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: $1,160 in Ulaanbaatar versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,925 in Ulaanbaatar versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,691 in Ulaanbaatar versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Ulaanbaatar costs roughly 31% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ulaanbaatar is 16% below, Mexico City is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.54 MNT 19.9K

$12.14 MX$206

-54.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 MNT 117.1K

$53.9 MX$914

-39.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.40 MNT 19.4K

$11.09 MX$188

-51.31%

Cappuccino

$2.38 MNT 8,567

$4.10 MX$69.5

-41.95%

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

$0.83 MNT 2,974

$1.68 MX$28.53

-50.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 MNT 2,032

$1.39 MX$23.55

-58.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 MNT 8,312

$3.33 MX$56.5

-30.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 MNT 11.7K

$5.88 MX$99.7

-44.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MNT 5,219

$1.85 MX$31.41

-21.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 MNT 3,502

$3.17 MX$53.8

-69.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 MNT 7,402

$2.07 MX$35.13

-0.48%

Eggs

$2.15 MNT 7,747

$2.93 MX$49.67

-26.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.41 MNT 44.6K

$12.59 MX$214

-1.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.85 MNT 17.4K

$10.11 MX$172

-52.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.16 MNT 25.7K

$16.09 MX$273

-55.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 MNT 11.5K

$3.39 MX$57.5

-5.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 MNT 8,547

$2.08 MX$35.26

14.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.64 MNT 13.1K

$2.12 MX$35.97

71.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 MNT 11.2K

$2.41 MX$40.95

29.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 MNT 2,499

$2.13 MX$36.11

-67.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 MNT 3,756

$2.01 MX$34.02

-48.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 MNT 6,280

$1.55 MX$26.21

12.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 MNT 2,847

$1.36 MX$23.15

-41.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.77 MNT 6,353

$5.77 MX$97.8

-69.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.61 MNT 38.1K

$17.74 MX$301

-40.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 MNT 5,388

$2.07 MX$35.11

-27.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 MNT 6,200

$4.61 MX$78.3

-62.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 MNT 1,045

$0.37 MX$6.21

-21.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.54 MNT 59.5K

$21.18 MX$359

-21.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 MNT 1,846

$2.05 MX$34.84

-75.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 MNT 1,929

$0.58 MX$9.79

-6.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.23 MNT 22.4K

$6.07 MX$103

2.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 MNT 3,803

$1.55 MX$26.34

-31.61%

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

$27.3K MNT 98.3M

$22.9K MX$388.1K

19.54%

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

$34.5K MNT 124.0M

$27.2K MX$462.0K

26.65%

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

$69.8 MNT 250.8K

$67.4 MX$1,144

3.47%

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

$7.47 MNT 26.8K

$30.62 MX$520

-75.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.90 MNT 50.0K

$37.24 MX$632

-62.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.1 MNT 241.1K

$61.5 MX$1,043

9.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 MNT 65.5K

$27.12 MX$460

-32.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.08 MNT 14.7K

$7.11 MX$121

-42.62%

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

$813 MNT 2.9M

$456 MX$7,739

78.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,436 MNT 30.3M

$13.7K MX$232.3K

-38.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.6 MNT 300.7K

$74.2 MX$1,259

12.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.65 MNT 160.5K

$57.0 MX$967

-21.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MNT 377.1K

$115 MX$1,958

-9.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$190 MNT 683.9K

$122 MX$2,061

56.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 MNT 2.1M

$1,148 MX$19.5K

-48.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$452 MNT 1.6M

$709 MX$12.0K

-36.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 MNT 6.1M

$2,577 MX$43.7K

-34.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 MNT 3.7M

$1,295 MX$22.0K

-21.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,928 MNT 6.9M

$4,005 MX$67.9K

-51.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$955 MNT 3.4M

$2,130 MX$36.1K

-55.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 MNT 2.1M

$1,082 MX$18.4K

-45.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.32

11.3

-8.67%

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

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: September 7, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $586 in Ulaanbaatar and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 83% 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: $33.00 in Ulaanbaatar vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $345 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 45% in total monthly costs ($1,160 vs $1,677 including rent). Ulaanbaatar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 83% 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: $586 in Ulaanbaatar versus $1,148 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 28% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $813 in Ulaanbaatar versus $456 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,160 in Ulaanbaatar versus $1,677 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 45% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.