Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Ulaanbaatar Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Ulaanbaatar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,160 in Ulaanbaatar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,925 in Ulaanbaatar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,691 in Ulaanbaatar.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 45% more expensive than in Ulaanbaatar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Ulaanbaatar is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$5.54 MNT 19.9K

119.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$32.58 MNT 117.1K

65.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$5.40 MNT 19.4K

105.37%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$2.38 MNT 8,567

72.27%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$0.83 MNT 2,974

102.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.57 MNT 2,032

143.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$2.31 MNT 8,312

44.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$3.25 MNT 11.7K

80.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.45 MNT 5,219

27.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$0.97 MNT 3,502

226.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$2.06 MNT 7,402

0.49%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$2.15 MNT 7,747

36.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$12.41 MNT 44.6K

1.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$4.85 MNT 17.4K

108.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$7.16 MNT 25.7K

124.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$3.19 MNT 11.5K

6.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$2.38 MNT 8,547

-12.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$3.64 MNT 13.1K

-41.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$3.12 MNT 11.2K

-22.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$0.70 MNT 2,499

204.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.04 MNT 3,756

93.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.75 MNT 6,280

-11.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.79 MNT 2,847

72.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$1.77 MNT 6,353

225.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$10.61 MNT 38.1K

67.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$1.50 MNT 5,388

38.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$1.72 MNT 6,200

168.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.29 MNT 1,045

27.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$16.54 MNT 59.5K

28.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$0.51 MNT 1,846

301.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.54 MNT 1,929

7.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$6.23 MNT 22.4K

-2.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.06 MNT 3,803

46.23%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$27.3K MNT 98.3M

-16.35%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$34.5K MNT 124.0M

-21.04%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$69.8 MNT 250.8K

-3.35%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$7.47 MNT 26.8K

309.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$13.90 MNT 50.0K

167.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$67.1 MNT 241.1K

-8.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$18.23 MNT 65.5K

48.77%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$4.08 MNT 14.7K

74.26%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$813 MNT 2.9M

-43.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$8,436 MNT 30.3M

62.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$83.6 MNT 300.7K

-11.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$44.65 MNT 160.5K

27.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$105 MNT 377.1K

10.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$190 MNT 683.9K

-36.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$586 MNT 2.1M

95.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$452 MNT 1.6M

57.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$1,695 MNT 6.1M

52.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$1,020 MNT 3.7M

26.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$1,928 MNT 6.9M

107.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$955 MNT 3.4M

122.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$592 MNT 2.1M

82.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

10.32

9.50%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $586 in Ulaanbaatar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 83% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $33.00 in Ulaanbaatar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $237 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

Mexico City vs Ulaanbaatar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Ulaanbaatar differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $1,160 including rent). Ulaanbaatar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 83% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $586 in Ulaanbaatar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ulaanbaatar runs roughly 28% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $813 in Ulaanbaatar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,160 in Ulaanbaatar versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ulaanbaatar but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. 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.

Expats usually find Ulaanbaatar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.