Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandalgovi and Ulaanbaatar

For one person, living is cheaper in Mandalgovi: $639 a month against $1,175 in Ulaanbaatar, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 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
57

Cost of Living Index in Ulaanbaatar
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Ulaanbaatar Living Index

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Mandalgovi

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$639

/mo nomad

Ulaanbaatar

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$1,175

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $639 per month in Mandalgovi vs $1,175 in Ulaanbaatar, rent included.

Mandalgovi $639
Ulaanbaatar $1,175

A couple spends around $1,051 per month in Mandalgovi vs $1,910 in Ulaanbaatar, rent included.

Mandalgovi $1,051
Ulaanbaatar $1,910

A family of three spends $1,462 per month in Mandalgovi vs $2,645 in Ulaanbaatar, rent included.

Mandalgovi $1,462
Ulaanbaatar $2,645

Mandalgovi is about 46% cheaper than Ulaanbaatar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Mandalgovi and Ulaanbaatar are more affordable than the global median – Mandalgovi 53% lower, Ulaanbaatar 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.42 MNT 19.5K

$5.63 MNT 20.2K

-3.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.55 MNT 117.0K

$32.37 MNT 116.4K

0.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 MNT 20.1K

$5.72 MNT 20.6K

-2.10%

Cappuccino

$2.43 MNT 8,754

$2.37 MNT 8,520

2.53%

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

$0.84 MNT 3,012

$0.84 MNT 3,016

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 MNT 2,175

$0.57 MNT 2,053

5.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 MNT 8,621

$2.34 MNT 8,420

2.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 MNT 11.8K

$3.25 MNT 11.7K

1.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MNT 5,353

$1.41 MNT 5,082

5.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 MNT 3,552

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 MNT 7,664

$2.14 MNT 7,704

-0.47%

Eggs

$2.08 MNT 7,496

$2.12 MNT 7,619

-1.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.37 MNT 44.5K

$12.56 MNT 45.2K

-1.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.76 MNT 17.1K

$4.79 MNT 17.2K

-0.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.60 MNT 23.7K

$6.94 MNT 24.9K

-4.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MNT 11.2K

$3.00 MNT 10.8K

3.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 MNT 8,487

$2.34 MNT 8,431

0.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 MNT 13.1K

$3.80 MNT 13.7K

-3.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.95 MNT 10.6K

$3.00 MNT 10.8K

-1.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 MNT 2,526

$0.75 MNT 2,700

-6.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 MNT 3,900

$1.08 MNT 3,879

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 MNT 5,985

$1.68 MNT 6,045

-1.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 MNT 2,839

$0.74 MNT 2,653

6.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.71 MNT 6,154

$1.72 MNT 6,174

-0.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.38 MNT 37.3K

$10.45 MNT 37.6K

-0.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 MNT 5,373

$1.44 MNT 5,167

3.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 MNT 6,222

$1.73 MNT 6,213

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 MNT 960

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.87 MNT 60.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 MNT 1,829

$0.54 MNT 1,957

-5.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 MNT 1,989

$0.56 MNT 2,009

-1.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.33 MNT 22.8K

$6.52 MNT 23.5K

-2.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 MNT 4,059

$1.15 MNT 4,142

-1.74%

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

$26.8K MNT 96.4M

$26.8K MNT 96.5M

-0.08%

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

$35.3K MNT 127.0M

$34.4K MNT 123.6M

2.73%

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

$72.0 MNT 259.0K

$70.9 MNT 255.1K

1.55%

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

$7.59 MNT 27.3K

$7.48 MNT 26.9K

1.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.42 MNT 48.3K

$13.84 MNT 49.8K

-3.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 MNT 245.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.03 MNT 64.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.14 MNT 14.9K

$4.27 MNT 15.3K

-3.04%

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

$812 MNT 2.9M

$827 MNT 3.0M

-1.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,138 MNT 29.3M

$8,182 MNT 29.4M

-0.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.0 MNT 298.4K

$82.2 MNT 295.7K

0.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.52 MNT 160.1K

$45.68 MNT 164.3K

-2.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MNT 370.4K

$104 MNT 373.5K

-0.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$187 MNT 670.7K

$191 MNT 686.1K

-2.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$566 MNT 2.0M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 MNT 1.6M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,657 MNT 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$983 MNT 3.5M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,895 MNT 6.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$976 MNT 3.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 MNT 2.1M

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 Ulaanbaatar: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mandalgovi

$233 36.5%

Ulaanbaatar

$234 19.9% 0.4% $0.8

Clothing & Footwear

Mandalgovi

$188 29.4%

Ulaanbaatar

$190 16.2% 1.3% $2.5

Eating Out

Mandalgovi

$114 17.8%

Ulaanbaatar

$114 9.7% 0.7% $0.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mandalgovi

$93 14.6%

Ulaanbaatar

$92 7.9% 0.8% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Mandalgovi

$8.3 * 1.3%

Ulaanbaatar

$77 6.5% 827% $69

Getting Around

Mandalgovi

$3.3 * 0.5%

Ulaanbaatar

$21 1.8% 551% $18

Accommodation & Living

Mandalgovi

- * 0%

Ulaanbaatar

$446 38%

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 $33.00 in Mandalgovi versus $32.00 in Ulaanbaatar. Groceries tell a different story – $233 in Mandalgovi vs $234 in Ulaanbaatar – so Mandalgovi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇳 Mandalgovi

🇲🇳 Ulaanbaatar

🕒 Local time

17:38 5:38 PM

Same time as Mandalgovi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,888

1,401,200 Capital

💱 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

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Between locations

Mandalgovi Ulaanbaatar 240 km

From you

Mandalgovi
Ulaanbaatar

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 Ulaanbaatar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $639 in Mandalgovi, $1,175 in Ulaanbaatar – roughly 84% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $959 per month in Mandalgovi and $1,763 in Ulaanbaatar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $639 in Mandalgovi and $1,175 in Ulaanbaatar. That's a gap of about 84%.

Kindergarten costs $812 per month in Mandalgovi and $827 in Ulaanbaatar. 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 $639, than in Ulaanbaatar at $1,175. In Mandalgovi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ulaanbaatar 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.

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