Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulaanbaatar and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulaanbaatar and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,127 in Ulaanbaatar versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,770 in Ulaanbaatar versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,413 in Ulaanbaatar versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Ulaanbaatar costs roughly 23% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.38 MNT 19.3K

$13.07 MX$229

-58.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.93 MNT 103.7K

$53.8 MX$940

-46.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 MNT 18.9K

$9.68 MX$169

-45.45%

Cappuccino

$2.55 MNT 9,154

$3.74 MX$65.4

-31.82%

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

$0.76 MNT 2,714

$1.62 MX$28.25

-53.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 MNT 1,830

$1.16 MX$20.31

-56.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 MNT 7,526

$3.23 MX$56.4

-34.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 MNT 8,379

$4.74 MX$82.9

-50.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MNT 5,132

$1.65 MX$28.80

-13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 MNT 3,522

$2.75 MX$48.15

-64.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 MNT 7,567

$1.87 MX$32.77

12.83%

Eggs

$2.09 MNT 7,499

$2.50 MX$43.72

-16.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.62 MNT 56.0K

$10.20 MX$178

53.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.77 MNT 20.7K

$8.25 MX$144

-30.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.48 MNT 23.2K

$11.82 MX$207

-45.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 MNT 11.4K

$3.01 MX$52.6

5.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 MNT 9,554

$1.81 MX$31.67

47.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 MNT 15.4K

$2.00 MX$34.96

114.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 MNT 9,581

$2.00 MX$34.89

33.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 MNT 2,589

$2.08 MX$36.45

-65.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 MNT 3,625

$2.27 MX$39.72

-55.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 MNT 4,638

$1.46 MX$25.47

-11.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 MNT 2,534

$1.08 MX$18.82

-34.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.77 MNT 6,342

$4.35 MX$76.0

-59.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.38 MNT 37.2K

$16.99 MX$297

-38.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 MNT 4,795

$1.73 MX$30.31

-22.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 MNT 6,092

$3.58 MX$62.5

-52.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 MNT 991

$0.39 MX$6.77

-28.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.81 MNT 31.6K

$18.69 MX$327

-52.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.56 MNT 2,011

$1.33 MX$23.18

-57.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MNT 2,024

$0.28 MX$4.89

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.64 MNT 16.6K

$5.25 MX$91.8

-11.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 MNT 3,860

$1.34 MX$23.37

-19.40%

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

$30.5K MNT 109.2M

$19.4K MX$339.4K

56.96%

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

$18.4K MNT 65.9M

$23.8K MX$416.7K

-22.84%

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

$82.7 MNT 296.4K

$40.69 MX$712

103.27%

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

$7.41 MNT 26.5K

$26.87 MX$470

-72.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.71 MNT 59.9K

$30.51 MX$534

-45.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.3 MNT 223.3K

$52.8 MX$923

18.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.72 MNT 49.2K

$26.65 MX$466

-48.52%

Cinema Ticket

$3.76 MNT 13.5K

$6.51 MX$114

-42.24%

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

$175 MNT 628.2K

$428 MX$7,485

-59.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,474 MNT 23.2M

$10.5K MX$183.6K

-38.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.9 MNT 307.7K

$57.3 MX$1,001

49.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.8 MNT 250.3K

$45.50 MX$796

53.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MNT 375.0K

$104 MX$1,819

0.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 MNT 573.3K

$108 MX$1,885

48.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 MNT 1.8M

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-49.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MNT 1.5M

$623 MX$10.9K

-34.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,501 MNT 5.4M

$2,109 MX$36.9K

-28.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$757 MNT 2.7M

$1,218 MX$21.3K

-37.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,934 MNT 6.9M

$3,885 MX$67.9K

-50.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$957 MNT 3.4M

$2,033 MX$35.5K

-52.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$596 MNT 2.1M

$1,038 MX$18.1K

-42.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

-47.09%

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

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $511 in Ulaanbaatar and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 74% 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: $29.00 in Ulaanbaatar vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $247 vs $292 per month, with Ulaanbaatar cheaper across the board.

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ulaanbaatar and Mexico City differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($1,127 vs $1,456 including rent). Ulaanbaatar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 74% lower in Mexico City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $511 in Ulaanbaatar versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ulaanbaatar runs roughly 112% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $175 in Ulaanbaatar versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,127 in Ulaanbaatar versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ulaanbaatar but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. 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.

Expats usually find Ulaanbaatar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.