Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Erdenet and Darkhan

For one person, living is cheaper in Erdenet: $376 a month against $639 in Darkhan, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Darkhan
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Darkhan Living Index

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Erdenet

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$376

/mo nomad

Darkhan

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Erdenet and in Darkhan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Erdenet and in Darkhan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $376 in Erdenet versus $639 in Darkhan.

Erdenet $376
Darkhan $639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $621 in Erdenet versus $1,049 in Darkhan.

Erdenet $621
Darkhan $1,049

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $866 in Erdenet versus $1,459 in Darkhan.

Erdenet $866
Darkhan $1,459

Living in Erdenet costs roughly 41% less than in Darkhan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Erdenet 72% lower, Darkhan 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.20 MNT 15.1K

$5.47 MNT 19.7K

-23.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.73 MNT 99.8K

$31.70 MNT 114.1K

-12.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.10 MNT 14.7K

$5.58 MNT 20.1K

-26.52%

Cappuccino

$2.27 MNT 8,180

$2.36 MNT 8,493

-3.81%

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

$0.61 MNT 2,184

$0.87 MNT 3,140

-29.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 MNT 1,581

$0.57 MNT 2,035

-22.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.64 MNT 5,886

$2.31 MNT 8,302

-29.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 MNT 5,949

$3.23 MNT 11.6K

-48.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 MNT 3,702

$1.48 MNT 5,334

-30.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 MNT 3,266

$0.98 MNT 3,512

-7.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.75 MNT 9,902

$2.05 MNT 7,372

34.15%

Eggs

$2.04 MNT 7,346

$2.15 MNT 7,755

-5.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.07 MNT 25.4K

$12.46 MNT 44.8K

-43.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.06 MNT 25.4K

$4.99 MNT 18.0K

41.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.35 MNT 15.7K

$6.59 MNT 23.7K

-33.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 MNT 8,095

$2.99 MNT 10.7K

-24.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 MNT 5,962

$2.36 MNT 8,488

-29.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 MNT 5,895

$3.67 MNT 13.2K

-55.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 MNT 4,885

$3.10 MNT 11.1K

-56.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 MNT 5,135

$0.75 MNT 2,709

90.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 MNT 2,869

$1.09 MNT 3,926

-26.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 MNT 4,926

$1.72 MNT 6,195

-20.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 MNT 3,326

$0.79 MNT 2,861

16.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.83 MNT 10.2K

$1.73 MNT 6,213

63.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.41 MNT 19.5K

$10.34 MNT 37.2K

-47.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MNT 6,160

$1.43 MNT 5,157

19.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 MNT 6,047

$1.76 MNT 6,325

-4.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 MNT 537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.42 MNT 69.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 MNT 2,377

$0.55 MNT 1,976

20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 MNT 1,566

$0.57 MNT 2,035

-22.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.26 MNT 22.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 MNT 2,737

$1.12 MNT 4,031

-32.14%

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

$26.4K MNT 94.9M

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

$34.3K MNT 123.5M

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

$59.5 MNT 214.0K

$72.1 MNT 259.6K

-17.55%

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

$2.72 MNT 9,802

$7.36 MNT 26.5K

-63.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.04 MNT 50.5K

$13.42 MNT 48.3K

4.62%

Cinema Ticket

$4.21 MNT 15.2K

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

$276 MNT 994.5K

$783 MNT 2.8M

-64.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,461 MNT 8.9M

$8,296 MNT 29.9M

-70.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 MNT 290.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.13 MNT 166.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MNT 374.3K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$185 MNT 666.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$227 MNT 815.6K

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 Erdenet: October 25, 2026

Last update for Darkhan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Erdenet

–

Darkhan

$235 36.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Erdenet

–

Darkhan

$187 29.3%

Eating Out

Erdenet

–

Darkhan

$113 17.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Erdenet

–

Darkhan

$93 14.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Erdenet

–

Darkhan

$8.4 * 1.3%

Getting Around

Erdenet

–

Darkhan

$3.4 * 0.5%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $28 in Erdenet vs $32 in Darkhan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $235 per month, with Erdenet cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇳 Erdenet

🇲🇳 Darkhan

🕒 Local time

09:54 9:54 AM

Same time as Erdenet

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

86,866

74,738

💱 Currency

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.5 EUR

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Erdenet Darkhan 150 km

From you

Erdenet
Darkhan

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

Erdenet vs Darkhan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Erdenet wins on cost – living expenses run 41% lower than in Darkhan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Erdenet the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $564 in Erdenet and $959 in Darkhan 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 $276 in Erdenet versus $783 in Darkhan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Erdenet – a meal for two runs $28 versus $32 in Darkhan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Erdenet gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Safety-wise, Erdenet and Darkhan are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.