Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Ulaanbaatar

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulaanbaatar: $1,192 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Ulaanbaatar
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Ulaanbaatar Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Ulaanbaatar

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$1,192

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $1,192 in Ulaanbaatar.

Mexico City $1,608
Ulaanbaatar $1,192

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,911 in Ulaanbaatar.

Mexico City $2,549
Ulaanbaatar $1,911

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $2,630 in Ulaanbaatar.

Mexico City $3,490
Ulaanbaatar $2,630

Living in Mexico City is roughly 35% more expensive than in Ulaanbaatar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Ulaanbaatar is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$5.41 MNT 19.5K

96.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$31.92 MNT 114.7K

51.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$5.61 MNT 20.2K

84.49%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.8

$2.36 MNT 8,485

56.36%

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

$1.67 MX$31.07

$0.87 MNT 3,143

91.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.59

$0.58 MNT 2,073

118.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$2.32 MNT 8,321

37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$3.40 MNT 12.2K

56.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.15

$1.42 MNT 5,110

21.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.7

$0.99 MNT 3,541

207.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$2.16 MNT 7,760

-10.19%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$2.07 MNT 7,441

39.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$12.26 MNT 44.1K

-10.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$4.75 MNT 17.1K

94.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$6.62 MNT 23.8K

128.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$3.03 MNT 10.9K

0.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$2.35 MNT 8,428

-17.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.75

$3.70 MNT 13.3K

-45.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.15

$3.01 MNT 10.8K

-23.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.94

$0.70 MNT 2,525

191.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.55

$1.04 MNT 3,723

73.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.58

$1.72 MNT 6,182

-13.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.63

$0.79 MNT 2,836

60.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.9

$1.63 MNT 5,867

225.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$10.41 MNT 37.4K

54.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.97

$1.45 MNT 5,200

36.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.3

$1.75 MNT 6,307

142.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.69

$0.27 MNT 958

14.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

$16.65 MNT 59.8K

18.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.25

$0.51 MNT 1,844

260.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

$0.55 MNT 1,986

-3.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

$6.48 MNT 23.3K

-18.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.16

$1.16 MNT 4,182

30.17%

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

$21.8K MX$405.5K

$27.0K MNT 97.1M

-19.48%

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

$24.0K MX$447.1K

$35.0K MNT 125.7M

-31.44%

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

$63.0 MX$1,174

$70.8 MNT 254.5K

-11.06%

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

$27.39 MX$511

$7.62 MNT 27.4K

259.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$665

$13.84 MNT 49.7K

157.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

$68.7 MNT 246.9K

-14.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

$18.21 MNT 65.4K

29.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$4.24 MNT 15.2K

50.94%

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

$432 MX$8,045

$798 MNT 2.9M

-45.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.9K

$8,425 MNT 30.3M

35.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,272

$83.1 MNT 298.6K

-17.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

$44.52 MNT 160.0K

19.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,009

$102 MNT 366.6K

5.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,186

$186 MNT 668.4K

-36.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$636 MNT 2.3M

75.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$469 MNT 1.7M

51.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$1,633 MNT 5.9M

58.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$985 MNT 3.5M

42.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

$1,751 MNT 6.3M

107.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

$1,016 MNT 3.7M

110.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

$589 MNT 2.1M

60.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

10.32

9.98%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Ulaanbaatar

$469 39.4% 34% $241

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Ulaanbaatar

$233 19.5% 27.2% $87

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Ulaanbaatar

$113 9.5% 43.3% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Ulaanbaatar

$187 15.7% 20% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Ulaanbaatar

$92 7.7% 26.8% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Ulaanbaatar

$77 6.5% 7.6% $5.4

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Ulaanbaatar

$21 1.8% 17.6% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $636 in Ulaanbaatar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 61% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $32 in Ulaanbaatar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $233 per month, with Ulaanbaatar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇲🇳 Ulaanbaatar

🕒 Local time

17:04 5:04 PM

07:04 7:04 AM

14 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

1,401,200 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MNT, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,594 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,001 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.5 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Ulaanbaatar 12,090 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $1,192 in Ulaanbaatar, so Ulaanbaatar is about 26% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 61% 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $636 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 16% less than in Mexico City. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $798 in Ulaanbaatar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ulaanbaatar is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.