Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Erdenet and Ulaanbaatar

For one person, living is cheaper in Erdenet: $376 a month against $1,192 in Ulaanbaatar, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Ulaanbaatar
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Ulaanbaatar Living Index

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Erdenet

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$376

/mo nomad

Ulaanbaatar

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$1,192

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $376 in Erdenet versus $1,192 in Ulaanbaatar.

Erdenet $376
Ulaanbaatar $1,192

Estimated couple costs with rent: $621 in Erdenet versus $1,911 in Ulaanbaatar.

Erdenet $621
Ulaanbaatar $1,911

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $866 in Erdenet versus $2,630 in Ulaanbaatar.

Erdenet $866
Ulaanbaatar $2,630

Living in Erdenet costs roughly 68% less than in Ulaanbaatar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Erdenet 72% lower, Ulaanbaatar 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.20 MNT 15.1K

$5.41 MNT 19.5K

-22.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.73 MNT 99.7K

$31.92 MNT 114.7K

-13.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.10 MNT 14.7K

$5.61 MNT 20.2K

-26.92%

Cappuccino

$2.27 MNT 8,168

$2.36 MNT 8,485

-3.81%

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

$0.61 MNT 2,181

$0.87 MNT 3,143

-29.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 MNT 1,579

$0.58 MNT 2,073

-24.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.64 MNT 5,878

$2.32 MNT 8,321

-29.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 MNT 5,941

$3.40 MNT 12.2K

-51.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 MNT 3,697

$1.42 MNT 5,110

-27.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 MNT 3,261

$0.99 MNT 3,541

-8.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.75 MNT 9,887

$2.16 MNT 7,760

27.31%

Eggs

$2.04 MNT 7,335

$2.07 MNT 7,441

-1.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.07 MNT 25.4K

$12.26 MNT 44.1K

-42.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.06 MNT 25.4K

$4.75 MNT 17.1K

48.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.35 MNT 15.6K

$6.62 MNT 23.8K

-34.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 MNT 8,083

$3.03 MNT 10.9K

-25.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 MNT 5,953

$2.35 MNT 8,428

-29.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 MNT 5,886

$3.70 MNT 13.3K

-55.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 MNT 4,878

$3.01 MNT 10.8K

-54.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 MNT 5,128

$0.70 MNT 2,525

104.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 MNT 2,865

$1.04 MNT 3,723

-23.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 MNT 4,919

$1.72 MNT 6,182

-20.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 MNT 3,322

$0.79 MNT 2,836

16.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.83 MNT 10.2K

$1.63 MNT 5,867

73.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.41 MNT 19.5K

$10.41 MNT 37.4K

-48.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MNT 6,152

$1.45 MNT 5,200

17.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 MNT 6,039

$1.75 MNT 6,307

-4.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 MNT 537

$0.27 MNT 958

-44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.42 MNT 69.8K

$16.65 MNT 59.8K

16.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 MNT 2,373

$0.51 MNT 1,844

29.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 MNT 1,564

$0.55 MNT 1,986

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.48 MNT 23.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 MNT 2,733

$1.16 MNT 4,182

-34.48%

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

$27.0K MNT 97.1M

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

$35.0K MNT 125.7M

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

$59.5 MNT 213.7K

$70.8 MNT 254.5K

-16.01%

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

$2.72 MNT 9,787

$7.62 MNT 27.4K

-64.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.04 MNT 50.5K

$13.84 MNT 49.7K

1.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.7 MNT 246.9K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 MNT 65.4K

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 MNT 15.2K

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

$276 MNT 993.0K

$798 MNT 2.9M

-65.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,461 MNT 8.8M

$8,425 MNT 30.3M

-70.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.1 MNT 298.6K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.52 MNT 160.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MNT 366.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 MNT 668.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$636 MNT 2.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$469 MNT 1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 MNT 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$985 MNT 3.5M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,751 MNT 6.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,016 MNT 3.7M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$227 MNT 814.4K

$589 MNT 2.1M

-61.53%

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 Ulaanbaatar: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Erdenet

–

Ulaanbaatar

$469 39.4%

Groceries & Markets

Erdenet

–

Ulaanbaatar

$233 19.5%

Clothing & Footwear

Erdenet

–

Ulaanbaatar

$187 15.7%

Eating Out

Erdenet

–

Ulaanbaatar

$113 9.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Erdenet

–

Ulaanbaatar

$92 7.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Erdenet

–

Ulaanbaatar

$77 6.5%

Getting Around

Erdenet

–

Ulaanbaatar

$21 1.8%

Cost Breakdown

Ulaanbaatar pays about 2.6 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 $32 in Ulaanbaatar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $233 per month, with Erdenet cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇳 Erdenet

🇲🇳 Ulaanbaatar

🕒 Local time

04:46 4:46 AM

Same time as Erdenet

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

86,866

1,401,200 Capital

💱 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

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Erdenet Ulaanbaatar 250 km

From you

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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

Erdenet vs Ulaanbaatar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $376 in Erdenet and $1,192 in Ulaanbaatar, so Erdenet is about 68% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 62% 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 $798 in Ulaanbaatar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Ulaanbaatar. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

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