Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Ulaanbaatar

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulaanbaatar: $1,159 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Ulaanbaatar
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Ulaanbaatar Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Ulaanbaatar

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$1,159

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,822 per month in Seoul vs $1,159 in Ulaanbaatar, rent included.

Seoul $1,822
Ulaanbaatar $1,159

A couple spends around $2,847 per month in Seoul vs $1,881 in Ulaanbaatar, rent included.

Seoul $2,847
Ulaanbaatar $1,881

A family of three spends $3,872 per month in Seoul vs $2,602 in Ulaanbaatar, rent included.

Seoul $3,872
Ulaanbaatar $2,602

Seoul costs about 57% more than Ulaanbaatar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 36% above the global median, while Ulaanbaatar is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$5.62 MNT 20.2K

61.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩89.8K

$31.97 MNT 114.9K

109.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,941

$5.59 MNT 20.1K

32.74%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,470

$2.35 MNT 8,452

73.62%

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

$1.60 ₩2,141

$0.87 MNT 3,130

83.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,078

$0.62 MNT 2,225

29.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,886

$2.29 MNT 8,233

59.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,956

$3.30 MNT 11.9K

80.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,742

$1.41 MNT 5,064

45.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,130

$0.98 MNT 3,508

214.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,646

$2.14 MNT 7,672

96.73%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,784

$2.11 MNT 7,596

69.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$12.32 MNT 44.3K

45.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$4.91 MNT 17.6K

116.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.4K

$6.76 MNT 24.3K

291.12%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,946

$3.16 MNT 11.4K

134.81%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,732

$2.36 MNT 8,492

49.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,866

$3.65 MNT 13.1K

60.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,534

$3.11 MNT 11.2K

104.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,028

$0.72 MNT 2,586

420.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,337

$1.03 MNT 3,700

141.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,911

$1.75 MNT 6,281

66.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,542

$0.73 MNT 2,610

57.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,408

$1.66 MNT 5,961

98.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$10.34 MNT 37.2K

78.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,057

$1.50 MNT 5,403

52.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,398

$1.74 MNT 6,246

88.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

$0.29 MNT 1,045

293.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩60.9K

$16.73 MNT 60.1K

171.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,663

$0.54 MNT 1,952

544.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩803

$0.52 MNT 1,863

15.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$6.49 MNT 23.3K

34.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,004

$1.12 MNT 4,016

33.93%

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

$29.1K ₩39.0M

$27.4K MNT 98.4M

6.32%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$34.3K MNT 123.1M

-17.73%

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

$209 ₩279.9K

$71.1 MNT 255.5K

193.73%

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

$35.13 ₩47.1K

$7.56 MNT 27.2K

364.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$13.87 MNT 49.8K

52.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩76.8K

$67.0 MNT 240.7K

-14.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

$17.98 MNT 64.6K

-11.62%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$4.24 MNT 15.2K

167.22%

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

$1,902 ₩2.5M

$814 MNT 2.9M

133.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$8,372 MNT 30.1M

169.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.9K

$81.3 MNT 292.0K

-27.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.0K

$45.60 MNT 163.8K

-29.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.0K

$101 MNT 364.2K

-30.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$184 MNT 661.7K

-55.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$578 MNT 2.1M

53.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩835.5K

$443 MNT 1.6M

40.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$1,661 MNT 6.0M

50.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$992 MNT 3.6M

28.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.0M

$1,901 MNT 6.8M

1469.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

$973 MNT 3.5M

1117.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

$593 MNT 2.1M

515.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

10.32

-60.47%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Ulaanbaatar

$443 38% 29% $181

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Ulaanbaatar

$234 20.1% 51.1% $245

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Ulaanbaatar

$93 7.9% 65.1% $173

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Ulaanbaatar

$114 9.8% 38% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Ulaanbaatar

$186 15.9% 69.2% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Ulaanbaatar

$75 6.5% 5.7% $4.5

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Ulaanbaatar

$21 1.8% 62.8% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $885 in Seoul versus $578 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 515% higher in Seoul, 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 $67.0 in Seoul versus $32.00 in Ulaanbaatar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $479 vs $234 – making Ulaanbaatar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇲🇳 Ulaanbaatar

🕒 Local time

12:24 12:24 PM

11:24 11:24 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

1,401,200 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MNT, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,503 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR).

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,593 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,030 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

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Between locations

Seoul Ulaanbaatar 1,990 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

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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

Seoul vs Ulaanbaatar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 57% more than Ulaanbaatar, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,733 per month in Seoul and $1,739 in Ulaanbaatar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 172% less in Ulaanbaatar. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,902 per month in Seoul and $814 in Ulaanbaatar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ulaanbaatar, where all-in costs run around $1,159, than in Seoul at $1,822. In Ulaanbaatar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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