Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulaanbaatar and Mandalgovi

For one person, living is cheaper in Mandalgovi: $639 a month against $1,175 in Ulaanbaatar, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Mandalgovi
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Mandalgovi Living Index

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Ulaanbaatar

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$1,175

/mo nomad

Mandalgovi

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ulaanbaatar and in Mandalgovi

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

A single person spends $1,175 per month in Ulaanbaatar vs $639 in Mandalgovi, rent included.

Ulaanbaatar $1,175
Mandalgovi $639

A couple spends around $1,910 per month in Ulaanbaatar vs $1,051 in Mandalgovi, rent included.

Ulaanbaatar $1,910
Mandalgovi $1,051

A family of three spends $2,645 per month in Ulaanbaatar vs $1,462 in Mandalgovi, rent included.

Ulaanbaatar $2,645
Mandalgovi $1,462

Ulaanbaatar costs about 84% more than Mandalgovi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Ulaanbaatar and Mandalgovi are more affordable than the global median – Ulaanbaatar 13% lower, Mandalgovi 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.63 MNT 20.2K

$5.42 MNT 19.5K

3.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.37 MNT 116.4K

$32.55 MNT 117.0K

-0.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.72 MNT 20.6K

$5.60 MNT 20.1K

2.14%

Cappuccino

$2.37 MNT 8,520

$2.43 MNT 8,754

-2.47%

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

$0.84 MNT 3,016

$0.84 MNT 3,012

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 MNT 2,053

$0.60 MNT 2,175

-5.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 MNT 8,420

$2.40 MNT 8,621

-2.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 MNT 11.7K

$3.29 MNT 11.8K

-1.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MNT 5,082

$1.49 MNT 5,353

-5.37%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 MNT 3,552

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 MNT 7,704

$2.13 MNT 7,664

0.47%

Eggs

$2.12 MNT 7,619

$2.08 MNT 7,496

1.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.56 MNT 45.2K

$12.37 MNT 44.5K

1.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 MNT 17.2K

$4.76 MNT 17.1K

0.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.94 MNT 24.9K

$6.60 MNT 23.7K

5.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 MNT 10.8K

$3.10 MNT 11.2K

-3.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 MNT 8,431

$2.36 MNT 8,487

-0.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.80 MNT 13.7K

$3.65 MNT 13.1K

4.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 MNT 10.8K

$2.95 MNT 10.6K

1.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 MNT 2,700

$0.70 MNT 2,526

7.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 MNT 3,879

$1.08 MNT 3,900

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 MNT 6,045

$1.66 MNT 5,985

1.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 MNT 2,653

$0.79 MNT 2,839

-6.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.72 MNT 6,174

$1.71 MNT 6,154

0.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MNT 37.6K

$10.38 MNT 37.3K

0.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 MNT 5,167

$1.49 MNT 5,373

-3.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 MNT 6,213

$1.73 MNT 6,222

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 MNT 960

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.87 MNT 60.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.54 MNT 1,957

$0.51 MNT 1,829

5.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MNT 2,009

$0.55 MNT 1,989

1.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.52 MNT 23.5K

$6.33 MNT 22.8K

3.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 MNT 4,142

$1.13 MNT 4,059

1.77%

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

$26.8K MNT 96.5M

$26.8K MNT 96.4M

0.08%

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

$34.4K MNT 123.6M

$35.3K MNT 127.0M

-2.66%

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

$70.9 MNT 255.1K

$72.0 MNT 259.0K

-1.53%

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

$7.48 MNT 26.9K

$7.59 MNT 27.3K

-1.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.84 MNT 49.8K

$13.42 MNT 48.3K

3.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 MNT 245.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.03 MNT 64.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 MNT 15.3K

$4.14 MNT 14.9K

3.14%

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

$827 MNT 3.0M

$812 MNT 2.9M

1.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,182 MNT 29.4M

$8,138 MNT 29.3M

0.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 MNT 295.7K

$83.0 MNT 298.4K

-0.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.68 MNT 164.3K

$44.52 MNT 160.1K

2.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MNT 373.5K

$103 MNT 370.4K

0.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$191 MNT 686.1K

$187 MNT 670.7K

2.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$566 MNT 2.0M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 MNT 1.6M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,657 MNT 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$983 MNT 3.5M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,895 MNT 6.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$976 MNT 3.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 MNT 2.1M

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 13, 2026

Last update for Mandalgovi: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ulaanbaatar

$446 38%

Mandalgovi

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Ulaanbaatar

$234 19.9%

Mandalgovi

$233 36.5% 0.3% $0.8

Clothing & Footwear

Ulaanbaatar

$190 16.2%

Mandalgovi

$188 29.4% 1.3% $2.5

Eating Out

Ulaanbaatar

$114 9.7%

Mandalgovi

$114 17.8% 0.7% $0.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ulaanbaatar

$92 7.9%

Mandalgovi

$93 14.6% 0.8% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Ulaanbaatar

$77 6.5%

Mandalgovi

$8.3 * 1.3% 89.2% $69

Getting Around

Ulaanbaatar

$21 1.8%

Mandalgovi

$3.3 * 0.5% 84.6% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Ulaanbaatar versus $33.00 in Mandalgovi. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Ulaanbaatar vs $233 in Mandalgovi – so Mandalgovi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇳 Ulaanbaatar

🇲🇳 Mandalgovi

🕒 Local time

17:38 5:38 PM

Same time as Ulaanbaatar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,401,200 Capital

10,888

💱 Currency

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.47 EUR

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Ulaanbaatar Mandalgovi 240 km

From you

Ulaanbaatar
Mandalgovi

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 Mandalgovi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,175 in Ulaanbaatar, $639 in Mandalgovi – roughly 84% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,763 per month in Ulaanbaatar and $959 in Mandalgovi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,175 in Ulaanbaatar and $639 in Mandalgovi. That's a gap of about 84%.

Kindergarten costs $827 per month in Ulaanbaatar and $812 in Mandalgovi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mandalgovi, where all-in costs run around $639, than in Ulaanbaatar at $1,175. In Mandalgovi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ulaanbaatar it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Mandalgovi. 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.