Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mongolia and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $1,161 in Mongolia, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Mongolia
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Mongolia Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index

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🇲🇳 Mongolia

$1,161

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mongolia and in China

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mongolia and in China actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,161 in Mongolia versus $791 in China.

Mongolia $1,161
China $791

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,847 in Mongolia versus $1,251 in China.

Mongolia $1,847
China $1,251

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,532 in Mongolia versus $1,711 in China.

Mongolia $2,532
China $1,711

Mongolia ($376–$1,192) and China ($465–$1,222) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in Mongolia is roughly 47% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Mongolia 15% lower, China 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.63 MNT 20.2K

$2.98 ¥19.81

88.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.11 MNT 104.6K

$22.09 ¥147

31.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 MNT 19.9K

$5.20 ¥34.60

6.35%

Cappuccino

$2.42 MNT 8,711

$2.97 ¥19.74

-18.52%

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

$0.86 MNT 3,097

$0.48 ¥3.19

79.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 MNT 2,057

$0.30 ¥2.01

90.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 MNT 8,248

$1.08 ¥7.18

112.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 MNT 12.1K

$2.28 ¥15.15

47.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 MNT 4,895

$1.80 ¥11.96

-24.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 MNT 3,583

$1.68 ¥11.15

-40.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MNT 7,423

$0.92 ¥6.13

125.00%

Eggs

$2.06 MNT 7,416

$1.61 ¥10.73

27.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.74 MNT 35.0K

$13.38 ¥89.1

-27.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.17 MNT 18.6K

$3.35 ¥22.28

54.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.51 MNT 23.4K

$11.35 ¥75.5

-42.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 MNT 10.7K

$1.82 ¥12.12

63.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 MNT 7,938

$1.31 ¥8.69

68.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.67 MNT 13.2K

$1.49 ¥9.89

146.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 MNT 10.6K

$1.27 ¥8.47

133.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 MNT 2,931

$0.71 ¥4.73

15.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 MNT 3,171

$0.93 ¥6.21

-5.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 MNT 5,991

$0.62 ¥4.12

169.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 MNT 2,739

$0.56 ¥3.74

35.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.70 MNT 6,100

$3.78 ¥25.15

-55.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.51 MNT 34.2K

$12.13 ¥80.7

-21.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 MNT 5,085

$0.83 ¥5.54

69.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 MNT 6,312

$1.68 ¥11.21

4.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 MNT 968

$0.29 ¥1.92

-6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.52 MNT 59.4K

$17.83 ¥119

-7.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 MNT 1,847

$1.49 ¥9.89

-65.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MNT 2,029

$0.37 ¥2.49

51.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.41 MNT 23.0K

$7.10 ¥47.24

-9.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 MNT 4,172

$1.26 ¥8.37

-7.94%

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

$27.4K MNT 98.4M

$19.4K ¥129.4K

40.83%

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

$31.7K MNT 113.8M

$17.5K ¥116.7K

80.58%

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

$72.1 MNT 259.1K

$54.6 ¥363

32.11%

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

$7.11 MNT 25.6K

$8.73 ¥58.1

-18.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.32 MNT 44.3K

$11.07 ¥73.6

11.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.9 MNT 236.9K

$40.77 ¥271

61.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.40 MNT 62.5K

$14.48 ¥96.4

20.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.08 MNT 14.7K

$6.78 ¥45.12

-39.82%

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

$645 MNT 2.3M

$517 ¥3,438

24.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,038 MNT 28.9M

$19.8K ¥131.8K

-59.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 MNT 284.5K

$46.53 ¥310

70.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.63 MNT 178.3K

$35.66 ¥237

39.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MNT 366.7K

$77.0 ¥512

32.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$167 MNT 598.4K

$80.3 ¥534

107.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$630 MNT 2.3M

$386 ¥2,567

63.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 MNT 1.7M

$235 ¥1,561

95.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 MNT 5.7M

$822 ¥5,469

94.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$947 MNT 3.4M

$453 ¥3,015

108.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,785 MNT 6.4M

$4,697 ¥31.3K

-62.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$982 MNT 3.5M

$2,372 ¥15.8K

-58.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 MNT 2.1M

$1,093 ¥7,274

-46.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.6

3.46

177.46%

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

Last update for Mongolia: October 27, 2026

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mongolia

$459 39.5%

China

$235 29.6% 48.9% $225

Groceries & Markets

Mongolia

$222 19.1%

China

$210 26.5% 5.4% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Mongolia

$179 15.4%

China

$108 13.6% 39.7% $71

Eating Out

Mongolia

$115 9.9%

China

$88 11.1% 23.2% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mongolia

$92 7.9%

China

$74 9.4% 18.7% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Mongolia

$74 6.4%

China

$54 6.9% 26.7% $20

Getting Around

Mongolia

$21 1.8%

China

$22 2.8% 6.7% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $530 in Mongolia, $298 in China. Capital cities: $636 in Ulaanbaatar vs $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $449 in Mongolia, $873 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 78% higher in Mongolia.

Dining out costs 36% more in Mongolia.

Public transport is 29% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 94% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇲🇳 Mongolia

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

06:35 6:35 AM

Same time as Mongolia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,409,939

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.5 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to MNT – Mongolian Tögrög Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇳 Mongolian Tögrög (₮)

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).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to MNT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mongolia China 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Mongolia
China

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

Mongolia vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $1,161 in Mongolia, China comes out about 32% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $530 in Mongolia and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.