Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Erdenet and Nalaikh

For one person, living is cheaper in Erdenet: $376 a month against $905 in Nalaikh, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nalaikh
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Nalaikh Living Index

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Erdenet

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$376

/mo nomad

Nalaikh

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$905

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Erdenet and in Nalaikh

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 Nalaikh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $376 in Erdenet versus $905 in Nalaikh.

Erdenet $376
Nalaikh $905

Estimated couple costs with rent: $621 in Erdenet versus $1,430 in Nalaikh.

Erdenet $621
Nalaikh $1,430

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $866 in Erdenet versus $1,956 in Nalaikh.

Erdenet $866
Nalaikh $1,956

Living in Erdenet costs roughly 58% less than in Nalaikh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Erdenet 72% lower, Nalaikh 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.20 MNT 15.1K

$4.39 MNT 15.8K

-4.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.73 MNT 99.8K

$26.30 MNT 94.7K

5.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.10 MNT 14.7K

$4.49 MNT 16.2K

-8.69%

Cappuccino

$2.27 MNT 8,180

$2.24 MNT 8,061

1.34%

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

$0.61 MNT 2,184

$0.67 MNT 2,415

-8.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 MNT 1,581

$0.40 MNT 1,439

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.64 MNT 5,886

$1.40 MNT 5,041

17.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 MNT 5,949

$2.18 MNT 7,843

-24.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 MNT 3,702

$1.23 MNT 4,431

-16.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 MNT 3,266

$0.87 MNT 3,118

4.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.75 MNT 9,902

$1.60 MNT 5,743

71.87%

Eggs

$2.04 MNT 7,346

$2.14 MNT 7,706

-4.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.07 MNT 25.4K

$12.58 MNT 45.3K

-43.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.06 MNT 25.4K

$4.20 MNT 15.1K

68.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.35 MNT 15.7K

$5.39 MNT 19.4K

-19.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 MNT 8,095

$3.12 MNT 11.2K

-27.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 MNT 5,962

$2.39 MNT 8,595

-30.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 MNT 5,895

$3.82 MNT 13.8K

-57.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 MNT 4,885

$2.75 MNT 9,886

-50.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 MNT 5,135

$0.57 MNT 2,055

150.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 MNT 2,869

$1.01 MNT 3,635

-20.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 MNT 4,926

$1.22 MNT 4,375

12.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 MNT 3,326

$0.62 MNT 2,241

48.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.83 MNT 10.2K

$1.63 MNT 5,856

73.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.41 MNT 19.5K

$8.53 MNT 30.7K

-36.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MNT 6,160

$0.95 MNT 3,436

80.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 MNT 6,047

$1.62 MNT 5,834

3.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 MNT 537

$0.16 MNT 563

-6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.42 MNT 69.9K

$6.26 MNT 22.5K

210.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 MNT 2,377

$0.55 MNT 1,982

20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 MNT 1,566

$0.56 MNT 2,003

-21.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 MNT 8,872

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 MNT 2,737

$0.96 MNT 3,451

-20.83%

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

$26.7K MNT 96.2M

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

$16.6K MNT 59.6M

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

$59.5 MNT 214.0K

$69.2 MNT 248.9K

-14.00%

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

$2.72 MNT 9,802

$6.91 MNT 24.9K

-60.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.04 MNT 50.5K

$11.33 MNT 40.8K

23.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 MNT 198.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.70 MNT 49.3K

Cinema Ticket

$2.85 MNT 10.3K

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

$276 MNT 994.5K

$125 MNT 449.9K

121.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,461 MNT 8.9M

$5,461 MNT 19.7M

-54.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.8 MNT 218.9K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.19 MNT 162.7K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.5 MNT 300.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 MNT 456.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 MNT 1.5M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$302 MNT 1.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 MNT 4.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$587 MNT 2.1M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,407 MNT 5.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$829 MNT 3.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$227 MNT 815.6K

$531 MNT 1.9M

-57.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Erdenet: October 25, 2026

Last update for Nalaikh: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Erdenet

–

Nalaikh

$302 33.4%

Groceries & Markets

Erdenet

–

Nalaikh

$211 23.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Erdenet

–

Nalaikh

$142 15.7%

Eating Out

Erdenet

–

Nalaikh

$91 10.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Erdenet

–

Nalaikh

$87 9.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Erdenet

–

Nalaikh

$61 6.7%

Getting Around

Erdenet

–

Nalaikh

$10 1.1%

Cost Breakdown

Nalaikh pays about 2.3 times more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $28 in Erdenet vs $26 in Nalaikh. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $211, with Erdenet cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇳 Erdenet

🇲🇳 Nalaikh

🕒 Local time

07:36 7:36 AM

Same time as Erdenet

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

86,866

30,049

💱 Currency

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.49 EUR

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.49 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Erdenet Nalaikh 270 km

From you

Erdenet
Nalaikh

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 Nalaikh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $376 in Erdenet and $905 in Nalaikh, so Erdenet is about 58% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 57% lower in Erdenet. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $276 in Erdenet versus $125 in Nalaikh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Nalaikh. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Erdenet wins on affordability, Nalaikh on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.