Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandalgovi and Erdenet

For one person, living is cheaper in Erdenet: $374 a month against $639 in Mandalgovi, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Mandalgovi
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Mandalgovi Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Erdenet
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Erdenet Living Index

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Mandalgovi

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$639

/mo nomad

Erdenet

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$374

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mandalgovi and in Erdenet

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $639 in Mandalgovi versus $374 in Erdenet.

Mandalgovi $639
Erdenet $374

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,051 in Mandalgovi versus $620 in Erdenet.

Mandalgovi $1,051
Erdenet $620

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,462 in Mandalgovi versus $866 in Erdenet.

Mandalgovi $1,462
Erdenet $866

Living in Mandalgovi is roughly 71% more expensive than in Erdenet, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.42 MNT 19.5K

$4.22 MNT 15.2K

28.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.55 MNT 117.0K

$28.23 MNT 101.5K

15.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 MNT 20.1K

$4.07 MNT 14.6K

37.59%

Cappuccino

$2.43 MNT 8,754

$2.18 MNT 7,823

11.47%

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

$0.84 MNT 3,012

$0.61 MNT 2,180

37.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 MNT 2,175

$0.43 MNT 1,555

39.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 MNT 8,621

$1.64 MNT 5,901

46.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 MNT 11.8K

$1.71 MNT 6,144

92.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MNT 5,353

$1.03 MNT 3,687

44.66%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 MNT 3,552

$0.90 MNT 3,226

10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 MNT 7,664

$2.75 MNT 9,880

-22.55%

Eggs

$2.08 MNT 7,496

$2.02 MNT 7,250

2.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.37 MNT 44.5K

$6.83 MNT 24.5K

81.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.76 MNT 17.1K

$6.90 MNT 24.8K

-31.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.60 MNT 23.7K

$4.50 MNT 16.2K

46.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MNT 11.2K

$2.25 MNT 8,077

37.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 MNT 8,487

$1.71 MNT 6,140

38.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 MNT 13.1K

$1.70 MNT 6,107

114.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.95 MNT 10.6K

$1.42 MNT 5,107

107.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 MNT 2,526

$1.35 MNT 4,872

-48.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 MNT 3,900

$0.80 MNT 2,873

35.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 MNT 5,985

$1.35 MNT 4,863

22.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 MNT 2,839

$0.95 MNT 3,428

-16.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.71 MNT 6,154

$2.80 MNT 10.1K

-38.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.38 MNT 37.3K

$5.62 MNT 20.2K

84.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 MNT 5,373

$1.71 MNT 6,155

-12.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 MNT 6,222

$1.65 MNT 5,935

4.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 MNT 570

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.54 MNT 70.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 MNT 1,829

$0.61 MNT 2,200

-16.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 MNT 1,989

$0.43 MNT 1,563

27.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.33 MNT 22.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 MNT 4,059

$0.76 MNT 2,736

48.68%

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

$26.8K MNT 96.4M

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

$35.3K MNT 127.0M

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

$72.0 MNT 259.0K

$59.4 MNT 213.4K

21.34%

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

$7.59 MNT 27.3K

$2.76 MNT 9,938

175.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.42 MNT 48.3K

$13.74 MNT 49.4K

-2.33%

Cinema Ticket

$4.14 MNT 14.9K

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

$812 MNT 2.9M

$278 MNT 998.0K

192.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,138 MNT 29.3M

$2,460 MNT 8.8M

230.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.0 MNT 298.4K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.52 MNT 160.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MNT 370.4K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$187 MNT 670.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$219 MNT 785.9K

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 Mandalgovi: October 10, 2026

Last update for Erdenet: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mandalgovi

$233 36.5%

Erdenet

$188 50.2% 19.6% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Mandalgovi

$188 29.4%

Erdenet

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Mandalgovi

$114 17.8%

Erdenet

$88 23.5% 22.7% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mandalgovi

$93 14.6%

Erdenet

$76 20.3% 18.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Mandalgovi

$8.3 * 1.3%

Erdenet

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Mandalgovi

$3.3 * 0.5%

Erdenet

$23 6.1% 602% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $33.00 in Mandalgovi vs $28.00 in Erdenet for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $188 per month, with Erdenet cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇳 Mandalgovi

🇲🇳 Erdenet

🕒 Local time

22:25 10:25 PM

Same time as Mandalgovi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,888

86,866

💱 Currency

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.47 EUR

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Mandalgovi Erdenet 400 km

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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

Mandalgovi vs Erdenet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandalgovi and Erdenet differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($639 vs $374 including rent). Erdenet is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $959 in Mandalgovi and $562 in Erdenet 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.

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

All in, you'll spend $639 per month in Mandalgovi versus $374 in Erdenet – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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.

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, Mandalgovi and Erdenet 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 Erdenet gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Mandalgovi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.