Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulaanbaatar and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,175 in Ulaanbaatar, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Ulaanbaatar
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Ulaanbaatar Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Ulaanbaatar

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$1,175

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ulaanbaatar and in Chiang Mai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ulaanbaatar and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,175 per month in Ulaanbaatar vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ulaanbaatar $1,175
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,910 per month in Ulaanbaatar vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ulaanbaatar $1,910
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $2,645 per month in Ulaanbaatar vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ulaanbaatar $2,645
Chiang Mai $1,914

Ulaanbaatar costs about 25% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Ulaanbaatar and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Ulaanbaatar 13% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.63 MNT 20.2K

$2.26 ฿75.4

149.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.37 MNT 116.4K

$19.18 ฿641

68.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.72 MNT 20.6K

$5.59 ฿187

2.33%

Cappuccino

$2.37 MNT 8,520

$1.72 ฿57.6

37.79%

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

$0.84 MNT 3,016

$0.64 ฿21.54

31.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 MNT 2,053

$0.33 ฿11.18

72.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 MNT 8,420

$2.36 ฿78.7

-0.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 MNT 11.7K

$3.90 ฿130

-16.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MNT 5,082

$2.05 ฿68.6

-31.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 MNT 3,552

$1.40 ฿46.70

-29.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 MNT 7,704

$1.28 ฿42.89

67.19%

Eggs

$2.12 MNT 7,619

$2.25 ฿75.3

-5.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.56 MNT 45.2K

$16.94 ฿566

-25.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 MNT 17.2K

$2.74 ฿91.6

74.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.94 MNT 24.9K

$9.36 ฿313

-25.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 MNT 10.8K

$2.40 ฿80.3

25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 MNT 8,431

$1.01 ฿33.92

131.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.80 MNT 13.7K

$1.61 ฿53.9

136.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 MNT 10.8K

$1.52 ฿50.7

97.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 MNT 2,700

$1.28 ฿42.90

-41.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 MNT 3,879

$1.11 ฿37.22

-2.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 MNT 6,045

$0.72 ฿24.09

133.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 MNT 2,653

$0.52 ฿17.54

42.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.72 MNT 6,174

$4.33 ฿145

-60.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MNT 37.6K

$17.73 ฿593

-41.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 MNT 5,167

$1.63 ฿54.4

-11.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 MNT 6,213

$2.85 ฿95.3

-39.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 MNT 960

$0.85 ฿28.31

-68.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.87 MNT 60.7K

$53.9 ฿1,801

-68.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.54 MNT 1,957

$1.17 ฿39.18

-53.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MNT 2,009

$0.57 ฿19.00

-1.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.52 MNT 23.5K

$2.37 ฿79.2

175.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 MNT 4,142

$1.45 ฿48.32

-20.69%

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

$26.8K MNT 96.5M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

31.01%

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

$34.4K MNT 123.6M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

29.68%

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

$70.9 MNT 255.1K

$62.3 ฿2,083

13.80%

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

$7.48 MNT 26.9K

$12.27 ฿410

-39.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.84 MNT 49.8K

$19.97 ฿668

-30.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 MNT 245.5K

$37.91 ฿1,267

80.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.03 MNT 64.8K

$3.76 ฿126

379.52%

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 MNT 15.3K

$6.71 ฿224

-36.36%

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

$827 MNT 3.0M

$797 ฿26.6K

3.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,182 MNT 29.4M

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-44.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 MNT 295.7K

$53.3 ฿1,780

54.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.68 MNT 164.3K

$25.05 ฿837

82.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MNT 373.5K

$91.6 ฿3,062

13.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$191 MNT 686.1K

$73.5 ฿2,455

159.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$566 MNT 2.0M

$464 ฿15.5K

21.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 MNT 1.6M

$305 ฿10.2K

46.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,657 MNT 6.0M

$915 ฿30.6K

81.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$983 MNT 3.5M

$552 ฿18.5K

77.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,895 MNT 6.8M

$1,912 ฿63.9K

-0.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$976 MNT 3.5M

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-32.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 MNT 2.1M

$595 ฿19.9K

-2.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.32

5.57

85.28%

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

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ulaanbaatar

$446 38%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 31.7% $141

Groceries & Markets

Ulaanbaatar

$234 19.9%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 1.6% $3.7

Clothing & Footwear

Ulaanbaatar

$190 16.2%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 42.4% $81

Eating Out

Ulaanbaatar

$114 9.7%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 31% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ulaanbaatar

$92 7.9%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 2.5% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Ulaanbaatar

$77 6.5%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 33.1% $25

Getting Around

Ulaanbaatar

$21 1.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 188% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $566 in Ulaanbaatar versus $464 in Chiang Mai. 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 3% higher in Chiang Mai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Ulaanbaatar versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Ulaanbaatar vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Ulaanbaatar wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇳 Ulaanbaatar

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

23:25 11:25 PM

22:25 10:25 PM

1 h behind Ulaanbaatar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,401,200 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.47 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MNT – Mongolian Tögrög Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇳 Mongolian Tögrög (₮)

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3,596 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,043 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.47 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MNT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ulaanbaatar Chiang Mai 3,320 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ulaanbaatar
Chiang Mai

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

Ulaanbaatar vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ulaanbaatar costs about 25% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,763 per month in Ulaanbaatar and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $827 per month in Ulaanbaatar and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Ulaanbaatar – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Ulaanbaatar at $1,175. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ulaanbaatar it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,175 in Ulaanbaatar. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Chiang Mai. 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.