Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mongolia and India

For one person, living is cheaper in India: $399 a month against $1,161 in Mongolia, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Mongolia
India
🇲🇳 Mongolia
$1,161
/mo nomad
🇮🇳 India
$399
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mongolia and in India

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 India actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,161 in Mongolia versus $399 in India.

  • Mongolia $1,161
  • India $399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,847 in Mongolia versus $639 in India.

  • Mongolia $1,847
  • India $639

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,532 in Mongolia versus $879 in India.

  • Mongolia $2,532
  • India $879

Internal cost variation is higher in Mongolia: monthly costs span $376 to $1,192, compared to $230–$813 in India. City choice carries more weight in Mongolia.

Living in Mongolia is roughly 191% more expensive than in India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Mongolia 15% lower, India 71% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mongolia
India
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.63 MNT 20.2K
$2.14 ₹204
163.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.11 MNT 104.6K
$10.46 ₹996
178.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.53 MNT 19.9K
$3.80 ₹362
45.53%
Cappuccino
$2.42 MNT 8,711
$1.68 ₹160
44.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.86 MNT 3,097
$0.38 ₹36.03
126.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.57 MNT 2,057
$0.15 ₹14.62
280.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.30 MNT 8,248
$1.87 ₹178
22.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.37 MNT 12.1K
$3.18 ₹303
5.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mongolia
India
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.36 MNT 4,895
$0.62 ₹59.3
119.35%
White Bread (500g)
$1.00 MNT 3,583
$0.50 ₹47.82
100.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.07 MNT 7,423
$0.63 ₹60.4
228.57%
Eggs
$2.06 MNT 7,416
$0.96 ₹91.4
114.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.74 MNT 35.0K
$4.85 ₹462
100.82%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.17 MNT 18.6K
$2.84 ₹271
82.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.51 MNT 23.4K
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 MNT 10.7K
$2.00 ₹191
49.00%
Banana (1kg)
$2.21 MNT 7,938
$0.65 ₹61.5
240.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.67 MNT 13.2K
$0.97 ₹92.4
278.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.96 MNT 10.6K
$0.47 ₹44.35
529.79%
Potato (1kg)
$0.82 MNT 2,931
$0.34 ₹31.91
141.18%
Onion (1kg)
$0.88 MNT 3,171
$0.42 ₹39.78
109.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.67 MNT 5,991
$0.47 ₹44.45
255.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.76 MNT 2,739
$0.31 ₹29.71
145.16%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.70 MNT 6,100
$5.08 ₹483
-66.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.51 MNT 34.2K
$7.31 ₹696
30.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 MNT 5,085
$1.63 ₹155
-13.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.76 MNT 6,312
$2.76 ₹263
-36.23%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
-
$5.11 ₹487
-
🚌 Getting Around
Mongolia
India
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.27 MNT 968
$0.26 ₹24.89
3.85%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$16.52 MNT 59.4K
$8.58 ₹817
92.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.51 MNT 1,847
$1.00 ₹94.8
-49.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.56 MNT 2,029
$0.27 ₹25.77
107.41%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.41 MNT 23.0K
$1.54 ₹146
316.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.16 MNT 4,172
$1.07 ₹102
8.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K MNT 98.4M
$11.2K ₹1.1M
144.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K MNT 113.8M
$20.1K ₹1.9M
57.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mongolia
India
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$72.1 MNT 259.1K
$37.08 ₹3,531
94.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.11 MNT 25.6K
$3.58 ₹341
98.60%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.32 MNT 44.3K
$7.15 ₹681
72.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mongolia
India
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$65.9 MNT 236.9K
$15.00 ₹1,428
339.53%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.40 MNT 62.5K
$7.17 ₹683
142.68%
Cinema Ticket
$4.08 MNT 14.7K
$3.20 ₹304
27.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mongolia
India
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$645 MNT 2.3M
$58.8 ₹5,599
996.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,038 MNT 28.9M
$1,667 ₹158.7K
382.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mongolia
India
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$79.2 MNT 284.5K
$23.03 ₹2,193
243.77%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.63 MNT 178.3K
$24.17 ₹2,302
105.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 MNT 366.7K
$41.20 ₹3,923
147.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$167 MNT 598.4K
$29.62 ₹2,820
462.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mongolia
India
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$630 MNT 2.3M
$146 ₹13.9K
329.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$459 MNT 1.7M
$96.4 ₹9,176
376.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,598 MNT 5.7M
$343 ₹32.7K
366.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$947 MNT 3.4M
$234 ₹22.3K
304.82%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,785 MNT 6.4M
$1,177 ₹112.1K
51.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$982 MNT 3.5M
$633 ₹60.3K
55.12%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mongolia
India
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 MNT 2.1M
$409 ₹38.9K
44.24%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.6
8.93
7.50%

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

Last update for Mongolia: October 27, 2026

Last update for India: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mongolia
$459
India
$96 79% $363
Groceries & Markets
Mongolia
$222
India
$102 54% $120
Clothing & Footwear
Mongolia
$179
India
$53 70.3% $126
Eating Out
Mongolia
$115
India
$67 42% $48
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mongolia
$92
India
$48 47.8% $44
Sport & Entertainment
Mongolia
$74
India
$21 71.1% $53
Getting Around
Mongolia
$21
India
$12 42.8% $9

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $530 in Mongolia, $120 in India. Capital cities: $636 in Ulaanbaatar vs $277 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $449 in Mongolia, $412 in India. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 342% higher in Mongolia.

Dining out costs 173% more in Mongolia.

Public transport is 75% more expensive in Mongolia.

Good to know
🇲🇳 Mongolia
🇮🇳 India
🕒 Local time
11:03 11:03 AM
08:33 8:33 AM
2 h 30 min behind Mongolia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,409,939
1,326,093,247
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to MNT – Mongolian Tögrög Converter

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,594 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,001 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.5 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 95.22 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mongolia India 3,330 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Mongolia
  • India

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 India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between India and Mongolia?
At $399 per month in India and $1,161 in Mongolia, India comes out about 66% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in India: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $530 in Mongolia and $120 in India. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget in India or in Mongolia?
In India, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in Mongolia it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to India or to Mongolia?
It depends on what you’re after: India wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.

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