Cost of Living Comparison Between Olsztyn and Ulaanbaatar Cost of Living Comparison Between Olsztyn and Ulaanbaatar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,464 in Olsztyn versus $1,161 in Ulaanbaatar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,997 in Olsztyn versus $1,804 in Ulaanbaatar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,531 in Olsztyn versus $2,446 in Ulaanbaatar.

Living in Olsztyn is roughly 26% more expensive than Ulaanbaatar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Olsztyn is 9% above, Ulaanbaatar is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.65 zł 38.84

$5.62 MNT 20.1K

89.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.46 zł 169

$29.99 MNT 107.2K

54.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.51 zł 27.37

$5.56 MNT 19.9K

35.07%

Cappuccino

$2.96 zł 10.80

$2.64 MNT 9,447

12.12%

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

$1.69 zł 6.16

$0.75 MNT 2,693

125.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 zł 6.69

$0.48 MNT 1,705

283.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 zł 11.94

$2.11 MNT 7,547

54.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 zł 13.93

$2.31 MNT 8,244

65.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 zł 4.03

$1.49 MNT 5,317

-26.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 zł 4.82

$0.98 MNT 3,489

34.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 zł 5.46

$2.14 MNT 7,648

-29.91%

Eggs

$3.45 zł 12.59

$2.17 MNT 7,771

58.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.89 zł 32.40

$16.06 MNT 57.4K

-44.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.01 zł 21.92

$5.56 MNT 19.9K

8.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.06 zł 36.69

$6.27 MNT 22.4K

60.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.10 zł 4.00

$3.10 MNT 11.1K

-64.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 zł 5.75

$2.65 MNT 9,461

-40.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 zł 7.43

$4.44 MNT 15.9K

-54.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 zł 10.14

$2.68 MNT 9,566

3.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 zł 2.89

$0.75 MNT 2,698

5.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 zł 4.50

$1.02 MNT 3,662

21.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 zł 4.19

$1.27 MNT 4,534

-9.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 zł 2.46

$0.73 MNT 2,624

-6.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 zł 20.30

$1.79 MNT 6,384

211.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 zł 29.68

$9.67 MNT 34.6K

-15.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 zł 3.71

$1.39 MNT 4,970

-26.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 zł 6.23

$1.71 MNT 6,132

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 zł 4.08

$0.28 MNT 987

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.10 zł 98.8

$8.61 MNT 30.8K

214.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 zł 7.21

$0.62 MNT 2,210

219.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 zł 2.69

$0.61 MNT 2,189

21.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.79 zł 50.3

$4.76 MNT 17.0K

189.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 zł 6.48

$1.03 MNT 3,694

72.82%

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

$32.8K zł 119.4K

$30.2K MNT 108.0M

8.40%

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

$30.8K zł 112.3K

$18.6K MNT 66.4M

65.96%

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

$271 zł 989

$81.4 MNT 291.0K

233.39%

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

$9.10 zł 33.18

$7.77 MNT 27.8K

17.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 zł 63.7

$16.99 MNT 60.7K

2.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 zł 119

$60.5 MNT 216.1K

-45.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.36 zł 59.6

$13.47 MNT 48.2K

21.46%

Cinema Ticket

$8.01 zł 29.18

$3.76 MNT 13.5K

113.03%

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

$133 zł 486

$177 MNT 632.8K

-24.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K zł 56.8K

$6,504 MNT 23.3M

139.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.0 zł 350

$84.3 MNT 301.5K

13.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.72 zł 170

$69.5 MNT 248.6K

-32.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.9 zł 302

$105 MNT 375.2K

-20.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 zł 394

$161 MNT 577.2K

-33.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 zł 2,332

$512 MNT 1.8M

24.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 zł 2,007

$405 MNT 1.4M

35.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 zł 3,568

$1,472 MNT 5.3M

-33.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$608 zł 2,218

$740 MNT 2.6M

-17.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,992 zł 14.6K

$1,967 MNT 7.0M

102.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,823 zł 10.3K

$953 MNT 3.4M

196.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,472 zł 5,364

$601 MNT 2.1M

144.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

-3.17%

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

Last update for Olsztyn: June 1, 2026

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $640 in Olsztyn and $512 in Ulaanbaatar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Olsztyn pays 145% 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: $46.00 in Olsztyn vs $30.00 in Ulaanbaatar. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $247, with Olsztyn cheaper for home cooking.

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 cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Olsztyn pays 145% more on average, 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: $640 in Olsztyn versus $512 in Ulaanbaatar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Olsztyn pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Ulaanbaatar – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $46.00 in Olsztyn. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,161 in Ulaanbaatar versus $1,464 in Olsztyn, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ulaanbaatar but tight or insufficient in Olsztyn. The gap between the two cities makes Ulaanbaatar 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, Olsztyn and Ulaanbaatar 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 Ulaanbaatar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Olsztyn. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.