Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Olsztyn and Ulaanbaatar

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulaanbaatar: $1,194 a month against $1,703 in Olsztyn, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Olsztyn
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Olsztyn Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Ulaanbaatar
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Ulaanbaatar Living Index

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Olsztyn

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,703

/mo nomad

Ulaanbaatar

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$1,194

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Olsztyn 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 Olsztyn and in Ulaanbaatar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,703 in Olsztyn versus $1,194 in Ulaanbaatar.

Olsztyn $1,703
Ulaanbaatar $1,194

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,449 in Olsztyn versus $1,926 in Ulaanbaatar.

Olsztyn $2,449
Ulaanbaatar $1,926

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,196 in Olsztyn versus $2,659 in Ulaanbaatar.

Olsztyn $3,196
Ulaanbaatar $2,659

Living in Olsztyn is roughly 43% more expensive than in Ulaanbaatar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Olsztyn is 26% above, Ulaanbaatar is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.63 zł 49.35

$5.63 MNT 20.3K

124.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 zł 197

$31.64 MNT 113.8K

58.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 zł 33.99

$5.67 MNT 20.4K

53.44%

Cappuccino

$3.29 zł 12.84

$2.45 MNT 8,822

34.29%

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

$2.48 zł 9.67

$0.84 MNT 3,030

195.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 zł 7.22

$0.56 MNT 2,031

230.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 zł 12.06

$2.31 MNT 8,299

33.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 zł 14.66

$3.27 MNT 11.7K

14.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 zł 3.99

$1.49 MNT 5,365

-31.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 zł 4.89

$1.02 MNT 3,684

22.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 zł 5.38

$2.13 MNT 7,671

-35.21%

Eggs

$3.87 zł 15.14

$2.11 MNT 7,603

83.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.61 zł 37.57

$12.27 MNT 44.1K

-21.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.55 zł 29.52

$4.91 MNT 17.6K

53.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.51 zł 56.7

$6.65 MNT 23.9K

118.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 zł 4.65

$3.00 MNT 10.8K

-60.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 zł 6.47

$2.48 MNT 8,919

-33.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 zł 7.09

$3.63 MNT 13.0K

-49.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.44 zł 13.44

$3.05 MNT 11.0K

12.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 zł 3.55

$0.72 MNT 2,578

26.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 zł 4.61

$1.07 MNT 3,859

10.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 zł 5.25

$1.68 MNT 6,028

-20.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 zł 2.82

$0.79 MNT 2,830

-8.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.49 zł 21.44

$1.66 MNT 5,970

230.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.81 zł 30.52

$10.44 MNT 37.5K

-25.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 zł 4.42

$1.50 MNT 5,377

-24.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 zł 6.10

$1.75 MNT 6,308

-10.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 zł 4.06

$0.27 MNT 958

285.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.18 zł 98.4

$16.53 MNT 59.4K

52.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 zł 7.73

$0.55 MNT 1,963

260.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 zł 2.85

$0.52 MNT 1,875

40.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.27 zł 40.13

$6.19 MNT 22.3K

65.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 zł 6.41

$1.11 MNT 3,983

47.75%

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

$31.2K zł 122.1K

$26.5K MNT 95.1M

18.07%

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

$28.9K zł 113.0K

$35.5K MNT 127.7M

-18.60%

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

$336 zł 1,314

$72.3 MNT 259.8K

365.39%

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

$9.64 zł 37.68

$7.21 MNT 25.9K

33.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.98 zł 74.2

$13.76 MNT 49.5K

37.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.06 zł 176

$68.9 MNT 247.7K

-34.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.38 zł 87.5

$18.15 MNT 65.3K

23.31%

Cinema Ticket

$8.70 zł 34.01

$4.13 MNT 14.8K

110.65%

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

$374 zł 1,460

$810 MNT 2.9M

-53.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K zł 54.7K

$12.2K MNT 43.8M

14.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.8 zł 386

$80.1 MNT 288.0K

23.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.62 zł 186

$45.18 MNT 162.4K

5.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 zł 390

$102 MNT 366.7K

-2.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 zł 405

$189 MNT 677.9K

-45.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$820 zł 3,203

$633 MNT 2.3M

29.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 zł 2,495

$465 MNT 1.7M

37.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 zł 5,112

$1,662 MNT 6.0M

-21.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 zł 4,005

$1,002 MNT 3.6M

2.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,616 zł 14.1K

$1,782 MNT 6.4M

102.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,519 zł 9,843

$1,006 MNT 3.6M

150.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,491 zł 5,825

$621 MNT 2.2M

140.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.52

10.32

-27.13%

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

Last update for Olsztyn: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Olsztyn

$638 37.5%

Ulaanbaatar

$465 39% 27.1% $173

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Olsztyn

$365 21.4%

Ulaanbaatar

$93 7.8% 74.5% $272

Groceries & Markets

Olsztyn

$238 14%

Ulaanbaatar

$235 19.7% 1% $2.3

Eating Out

Olsztyn

$207 12.1%

Ulaanbaatar

$115 9.7% 44.3% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Olsztyn

$157 9.2%

Ulaanbaatar

$187 15.7% 18.9% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Olsztyn

$62 3.7%

Ulaanbaatar

$77 6.5% 23.5% $15

Getting Around

Olsztyn

$35 2.1%

Ulaanbaatar

$21 1.7% 40.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $820 in Olsztyn and $633 in Ulaanbaatar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Olsztyn pays about 2.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $50 in Olsztyn vs $32 in Ulaanbaatar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $235 per month, with Ulaanbaatar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Olsztyn

🇲🇳 Ulaanbaatar

🕒 Local time

04:25 4:25 AM

11:25 11:25 AM

7 h ahead of Olsztyn

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

174,675

1,401,200 Capital

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MNT, USD, EUR to PLN – Polish Złoty Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇱 Polish Złoty (zł)

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.91 PLN (1 PLN = 0.256 USD). 1 EUR = 4.4 PLN (1 PLN = 0.227 EUR).

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,595 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,047 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.47 EUR).

USD to PLN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Olsztyn Ulaanbaatar 5,720 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Olsztyn
Ulaanbaatar

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

Olsztyn vs Ulaanbaatar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ulaanbaatar is about 30% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Olsztyn is about 2.4 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $820 in Olsztyn versus $633 in Ulaanbaatar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $374 in Olsztyn versus $810 in Ulaanbaatar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ulaanbaatar – a meal for two runs $32 versus $50 in Olsztyn. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ulaanbaatar is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Ulaanbaatar wins on affordability, Olsztyn on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.