.96%

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

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Last update for Mongolia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

China

$235 29.6%

Mongolia

$459 39.5% 95.8% $225

Groceries & Markets

China

$210 26.5%

Mongolia

$222 19.1% 5.7% $12

Clothing & Footwear

China

$108 13.6%

Mongolia

$179 15.4% 66% $71

Eating Out

China

$88 11.1%

Mongolia

$115 9.9% 30.2% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$74 9.4%

Mongolia

$92 7.9% 23.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.9%

Mongolia

$74 6.4% 36.4% $20

Getting Around

China

$22 2.8%

Mongolia

$21 1.8% 6.3% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $530 in Mongolia. Capital cities: $933 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $636 in Ulaanbaatar.

National salary averages: $873 in China, $449 in Mongolia. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 78% higher in Mongolia.

Dining out costs 36% more in Mongolia.

Public transport is 29% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 94% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇲🇳 Mongolia

🕒 Local time

11:27 11:27 AM

Same time as China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

3,409,939

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MNT, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,599 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,006 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.5 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

China Mongolia 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Mongolia

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

China vs Mongolia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $1,161 in Mongolia, China comes out about 32% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $530 in Mongolia and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.