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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,161 in Ulaanbaatar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,804 in Ulaanbaatar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,446 in Ulaanbaatar.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 90% more expensive than Ulaanbaatar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Ulaanbaatar is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$5.62 MNT 20.1K

183.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$29.99 MNT 107.2K

115.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$5.56 MNT 19.9K

89.03%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.64 MNT 9,447

8.71%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.75 MNT 2,693

198.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.48 MNT 1,705

212.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.11 MNT 7,547

65.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.31 MNT 8,244

67.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.49 MNT 5,317

-23.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.98 MNT 3,489

78.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.14 MNT 7,648

-17.76%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.17 MNT 7,771

48.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$16.06 MNT 57.4K

-16.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$5.56 MNT 19.9K

42.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$6.27 MNT 22.4K

153.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.10 MNT 11.1K

-25.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.65 MNT 9,461

-35.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$4.44 MNT 15.9K

-54.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.68 MNT 9,566

-8.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.75 MNT 2,698

145.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.02 MNT 3,662

96.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.27 MNT 4,534

51.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.73 MNT 2,624

8.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$1.79 MNT 6,384

269.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$9.67 MNT 34.6K

-40.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.39 MNT 4,970

-1.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.71 MNT 6,132

73.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.28 MNT 987

746.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$8.61 MNT 30.8K

429.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.62 MNT 2,210

591.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.61 MNT 2,189

34.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$4.76 MNT 17.0K

284.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.03 MNT 3,694

100.00%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$30.2K MNT 108.0M

13.45%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$18.6K MNT 66.4M

111.69%

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

$148 €127

$81.4 MNT 291.0K

81.70%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$7.77 MNT 27.8K

164.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$16.99 MNT 60.7K

133.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$60.5 MNT 216.1K

-20.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$13.47 MNT 48.2K

40.46%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$3.76 MNT 13.5K

144.15%

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

$614 €528

$177 MNT 632.8K

246.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$6,504 MNT 23.3M

146.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$84.3 MNT 301.5K

24.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$69.5 MNT 248.6K

-39.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$105 MNT 375.2K

-10.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$161 MNT 577.2K

-25.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$512 MNT 1.8M

217.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$405 MNT 1.4M

209.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,472 MNT 5.3M

105.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$740 MNT 2.6M

172.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$1,967 MNT 7.0M

296.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$953 MNT 3.4M

348.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$601 MNT 2.1M

166.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-36.50%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $512 in Ulaanbaatar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 167% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $30.00 in Ulaanbaatar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $247 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 90% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,161 including rent). Ulaanbaatar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 167% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $512 in Ulaanbaatar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $177 in Ulaanbaatar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,161 in Ulaanbaatar versus $2,210 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 90% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.