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: $1,455 in Olsztyn versus $1,127 in Ulaanbaatar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,981 in Olsztyn versus $1,770 in Ulaanbaatar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,506 in Olsztyn versus $2,413 in Ulaanbaatar.

Living in Olsztyn is roughly 29% more expensive than in Ulaanbaatar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Olsztyn is 9% above, Ulaanbaatar is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.64 zł 40.34

$5.38 MNT 19.3K

97.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.03 zł 174

$28.93 MNT 103.7K

59.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 zł 28.57

$5.28 MNT 18.9K

42.80%

Cappuccino

$3.02 zł 11.46

$2.55 MNT 9,154

18.43%

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

$1.69 zł 6.40

$0.76 MNT 2,714

122.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 zł 7.21

$0.51 MNT 1,830

272.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 zł 12.50

$2.10 MNT 7,526

57.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 zł 14.52

$2.34 MNT 8,379

63.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 zł 3.98

$1.43 MNT 5,132

-26.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 zł 5.16

$0.98 MNT 3,522

38.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 zł 5.65

$2.11 MNT 7,567

-29.38%

Eggs

$3.27 zł 12.40

$2.09 MNT 7,499

56.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 zł 33.62

$15.62 MNT 56.0K

-43.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.02 zł 22.82

$5.77 MNT 20.7K

4.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.81 zł 37.16

$6.48 MNT 23.2K

51.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.14 zł 4.32

$3.17 MNT 11.4K

-64.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 zł 5.67

$2.67 MNT 9,554

-43.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 zł 7.61

$4.28 MNT 15.4K

-53.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 zł 10.20

$2.67 MNT 9,581

0.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 zł 2.84

$0.72 MNT 2,589

4.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 zł 4.52

$1.01 MNT 3,625

17.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 zł 4.38

$1.29 MNT 4,638

-10.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 zł 2.77

$0.71 MNT 2,534

2.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.44 zł 20.61

$1.77 MNT 6,342

207.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.04 zł 30.48

$10.38 MNT 37.2K

-22.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 zł 3.75

$1.34 MNT 4,795

-26.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 zł 6.49

$1.70 MNT 6,092

0.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 zł 4.04

$0.28 MNT 991

282.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.54 zł 104

$8.81 MNT 31.6K

212.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 zł 7.54

$0.56 MNT 2,011

255.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 zł 2.70

$0.56 MNT 2,024

26.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.84 zł 52.4

$4.64 MNT 16.6K

198.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 zł 6.64

$1.08 MNT 3,860

62.04%

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

$33.3K zł 126.1K

$30.5K MNT 109.2M

9.18%

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

$31.2K zł 118.2K

$18.4K MNT 65.9M

69.58%

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

$278 zł 1,053

$82.7 MNT 296.4K

235.84%

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

$9.00 zł 34.13

$7.41 MNT 26.5K

21.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.01 zł 64.5

$16.71 MNT 59.9K

1.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.99 zł 125

$62.3 MNT 223.3K

-47.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.57 zł 62.8

$13.72 MNT 49.2K

20.77%

Cinema Ticket

$8.12 zł 30.76

$3.76 MNT 13.5K

115.96%

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

$136 zł 515

$175 MNT 628.2K

-22.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K zł 59.9K

$6,474 MNT 23.2M

144.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.4 zł 365

$85.9 MNT 307.7K

12.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.27 zł 179

$69.8 MNT 250.3K

-32.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.9 zł 307

$105 MNT 375.0K

-22.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 zł 422

$160 MNT 573.3K

-30.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 zł 2,427

$511 MNT 1.8M

25.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$532 zł 2,016

$405 MNT 1.5M

31.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$958 zł 3,631

$1,501 MNT 5.4M

-36.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 zł 2,260

$757 MNT 2.7M

-21.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 zł 14.8K

$1,934 MNT 6.9M

102.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,714 zł 10.3K

$957 MNT 3.4M

183.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,425 zł 5,402

$596 MNT 2.1M

139.02%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $640 in Olsztyn and $511 in Ulaanbaatar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Olsztyn pays 139% 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 $29.00 in Ulaanbaatar. Groceries flip the comparison at $208 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 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 139% higher in Olsztyn, 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 $511 in Ulaanbaatar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Olsztyn pay roughly 19% 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 $29.00 versus $46.00 in Olsztyn. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,127 in Ulaanbaatar versus $1,455 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 29% less than in Olsztyn. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.