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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,127 in Ulaanbaatar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,770 in Ulaanbaatar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,413 in Ulaanbaatar.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 29% more expensive than in Ulaanbaatar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Ulaanbaatar is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$5.38 MNT 19.3K

142.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$943

$28.93 MNT 103.7K

85.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$170

$5.28 MNT 18.9K

83.33%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.6

$2.55 MNT 9,154

46.67%

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

$1.62 MX$28.34

$0.76 MNT 2,714

113.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.37

$0.51 MNT 1,830

127.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$2.10 MNT 7,526

53.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

$2.34 MNT 8,379

102.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.89

$1.43 MNT 5,132

15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.30

$0.98 MNT 3,522

180.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.87

$2.11 MNT 7,567

-11.37%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.86

$2.09 MNT 7,499

19.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$179

$15.62 MNT 56.0K

-34.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$145

$5.77 MNT 20.7K

42.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$6.48 MNT 23.2K

82.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$3.17 MNT 11.4K

-5.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.77

$2.67 MNT 9,554

-32.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.07

$4.28 MNT 15.4K

-53.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.00

$2.67 MNT 9,581

-25.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.56

$0.72 MNT 2,589

188.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.85

$1.01 MNT 3,625

124.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.55

$1.29 MNT 4,638

13.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$0.71 MNT 2,534

52.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$1.77 MNT 6,342

145.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

$10.38 MNT 37.2K

63.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

$1.34 MNT 4,795

29.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

$1.70 MNT 6,092

110.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

$0.28 MNT 991

39.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

$8.81 MNT 31.6K

112.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$0.56 MNT 2,011

137.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

$0.56 MNT 2,024

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$92.1

$4.64 MNT 16.6K

13.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.44

$1.08 MNT 3,860

24.07%

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

$19.4K MX$340.5K

$30.5K MNT 109.2M

-36.29%

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

$23.8K MX$418.0K

$18.4K MNT 65.9M

29.60%

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

$40.69 MX$714

$82.7 MNT 296.4K

-50.80%

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

$26.87 MX$471

$7.41 MNT 26.5K

262.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$535

$16.71 MNT 59.9K

82.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

$62.3 MNT 223.3K

-15.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

$13.72 MNT 49.2K

94.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$3.76 MNT 13.5K

73.14%

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

$428 MX$7,508

$175 MNT 628.2K

144.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$184.2K

$6,474 MNT 23.2M

62.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,004

$85.9 MNT 307.7K

-33.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$798

$69.8 MNT 250.3K

-34.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,825

$105 MNT 375.0K

-0.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,891

$160 MNT 573.3K

-32.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.6K

$511 MNT 1.8M

96.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$405 MNT 1.5M

53.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

$1,501 MNT 5.4M

40.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

$757 MNT 2.7M

60.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

$1,934 MNT 6.9M

100.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

$957 MNT 3.4M

112.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

$596 MNT 2.1M

74.05%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $511 in Ulaanbaatar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 74% 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 $29.00 in Ulaanbaatar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 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 29% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,127 including rent). Ulaanbaatar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 74% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $511 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 112% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $175 in Ulaanbaatar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,127 in Ulaanbaatar versus $1,456 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 29% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.