Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandalgovi and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Mandalgovi: $634 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Mandalgovi
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Mandalgovi Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Mandalgovi

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$634

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mandalgovi and in Seoul

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

A single person spends $634 per month in Mandalgovi vs $1,822 in Seoul, rent included.

Mandalgovi $634
Seoul $1,822

A couple spends around $1,056 per month in Mandalgovi vs $2,847 in Seoul, rent included.

Mandalgovi $1,056
Seoul $2,847

A family of three spends $1,477 per month in Mandalgovi vs $3,872 in Seoul, rent included.

Mandalgovi $1,477
Seoul $3,872

Mandalgovi is about 65% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mandalgovi sits 53% below the global median, while Seoul is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.72 MNT 20.5K

$9.10 ₩12.2K

-37.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.77 MNT 114.2K

$67.0 ₩90.0K

-52.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 MNT 20.5K

$7.42 ₩9,964

-23.18%

Cappuccino

$2.49 MNT 8,944

$4.08 ₩5,482

-38.97%

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

$0.88 MNT 3,168

$1.60 ₩2,146

-45.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 MNT 2,217

$0.80 ₩1,081

-22.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 MNT 8,362

$3.65 ₩4,898

-36.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 MNT 12.0K

$5.94 ₩7,974

-43.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MNT 5,236

$2.05 ₩2,748

-28.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 MNT 3,507

$3.08 ₩4,139

-68.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MNT 7,518

$4.21 ₩5,659

-50.36%

Eggs

$2.05 MNT 7,379

$3.57 ₩4,795

-42.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.58 MNT 45.2K

$17.95 ₩24.1K

-29.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.82 MNT 17.3K

$10.64 ₩14.3K

-54.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.38 MNT 26.5K

$26.44 ₩35.5K

-72.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 MNT 11.3K

$7.42 ₩9,969

-57.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 MNT 8,555

$3.53 ₩4,743

-32.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 MNT 13.7K

$5.87 ₩7,884

-34.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 MNT 10.9K

$6.37 ₩8,554

-52.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 MNT 2,684

$3.75 ₩5,040

-80.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 MNT 3,878

$2.49 ₩3,345

-56.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 MNT 6,269

$2.92 ₩3,920

-40.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 MNT 2,767

$1.15 ₩1,545

-33.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.69 MNT 6,081

$3.29 ₩4,418

-48.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.27 MNT 36.9K

$18.49 ₩24.8K

-44.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 MNT 5,403

$2.28 ₩3,064

-34.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 MNT 6,470

$3.28 ₩4,408

-45.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,529

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩61.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.52 MNT 1,863

$3.48 ₩4,674

-85.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 MNT 1,960

$0.60 ₩805

-8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.30 MNT 22.6K

$8.70 ₩11.7K

-27.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 MNT 3,812

$1.50 ₩2,008

-29.33%

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

$26.6K MNT 95.6M

$29.1K ₩39.1M

-8.59%

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

$34.8K MNT 125.2M

$28.2K ₩37.9M

23.58%

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

$69.9 MNT 251.1K

$209 ₩280.5K

-66.54%

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

$7.74 MNT 27.8K

$35.13 ₩47.2K

-77.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.71 MNT 49.3K

$21.18 ₩28.4K

-35.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩77.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 MNT 14.7K

$11.33 ₩15.2K

-63.81%

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

$809 MNT 2.9M

$1,902 ₩2.6M

-57.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,442 MNT 30.3M

$22.5K ₩30.2M

-62.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.4 MNT 299.7K

$58.9 ₩79.1K

41.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.82 MNT 161.0K

$32.12 ₩43.1K

39.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MNT 377.5K

$70.1 ₩94.2K

49.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$191 MNT 685.9K

$82.5 ₩110.8K

131.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩837.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.32

4.08

152.94%

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

Last update for Mandalgovi: October 4, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mandalgovi

$238 36.7%

Seoul

$479 26.7% 102% $241

Clothing & Footwear

Mandalgovi

$191 29.4%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 42.6% $81

Eating Out

Mandalgovi

$117 18.1%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 57% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mandalgovi

$91 14.1%

Seoul

$265 14.8% 190% $174

Sport & Entertainment

Mandalgovi

$8.2 * 1.3%

Seoul

$80 4.5% 876% $72

Getting Around

Mandalgovi

$3.3 * 0.5%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 1639% $53

Accommodation & Living

Mandalgovi

- * 0%

Seoul

$624 34.7%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Mandalgovi versus $67.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $479 – making Mandalgovi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇳 Mandalgovi

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

15:38 3:38 PM

16:38 4:38 PM

1 h ahead of Mandalgovi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,888

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to MNT – Mongolian Tögrög Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇳 Mongolian Tögrög (₮)

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,593 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,030 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,506 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR).

USD to MNT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mandalgovi Seoul 1,940 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Mandalgovi
Seoul

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 Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $634 in Mandalgovi, $1,822 in Seoul – roughly 187% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $951 per month in Mandalgovi and $2,733 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $634 in Mandalgovi and $1,822 in Seoul. That's a gap of about 187%.

Kindergarten costs $809 per month in Mandalgovi and $1,902 in Seoul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mandalgovi, where all-in costs run around $634, than in Seoul at $1,822. In Mandalgovi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mandalgovi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mandalgovi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seoul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.