Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Darkhan and Ulaanbaatar

For one person, living is cheaper in Darkhan: $642 a month against $1,175 in Ulaanbaatar, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Darkhan
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Darkhan Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Ulaanbaatar
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Ulaanbaatar Living Index

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Darkhan

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$642

/mo nomad

Ulaanbaatar

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$1,175

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $642 in Darkhan versus $1,175 in Ulaanbaatar.

Darkhan $642
Ulaanbaatar $1,175

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,054 in Darkhan versus $1,910 in Ulaanbaatar.

Darkhan $1,054
Ulaanbaatar $1,910

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,467 in Darkhan versus $2,645 in Ulaanbaatar.

Darkhan $1,467
Ulaanbaatar $2,645

Living in Darkhan costs roughly 45% less than in Ulaanbaatar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Darkhan 52% lower, Ulaanbaatar 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.70 MNT 20.5K

$5.63 MNT 20.2K

1.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.84 MNT 114.5K

$32.37 MNT 116.4K

-1.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 MNT 19.9K

$5.72 MNT 20.6K

-3.15%

Cappuccino

$2.36 MNT 8,477

$2.37 MNT 8,520

-0.42%

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

$0.90 MNT 3,232

$0.84 MNT 3,016

7.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 MNT 2,028

$0.57 MNT 2,053

-1.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 MNT 8,547

$2.34 MNT 8,420

1.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 MNT 11.8K

$3.25 MNT 11.7K

0.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MNT 5,176

$1.41 MNT 5,082

2.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 MNT 3,670

$0.99 MNT 3,552

3.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 MNT 7,610

$2.14 MNT 7,704

-0.93%

Eggs

$2.06 MNT 7,416

$2.12 MNT 7,619

-2.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.55 MNT 45.1K

$12.56 MNT 45.2K

-0.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.92 MNT 17.7K

$4.79 MNT 17.2K

2.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.64 MNT 23.9K

$6.94 MNT 24.9K

-4.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MNT 11.3K

$3.00 MNT 10.8K

4.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 MNT 8,814

$2.34 MNT 8,431

4.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 MNT 13.8K

$3.80 MNT 13.7K

0.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 MNT 11.2K

$3.00 MNT 10.8K

4.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 MNT 2,562

$0.75 MNT 2,700

-5.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 MNT 3,917

$1.08 MNT 3,879

0.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 MNT 6,040

$1.68 MNT 6,045

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 MNT 2,772

$0.74 MNT 2,653

4.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.72 MNT 6,175

$1.72 MNT 6,174

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 MNT 37.6K

$10.45 MNT 37.6K

0.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 MNT 5,220

$1.44 MNT 5,167

0.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 MNT 6,547

$1.73 MNT 6,213

5.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 MNT 960

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.87 MNT 60.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 MNT 1,833

$0.54 MNT 1,957

-5.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MNT 1,900

$0.56 MNT 2,009

-5.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.35 MNT 22.8K

$6.52 MNT 23.5K

-2.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 MNT 4,175

$1.15 MNT 4,142

0.87%

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

$26.7K MNT 95.8M

$26.8K MNT 96.5M

-0.64%

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

$34.6K MNT 124.4M

$34.4K MNT 123.6M

0.64%

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

$70.4 MNT 253.0K

$70.9 MNT 255.1K

-0.82%

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

$7.54 MNT 27.1K

$7.48 MNT 26.9K

0.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.54 MNT 48.7K

$13.84 MNT 49.8K

-2.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 MNT 245.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.03 MNT 64.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 MNT 14.9K

$4.27 MNT 15.3K

-2.81%

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

$807 MNT 2.9M

$827 MNT 3.0M

-2.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,135 MNT 29.3M

$8,182 MNT 29.4M

-0.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.1 MNT 287.9K

$82.2 MNT 295.7K

-2.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.26 MNT 166.4K

$45.68 MNT 164.3K

1.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MNT 370.5K

$104 MNT 373.5K

-0.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 MNT 669.8K

$191 MNT 686.1K

-2.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$566 MNT 2.0M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 MNT 1.6M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,657 MNT 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$983 MNT 3.5M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,895 MNT 6.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$976 MNT 3.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 MNT 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.32

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

Last update for Darkhan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Darkhan

$237 36.9%

Ulaanbaatar

$234 19.9% 1.1% $2.6

Clothing & Footwear

Darkhan

$187 29.2%

Ulaanbaatar

$190 16.2% 1.7% $3.1

Eating Out

Darkhan

$115 17.9%

Ulaanbaatar

$114 9.7% 0.3% $0.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Darkhan

$91 14.3%

Ulaanbaatar

$92 7.9% 0.9% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Darkhan

$8.3 * 1.3%

Ulaanbaatar

$77 6.5% 826% $69

Getting Around

Darkhan

$3.2 * 0.5%

Ulaanbaatar

$21 1.8% 576% $18

Accommodation & Living

Darkhan

- * 0%

Ulaanbaatar

$446 38%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32.00 in Darkhan vs $32.00 in Ulaanbaatar. Groceries flip the comparison at $237 vs $234, with Ulaanbaatar cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇳 Darkhan

🇲🇳 Ulaanbaatar

🕒 Local time

22:23 10:23 PM

Same time as Darkhan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,738

1,401,200 Capital

💱 Currency

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.47 EUR

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Darkhan Ulaanbaatar 190 km

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Darkhan
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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

Darkhan vs Ulaanbaatar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Darkhan wins on cost – living expenses run 83% lower than in Ulaanbaatar. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Darkhan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $962 in Darkhan and $1,763 in Ulaanbaatar to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $807 in Darkhan versus $827 in Ulaanbaatar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Darkhan – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $32.00 in Ulaanbaatar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $642 in Darkhan versus $1,175 in Ulaanbaatar, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Darkhan but tight or insufficient in Ulaanbaatar. The gap between the two cities makes Darkhan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Darkhan and Ulaanbaatar are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Darkhan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Ulaanbaatar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.