Cost of Living Comparison Between Mongolia and Australia Cost of Living Comparison Between Mongolia and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $642 per month in Mongolia vs $2,181 in Australia, rent included.

A couple spends around $991 per month in Mongolia vs $3,218 in Australia, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,340 per month in Mongolia vs $4,254 in Australia, rent included.

The cost of living in Mongolia is roughly 71% lower than in Australia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Mongolia sits 52% below the global median, while Australia is 64% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.65 MNT 16.7K

$15.97 A$22.93

-70.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.84 MNT 103.6K

$79.0 A$113

-63.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.35 MNT 19.2K

$9.68 A$13.91

-44.73%

Cappuccino

$2.49 MNT 8,951

$3.58 A$5.15

-30.45%

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

$0.68 MNT 2,448

$2.56 A$3.68

-73.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 MNT 1,596

$2.22 A$3.19

-80.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 MNT 6,659

$6.34 A$9.10

-70.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 MNT 8,512

$6.95 A$9.98

-65.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MNT 5,203

$1.56 A$2.25

-7.05%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 MNT 3,452

$2.53 A$3.63

-62.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MNT 6,970

$2.00 A$2.87

-3.00%

Eggs

$2.17 MNT 7,783

$4.26 A$6.12

-49.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.50 MNT 48.5K

$8.75 A$12.57

54.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.46 MNT 19.6K

$8.23 A$11.83

-33.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.58 MNT 20.1K

$14.15 A$20.33

-60.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 MNT 10.7K

$3.26 A$4.69

-8.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 MNT 8,639

$2.81 A$4.04

-14.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.68 MNT 13.2K

$3.00 A$4.31

22.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.62 MNT 9,423

$4.31 A$6.19

-39.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 MNT 2,544

$2.55 A$3.67

-72.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 MNT 3,478

$2.16 A$3.10

-55.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MNT 3,879

$2.22 A$3.19

-51.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 MNT 2,692

$1.53 A$2.20

-50.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.73 MNT 6,210

$31.28 A$44.93

-94.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 MNT 36.0K

$14.09 A$20.24

-28.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MNT 4,571

$4.44 A$6.38

-71.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 MNT 6,113

$4.90 A$7.05

-65.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 MNT 742

$2.95 A$4.24

-92.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.74 MNT 27.8K

$95.9 A$138

-91.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 MNT 2,186

$3.49 A$5.01

-82.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MNT 2,075

$1.84 A$2.64

-68.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.49 MNT 16.1K

$37.26 A$53.5

-87.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 MNT 3,718

$1.17 A$1.68

-11.97%

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

$21.9K MNT 78.6M

$28.7K A$41.3K

-23.90%

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

$15.9K MNT 57.2M

$22.5K A$32.3K

-29.11%

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

$74.1 MNT 266.4K

$173 A$249

-57.25%

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

$7.61 MNT 27.3K

$26.62 A$38.23

-71.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.24 MNT 51.2K

$53.1 A$76.2

-73.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 MNT 177.8K

$46.82 A$67.3

5.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.76 MNT 45.9K

$16.38 A$23.53

-22.10%

Cinema Ticket

$3.50 MNT 12.6K

$13.56 A$19.48

-74.19%

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

$177 MNT 635.7K

$1,571 A$2,256

-88.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,579 MNT 23.6M

$12.6K A$18.1K

-47.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.7 MNT 268.5K

$72.1 A$104

3.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 MNT 216.9K

$51.6 A$74.1

16.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 MNT 359.0K

$101 A$145

-1.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 MNT 461.9K

$108 A$155

19.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 MNT 1.7M

$1,398 A$2,008

-65.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 MNT 1.3M

$1,086 A$1,560

-66.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 MNT 4.7M

$2,272 A$3,263

-42.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 MNT 2.6M

$1,751 A$2,515

-58.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,826 MNT 6.6M

$7,955 A$11.4K

-77.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$953 MNT 3.4M

$5,978 A$8,587

-84.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$588 MNT 2.1M

$4,053 A$5,822

-85.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

-5.51%

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

Last update for Mongolia: July 26, 2026

Last update for Australia: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $208 in Mongolia vs $1,230 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $521 in Ulaanbaatar and $1,557 in Canberra.

Average salary: $444 in Mongolia vs $3,808 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 491% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 267% more in Australia.

Public transport is 2133% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 758% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

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

Mongolia vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mongolia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 283% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Mongolia, contributing to the overall 283% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Mongolia, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Mongolia is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.