Cost of Living Comparison Between Mongolia and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Mongolia and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $646 in Mongolia versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,007 in Mongolia versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,367 in Mongolia versus $1,551 in China.

Living in Mongolia costs about 9% less than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Mongolia 52% lower, China 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.75 MNT 17.0K

$2.81 ¥18.98

69.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.76 MNT 102.8K

$23.30 ¥158

23.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.35 MNT 19.1K

$5.01 ¥33.87

6.79%

Cappuccino

$2.51 MNT 8,976

$3.01 ¥20.38

-16.61%

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

$0.73 MNT 2,612

$0.45 ¥3.03

62.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MNT 1,594

$0.29 ¥1.97

55.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 MNT 6,731

$0.95 ¥6.41

97.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 MNT 8,256

$2.05 ¥13.87

12.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 MNT 4,910

$1.76 ¥11.87

-22.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 MNT 3,237

$1.62 ¥10.98

-43.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 MNT 6,640

$0.95 ¥6.45

95.79%

Eggs

$2.08 MNT 7,455

$1.56 ¥10.55

33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 MNT 47.0K

$13.06 ¥88.3

0.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.52 MNT 19.7K

$3.28 ¥22.17

68.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.38 MNT 19.2K

$10.65 ¥72.0

-49.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MNT 10.5K

$1.78 ¥12.03

65.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 MNT 9,036

$1.24 ¥8.42

104.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 MNT 13.3K

$1.50 ¥10.12

148.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 MNT 9,288

$1.15 ¥7.79

126.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 MNT 2,483

$0.75 ¥5.07

-8.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 MNT 3,611

$0.86 ¥5.81

17.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MNT 3,796

$0.62 ¥4.17

70.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 MNT 2,521

$0.56 ¥3.81

26.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.73 MNT 6,198

$3.51 ¥23.76

-50.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.56 MNT 34.2K

$11.66 ¥78.9

-18.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MNT 4,495

$0.80 ¥5.40

57.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 MNT 5,765

$1.66 ¥11.25

-3.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 MNT 756

$0.43 ¥2.93

-51.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.86 MNT 28.1K

$20.86 ¥141

-62.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.57 MNT 2,034

$1.37 ¥9.26

-58.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 MNT 2,207

$0.35 ¥2.38

77.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 MNT 15.8K

$6.63 ¥44.82

-33.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 MNT 3,559

$1.14 ¥7.69

-12.28%

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

$21.5K MNT 77.0M

$19.2K ¥129.7K

12.25%

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

$16.3K MNT 58.4M

$16.8K ¥113.4K

-2.60%

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

$73.5 MNT 262.7K

$51.2 ¥346

43.60%

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

$7.57 MNT 27.1K

$10.16 ¥68.7

-25.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.38 MNT 51.4K

$11.51 ¥77.9

24.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.69 MNT 177.7K

$40.53 ¥274

22.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.94 MNT 46.3K

$15.05 ¥102

-14.02%

Cinema Ticket

$3.58 MNT 12.8K

$6.10 ¥41.26

-41.31%

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

$175 MNT 626.1K

$402 ¥2,719

-56.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,577 MNT 23.5M

$17.7K ¥119.5K

-62.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.4 MNT 262.5K

$45.57 ¥308

61.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.8 MNT 213.8K

$33.26 ¥225

79.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 MNT 357.0K

$72.6 ¥491

37.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 MNT 474.3K

$74.5 ¥503

78.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 MNT 1.7M

$429 ¥2,903

13.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 MNT 1.3M

$257 ¥1,739

45.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,320 MNT 4.7M

$895 ¥6,055

47.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 MNT 2.6M

$541 ¥3,660

32.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,825 MNT 6.5M

$5,015 ¥33.9K

-63.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$960 MNT 3.4M

$2,469 ¥16.7K

-61.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$596 MNT 2.1M

$1,055 ¥7,132

-43.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

47.78%

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

Last update for Mongolia: May 31, 2026

Last update for China: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $205 in Mongolia, $286 in China. Capital cities: $512 in Ulaanbaatar vs $916 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $454 in Mongolia, $861 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 40% higher in China.

Public transport is 500% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 90% higher in China, giving China stronger purchasing power.

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 $865 per month in China and $581 in Mongolia, there's a 49% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Mongolia is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in China beats Mongolia across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Mongolia, $1,000 covers most cities easily. In China, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Mongolia wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.