Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulaanbaatar and Erdenet

For one person, living is cheaper in Erdenet: $376 a month against $1,192 in Ulaanbaatar, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Ulaanbaatar
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Ulaanbaatar Living Index

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Ulaanbaatar

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$1,192

/mo nomad

Erdenet

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$376

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ulaanbaatar and in Erdenet

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 Erdenet actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,192 in Ulaanbaatar versus $376 in Erdenet.

Ulaanbaatar $1,192
Erdenet $376

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,911 in Ulaanbaatar versus $621 in Erdenet.

Ulaanbaatar $1,911
Erdenet $621

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,630 in Ulaanbaatar versus $866 in Erdenet.

Ulaanbaatar $2,630
Erdenet $866

Living in Ulaanbaatar is roughly 217% more expensive than in Erdenet, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ulaanbaatar 12% lower, Erdenet 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.41 MNT 19.5K

$4.20 MNT 15.1K

28.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.92 MNT 114.7K

$27.73 MNT 99.7K

15.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 MNT 20.2K

$4.10 MNT 14.7K

36.83%

Cappuccino

$2.36 MNT 8,485

$2.27 MNT 8,168

3.96%

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

$0.87 MNT 3,143

$0.61 MNT 2,181

42.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 MNT 2,073

$0.44 MNT 1,579

31.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 MNT 8,321

$1.64 MNT 5,878

41.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 MNT 12.2K

$1.65 MNT 5,941

106.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MNT 5,110

$1.03 MNT 3,697

37.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 MNT 3,541

$0.91 MNT 3,261

8.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MNT 7,760

$2.75 MNT 9,887

-21.45%

Eggs

$2.07 MNT 7,441

$2.04 MNT 7,335

1.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.26 MNT 44.1K

$7.07 MNT 25.4K

73.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.75 MNT 17.1K

$7.06 MNT 25.4K

-32.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.62 MNT 23.8K

$4.35 MNT 15.6K

52.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MNT 10.9K

$2.25 MNT 8,083

34.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 MNT 8,428

$1.66 MNT 5,953

41.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.70 MNT 13.3K

$1.64 MNT 5,886

125.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.01 MNT 10.8K

$1.36 MNT 4,878

121.32%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 MNT 2,525

$1.43 MNT 5,128

-51.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 MNT 3,723

$0.80 MNT 2,865

30.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 MNT 6,182

$1.37 MNT 4,919

25.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 MNT 2,836

$0.92 MNT 3,322

-14.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.63 MNT 5,867

$2.83 MNT 10.2K

-42.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.41 MNT 37.4K

$5.41 MNT 19.5K

92.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 MNT 5,200

$1.71 MNT 6,152

-15.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 MNT 6,307

$1.68 MNT 6,039

4.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 MNT 958

$0.15 MNT 537

80.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.65 MNT 59.8K

$19.42 MNT 69.8K

-14.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 MNT 1,844

$0.66 MNT 2,373

-22.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 MNT 1,986

$0.44 MNT 1,564

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.48 MNT 23.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 MNT 4,182

$0.76 MNT 2,733

52.63%

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

$27.0K MNT 97.1M

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

$35.0K MNT 125.7M

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

$70.8 MNT 254.5K

$59.5 MNT 213.7K

19.07%

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

$7.62 MNT 27.4K

$2.72 MNT 9,787

180.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.84 MNT 49.7K

$14.04 MNT 50.5K

-1.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.7 MNT 246.9K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 MNT 65.4K

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 MNT 15.2K

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

$798 MNT 2.9M

$276 MNT 993.0K

188.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,425 MNT 30.3M

$2,461 MNT 8.8M

242.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.1 MNT 298.6K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.52 MNT 160.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MNT 366.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 MNT 668.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$636 MNT 2.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$469 MNT 1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 MNT 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$985 MNT 3.5M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,751 MNT 6.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,016 MNT 3.7M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$589 MNT 2.1M

$227 MNT 814.4K

159.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.32

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

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: October 25, 2026

Last update for Erdenet: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ulaanbaatar

$469 39.4%

Erdenet

–

Groceries & Markets

Ulaanbaatar

$233 19.5%

Erdenet

–

Clothing & Footwear

Ulaanbaatar

$187 15.7%

Erdenet

–

Eating Out

Ulaanbaatar

$113 9.5%

Erdenet

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ulaanbaatar

$92 7.7%

Erdenet

–

Sport & Entertainment

Ulaanbaatar

$77 6.5%

Erdenet

–

Getting Around

Ulaanbaatar

$21 1.8%

Erdenet

–

Cost Breakdown

Ulaanbaatar pays about 2.6 times 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: $32 in Ulaanbaatar vs $28 in Erdenet for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $188 per month, with Erdenet cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇳 Ulaanbaatar

🇲🇳 Erdenet

🕒 Local time

06:05 6:05 AM

Same time as Ulaanbaatar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,401,200 Capital

86,866

💱 Currency

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.5 EUR

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Ulaanbaatar Erdenet 250 km

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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

Ulaanbaatar vs Erdenet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,192 in Ulaanbaatar and $376 in Erdenet, so Erdenet is about 68% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Ulaanbaatar is about 2.6 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $798 in Ulaanbaatar versus $276 in Erdenet. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Ulaanbaatar. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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