Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ulaanbaatar Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ulaanbaatar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,169 in Ulaanbaatar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,940 in Ulaanbaatar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,712 in Ulaanbaatar.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 96% more expensive than in Ulaanbaatar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Ulaanbaatar is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$5.69 MNT 20.5K

209.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$32.11 MNT 115.4K

95.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$5.63 MNT 20.3K

105.68%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.39 MNT 8,588

29.71%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.89 MNT 3,183

179.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.61 MNT 2,189

185.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.38 MNT 8,545

46.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.40 MNT 12.2K

1.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.46 MNT 5,232

-21.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.01 MNT 3,644

89.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$2.00 MNT 7,195

-25.00%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.13 MNT 7,664

86.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$12.47 MNT 44.8K

6.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$4.86 MNT 17.5K

64.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$7.08 MNT 25.5K

154.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.24 MNT 11.6K

-27.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.36 MNT 8,468

-25.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$3.64 MNT 13.1K

-49.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$2.96 MNT 10.6K

-13.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$0.74 MNT 2,665

148.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.03 MNT 3,717

103.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.65 MNT 5,942

-9.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.74 MNT 2,673

10.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$1.68 MNT 6,045

322.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$10.54 MNT 37.9K

-43.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.44 MNT 5,180

-9.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.74 MNT 6,244

22.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.29 MNT 1,054

713.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$16.88 MNT 60.7K

176.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$0.52 MNT 1,855

684.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.55 MNT 1,960

107.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$6.38 MNT 22.9K

167.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.07 MNT 3,842

115.89%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$26.6K MNT 95.5M

28.51%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$34.7K MNT 124.6M

19.38%

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

$169 €147

$72.0 MNT 258.9K

134.06%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$7.48 MNT 26.9K

158.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$13.82 MNT 49.7K

142.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$69.0 MNT 247.9K

-29.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$17.87 MNT 64.3K

8.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$4.23 MNT 15.2K

126.24%

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

$696 €607

$816 MNT 2.9M

-14.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$8,598 MNT 30.9M

101.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$82.2 MNT 295.7K

28.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$44.54 MNT 160.1K

7.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$103 MNT 369.2K

-2.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$188 MNT 676.5K

-33.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$587 MNT 2.1M

183.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$446 MNT 1.6M

179.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$1,691 MNT 6.1M

75.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$1,019 MNT 3.7M

100.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$1,913 MNT 6.9M

309.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$967 MNT 3.5M

361.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$581 MNT 2.1M

180.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

10.32

-63.37%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $587 in Ulaanbaatar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 181% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $32.00 in Ulaanbaatar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $235 per month, with Ulaanbaatar cheaper across the board.

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

Lisbon vs Ulaanbaatar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Ulaanbaatar differ by about 96% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,169 including rent). Ulaanbaatar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 181% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $587 in Ulaanbaatar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $816 in Ulaanbaatar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,169 in Ulaanbaatar versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ulaanbaatar but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ulaanbaatar 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, Lisbon 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 Ulaanbaatar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.