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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,161 in Ulaanbaatar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,804 in Ulaanbaatar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,446 in Ulaanbaatar.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 26% more expensive than Ulaanbaatar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Ulaanbaatar is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$5.62 MNT 20.1K

134.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$29.99 MNT 107.2K

79.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$5.56 MNT 19.9K

69.42%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.64 MNT 9,447

34.47%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.75 MNT 2,693

116.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.48 MNT 1,705

131.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$2.11 MNT 7,547

47.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.31 MNT 8,244

100.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.49 MNT 5,317

14.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$0.98 MNT 3,489

177.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$2.14 MNT 7,648

-10.75%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.17 MNT 7,771

17.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$16.06 MNT 57.4K

-37.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$5.56 MNT 19.9K

45.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$6.27 MNT 22.4K

85.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$3.10 MNT 11.1K

-4.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$2.65 MNT 9,461

-31.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$4.44 MNT 15.9K

-54.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$2.68 MNT 9,566

-24.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$0.75 MNT 2,698

182.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.02 MNT 3,662

122.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.27 MNT 4,534

10.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.73 MNT 2,624

54.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$1.79 MNT 6,384

138.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$9.67 MNT 34.6K

60.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.39 MNT 4,970

26.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.71 MNT 6,132

110.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.28 MNT 987

35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$8.61 MNT 30.8K

122.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$0.62 MNT 2,210

122.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.61 MNT 2,189

-54.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$4.76 MNT 17.0K

14.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.03 MNT 3,694

26.21%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$30.2K MNT 108.0M

-38.15%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$18.6K MNT 66.4M

24.61%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$81.4 MNT 291.0K

-49.79%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$7.77 MNT 27.8K

245.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$16.99 MNT 60.7K

76.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$60.5 MNT 216.1K

-13.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$13.47 MNT 48.2K

99.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$3.76 MNT 13.5K

67.55%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$177 MNT 632.8K

146.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$6,504 MNT 23.3M

60.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$84.3 MNT 301.5K

-32.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$69.5 MNT 248.6K

-36.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$105 MNT 375.2K

-1.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$161 MNT 577.2K

-34.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$512 MNT 1.8M

99.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$405 MNT 1.4M

55.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$1,472 MNT 5.3M

45.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$740 MNT 2.6M

67.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$1,967 MNT 7.0M

98.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$953 MNT 3.4M

116.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$601 MNT 2.1M

85.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

89.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $512 in Ulaanbaatar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 86% 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 $30.00 in Ulaanbaatar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 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

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

Mexico City and Ulaanbaatar differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,161 including rent). Ulaanbaatar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 86% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $512 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 123% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $177 in Ulaanbaatar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,161 in Ulaanbaatar versus $1,467 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 26% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.