Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nalaikh and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Nalaikh: $908 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $23,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Nalaikh
Learn more

Nalaikh Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
Learn more

Melbourne Living Index

Jump to prices

Nalaikh

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$908

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nalaikh and in Melbourne

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $908 in Nalaikh versus $2,821 in Melbourne.

Nalaikh $908
Melbourne $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,425 in Nalaikh versus $4,235 in Melbourne.

Nalaikh $1,425
Melbourne $4,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,941 in Nalaikh versus $5,650 in Melbourne.

Nalaikh $1,941
Melbourne $5,650

Living in Nalaikh costs roughly 68% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nalaikh is 33% below, Melbourne is 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 MNT 16.1K

$17.43 A$25.08

-74.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.21 MNT 94.3K

$84.6 A$122

-69.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.40 MNT 15.8K

$12.46 A$17.92

-64.69%

Cappuccino

$2.18 MNT 7,856

$4.11 A$5.91

-46.96%

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

$0.72 MNT 2,602

$3.06 A$4.40

-76.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 MNT 1,449

$2.52 A$3.62

-84.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.42 MNT 5,089

$9.80 A$14.10

-85.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 MNT 7,792

$8.57 A$12.33

-74.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 MNT 4,363

$1.48 A$2.14

-18.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 MNT 2,885

$2.94 A$4.23

-72.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 MNT 5,728

$2.66 A$3.82

-40.23%

Eggs

$2.05 MNT 7,373

$5.54 A$7.97

-63.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.43 MNT 44.7K

$10.51 A$15.13

18.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.22 MNT 15.2K

$9.65 A$13.89

-56.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.64 MNT 20.3K

$15.22 A$21.91

-62.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 MNT 11.2K

$3.99 A$5.75

-22.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 MNT 8,905

$3.02 A$4.34

-17.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 MNT 13.1K

$3.10 A$4.46

17.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.84 MNT 10.2K

$4.82 A$6.93

-41.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 MNT 2,091

$3.03 A$4.36

-80.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 MNT 3,341

$2.44 A$3.52

-61.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 MNT 4,381

$2.46 A$3.54

-50.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 MNT 2,148

$1.63 A$2.34

-63.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.66 MNT 5,957

$44.07 A$63.4

-96.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 MNT 29.8K

$12.70 A$18.28

-34.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 MNT 3,444

$5.54 A$7.97

-82.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 MNT 5,720

$5.23 A$7.52

-69.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 MNT 528

$3.74 A$5.38

-95.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.04 MNT 21.7K

$138 A$198

-95.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.55 MNT 1,976

$4.51 A$6.50

-87.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 MNT 1,847

$1.36 A$1.96

-62.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 MNT 8,914

$30.45 A$43.81

-91.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 MNT 3,625

$1.47 A$2.12

-31.29%

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

$26.5K MNT 95.4M

$29.0K A$41.7K

-8.50%

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

$16.4K MNT 59.0M

$26.5K A$38.1K

-37.99%

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

$70.2 MNT 252.5K

$234 A$336

-69.95%

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

$6.92 MNT 24.9K

$27.93 A$40.19

-75.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.94 MNT 39.4K

$55.7 A$80.2

-80.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 MNT 197.7K

$49.40 A$71.1

11.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.99 MNT 50.3K

$21.48 A$30.91

-34.87%

Cinema Ticket

$2.72 MNT 9,791

$15.09 A$21.72

-81.97%

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

$123 MNT 441.5K

$2,371 A$3,412

-94.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,604 MNT 20.2M

$30.2K A$43.5K

-81.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 MNT 222.0K

$80.0 A$115

-22.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 MNT 164.6K

$50.7 A$73.0

-9.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 MNT 304.8K

$121 A$174

-29.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 MNT 448.9K

$130 A$188

-4.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 MNT 1.5M

$1,759 A$2,531

-76.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$307 MNT 1.1M

$1,390 A$2,000

-77.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MNT 4.5M

$3,494 A$5,027

-64.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 MNT 2.1M

$2,493 A$3,588

-76.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,362 MNT 4.9M

$6,926 A$9,967

-80.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$848 MNT 3.0M

$6,445 A$9,274

-86.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$523 MNT 1.9M

$4,383 A$6,307

-88.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

-15.25%

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

Last update for Nalaikh: October 10, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nalaikh

$307 33.8%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 353% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Nalaikh

$209 23.1%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 83.3% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Nalaikh

$143 15.7%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 20.4% $29

Eating Out

Nalaikh

$91 10%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 245% $223

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nalaikh

$88 9.7%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 260% $229

Sport & Entertainment

Nalaikh

$60 6.7%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 31.7% $19

Getting Around

Nalaikh

$9.7 1.1%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 1582% $154

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $418 in Nalaikh and $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 738% 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: $26.00 in Nalaikh vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $384 per month, with Nalaikh cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇳 Nalaikh

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

00:01 12:01 AM

03:01 3:01 AM

3 h ahead of Nalaikh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,049

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.47 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to MNT – Mongolian Tögrög Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇳 Mongolian Tögrög (₮)

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,596 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,043 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.47 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to MNT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nalaikh Melbourne 10,220 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nalaikh
Melbourne

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

Nalaikh vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nalaikh and Melbourne differ by about 211% in total monthly costs ($908 vs $2,821 including rent). Nalaikh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 738% lower in Melbourne. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $418 in Nalaikh versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $123 in Nalaikh versus $2,371 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 83% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $908 in Nalaikh versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nalaikh but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Nalaikh 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.

Safety-wise, Nalaikh and Melbourne are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Nalaikh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 211% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.