Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nalaikh and Ulaanbaatar

For one person, living is cheaper in Nalaikh: $908 a month against $1,175 in Ulaanbaatar, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nalaikh
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Nalaikh Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Ulaanbaatar
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Ulaanbaatar Living Index

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Nalaikh

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$908

/mo nomad

Ulaanbaatar

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$1,175

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nalaikh and in Ulaanbaatar

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

A single person spends $908 per month in Nalaikh vs $1,175 in Ulaanbaatar, rent included.

Nalaikh $908
Ulaanbaatar $1,175

A couple spends around $1,425 per month in Nalaikh vs $1,910 in Ulaanbaatar, rent included.

Nalaikh $1,425
Ulaanbaatar $1,910

A family of three spends $1,941 per month in Nalaikh vs $2,645 in Ulaanbaatar, rent included.

Nalaikh $1,941
Ulaanbaatar $2,645

Nalaikh is about 23% cheaper than Ulaanbaatar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Nalaikh and Ulaanbaatar are more affordable than the global median – Nalaikh 33% lower, Ulaanbaatar 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 MNT 16.1K

$5.63 MNT 20.2K

-20.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.21 MNT 94.3K

$32.37 MNT 116.4K

-19.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.40 MNT 15.8K

$5.72 MNT 20.6K

-23.08%

Cappuccino

$2.18 MNT 7,856

$2.37 MNT 8,520

-8.02%

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

$0.72 MNT 2,602

$0.84 MNT 3,016

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 MNT 1,449

$0.57 MNT 2,053

-29.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.42 MNT 5,089

$2.34 MNT 8,420

-39.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 MNT 7,792

$3.25 MNT 11.7K

-33.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 MNT 4,363

$1.41 MNT 5,082

-14.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 MNT 2,885

$0.99 MNT 3,552

-19.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 MNT 5,728

$2.14 MNT 7,704

-25.70%

Eggs

$2.05 MNT 7,373

$2.12 MNT 7,619

-3.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.43 MNT 44.7K

$12.56 MNT 45.2K

-1.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.22 MNT 15.2K

$4.79 MNT 17.2K

-11.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.64 MNT 20.3K

$6.94 MNT 24.9K

-18.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 MNT 11.2K

$3.00 MNT 10.8K

3.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 MNT 8,905

$2.34 MNT 8,431

5.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 MNT 13.1K

$3.80 MNT 13.7K

-3.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.84 MNT 10.2K

$3.00 MNT 10.8K

-5.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 MNT 2,091

$0.75 MNT 2,700

-22.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 MNT 3,341

$1.08 MNT 3,879

-13.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 MNT 4,381

$1.68 MNT 6,045

-27.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 MNT 2,148

$0.74 MNT 2,653

-18.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.66 MNT 5,957

$1.72 MNT 6,174

-3.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 MNT 29.8K

$10.45 MNT 37.6K

-20.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 MNT 3,444

$1.44 MNT 5,167

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 MNT 5,720

$1.73 MNT 6,213

-8.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 MNT 528

$0.27 MNT 960

-44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.04 MNT 21.7K

$16.87 MNT 60.7K

-64.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.55 MNT 1,976

$0.54 MNT 1,957

1.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 MNT 1,847

$0.56 MNT 2,009

-8.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 MNT 8,914

$6.52 MNT 23.5K

-61.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 MNT 3,625

$1.15 MNT 4,142

-12.17%

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

$26.5K MNT 95.4M

$26.8K MNT 96.5M

-1.07%

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

$16.4K MNT 59.0M

$34.4K MNT 123.6M

-52.26%

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

$70.2 MNT 252.5K

$70.9 MNT 255.1K

-1.02%

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

$6.92 MNT 24.9K

$7.48 MNT 26.9K

-7.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.94 MNT 39.4K

$13.84 MNT 49.8K

-20.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 MNT 197.7K

$68.3 MNT 245.5K

-19.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.99 MNT 50.3K

$18.03 MNT 64.8K

-22.41%

Cinema Ticket

$2.72 MNT 9,791

$4.27 MNT 15.3K

-36.30%

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

$123 MNT 441.5K

$827 MNT 3.0M

-85.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,604 MNT 20.2M

$8,182 MNT 29.4M

-31.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 MNT 222.0K

$82.2 MNT 295.7K

-24.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 MNT 164.6K

$45.68 MNT 164.3K

0.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 MNT 304.8K

$104 MNT 373.5K

-18.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 MNT 448.9K

$191 MNT 686.1K

-34.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 MNT 1.5M

$566 MNT 2.0M

-26.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$307 MNT 1.1M

$446 MNT 1.6M

-31.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MNT 4.5M

$1,657 MNT 6.0M

-24.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 MNT 2.1M

$983 MNT 3.5M

-41.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,362 MNT 4.9M

$1,895 MNT 6.8M

-28.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$848 MNT 3.0M

$976 MNT 3.5M

-13.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$523 MNT 1.9M

$579 MNT 2.1M

-9.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.32

-51.55%

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

Last update for Nalaikh: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nalaikh

$307 33.8%

Ulaanbaatar

$446 38% 45.4% $139

Groceries & Markets

Nalaikh

$209 23.1%

Ulaanbaatar

$234 19.9% 11.9% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Nalaikh

$143 15.7%

Ulaanbaatar

$190 16.2% 33.3% $47

Eating Out

Nalaikh

$91 10%

Ulaanbaatar

$114 9.7% 25.5% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nalaikh

$88 9.7%

Ulaanbaatar

$92 7.9% 4.7% $4.2

Sport & Entertainment

Nalaikh

$60 6.7%

Ulaanbaatar

$77 6.5% 27.1% $16

Getting Around

Nalaikh

$9.7 1.1%

Ulaanbaatar

$21 1.8% 119% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $418 in Nalaikh versus $566 in Ulaanbaatar. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 11% higher in Ulaanbaatar, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26.00 in Nalaikh versus $32.00 in Ulaanbaatar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $209 vs $234 – making Nalaikh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇳 Nalaikh

🇲🇳 Ulaanbaatar

🕒 Local time

22:23 10:23 PM

Same time as Nalaikh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,049

1,401,200 Capital

💱 Currency

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.47 EUR

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Ulaanbaatar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ulaanbaatar costs about 29% more than Nalaikh, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,362 per month in Nalaikh and $1,763 in Ulaanbaatar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nalaikh, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $908 in Nalaikh and $1,175 in Ulaanbaatar. That's a gap of about 29%.

Public transport costs about 179% less in Nalaikh. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nalaikh, where all-in costs run around $908, than in Ulaanbaatar at $1,175. In Nalaikh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ulaanbaatar it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nalaikh – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Nalaikh. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ulaanbaatar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.