Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulaanbaatar and Olsztyn

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulaanbaatar: $1,194 a month against $1,703 in Olsztyn, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Olsztyn, Poland
Ulaanbaatar
🇲🇳 Mongolia
$1,194
/mo nomad
Olsztyn
🇵🇱 Poland
$1,703
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ulaanbaatar and in Olsztyn

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,194 in Ulaanbaatar versus $1,703 in Olsztyn.

  • Ulaanbaatar $1,194
  • Olsztyn $1,703

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,926 in Ulaanbaatar versus $2,449 in Olsztyn.

  • Ulaanbaatar $1,926
  • Olsztyn $2,449

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,659 in Ulaanbaatar versus $3,196 in Olsztyn.

  • Ulaanbaatar $2,659
  • Olsztyn $3,196

Living in Ulaanbaatar costs roughly 30% less than in Olsztyn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ulaanbaatar is 12% below, Olsztyn is 26% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ulaanbaatar
Olsztyn
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.63 MNT 20.2K
$12.63 zł 49.27
-55.42%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$31.64 MNT 113.7K
$50.3 zł 196
-37.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.67 MNT 20.4K
$8.70 zł 33.94
-34.83%
Cappuccino
$2.45 MNT 8,817
$3.29 zł 12.82
-25.53%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.84 MNT 3,028
$2.48 zł 9.66
-66.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 MNT 2,030
$1.85 zł 7.21
-69.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.31 MNT 8,294
$3.09 zł 12.04
-25.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.27 MNT 11.7K
$3.75 zł 14.64
-12.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ulaanbaatar
Olsztyn
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 MNT 5,362
$1.02 zł 3.99
46.08%
White Bread (500g)
$1.02 MNT 3,682
$1.25 zł 4.88
-18.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.13 MNT 7,667
$1.38 zł 5.37
54.35%
Eggs
$2.11 MNT 7,599
$3.87 zł 15.11
-45.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.27 MNT 44.1K
$9.61 zł 37.51
27.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.91 MNT 17.6K
$7.55 zł 29.47
-34.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.65 MNT 23.9K
$14.51 zł 56.6
-54.17%
Apples (1kg)
$3.00 MNT 10.8K
$1.19 zł 4.64
152.10%
Banana (1kg)
$2.48 MNT 8,914
$1.66 zł 6.46
49.40%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.63 MNT 13.0K
$1.82 zł 7.08
99.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.05 MNT 11.0K
$3.44 zł 13.42
-11.34%
Potato (1kg)
$0.72 MNT 2,577
$0.91 zł 3.55
-20.88%
Onion (1kg)
$1.07 MNT 3,857
$1.18 zł 4.61
-9.32%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.68 MNT 6,025
$1.34 zł 5.24
25.37%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.79 MNT 2,828
$0.72 zł 2.81
9.72%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.66 MNT 5,966
$5.49 zł 21.40
-69.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.44 MNT 37.5K
$7.81 zł 30.47
33.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.50 MNT 5,374
$1.13 zł 4.42
32.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 MNT 6,305
$1.56 zł 6.09
12.18%
🚌 Getting Around
Ulaanbaatar
Olsztyn
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.27 MNT 957
$1.04 zł 4.05
-74.04%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$16.53 MNT 59.4K
$25.18 zł 98.3
-34.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.55 MNT 1,962
$1.98 zł 7.72
-72.22%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.52 MNT 1,874
$0.73 zł 2.85
-28.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.19 MNT 22.2K
$10.27 zł 40.07
-39.73%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.11 MNT 3,980
$1.64 zł 6.40
-32.32%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.5K MNT 95.1M
$31.2K zł 121.9K
-15.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.5K MNT 127.6M
$28.9K zł 112.8K
22.85%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ulaanbaatar
Olsztyn
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$72.3 MNT 259.6K
$336 zł 1,312
-78.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.21 MNT 25.9K
$9.64 zł 37.62
-25.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.76 MNT 49.4K
$18.98 zł 74.1
-27.50%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ulaanbaatar
Olsztyn
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.9 MNT 247.6K
$45.06 zł 176
52.93%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.15 MNT 65.2K
$22.38 zł 87.3
-18.90%
Cinema Ticket
$4.13 MNT 14.8K
$8.70 zł 33.96
-52.53%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ulaanbaatar
Olsztyn
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$810 MNT 2.9M
$374 zł 1,458
116.79%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.2K MNT 43.8M
$14.0K zł 54.6K
-12.91%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ulaanbaatar
Olsztyn
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.1 MNT 287.9K
$98.8 zł 385
-18.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.18 MNT 162.3K
$47.62 zł 186
-5.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 MNT 366.5K
$99.9 zł 390
2.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$189 MNT 677.5K
$104 zł 404
82.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ulaanbaatar
Olsztyn
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$633 MNT 2.3M
$820 zł 3,198
-22.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$465 MNT 1.7M
$638 zł 2,491
-27.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,662 MNT 6.0M
$1,308 zł 5,104
27.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,002 MNT 3.6M
$1,025 zł 3,998
-2.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,782 MNT 6.4M
$3,616 zł 14.1K
-50.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,006 MNT 3.6M
$2,519 zł 9,827
-60.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ulaanbaatar
Olsztyn
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$621 MNT 2.2M
$1,491 zł 5,816
-58.35%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.32
7.52
37.23%

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

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: November 2, 2026

Last update for Olsztyn: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ulaanbaatar
$465
Olsztyn
$638 37.2% $173
Groceries & Markets
Ulaanbaatar
$235
Olsztyn
$238 1% $2.3
Clothing & Footwear
Ulaanbaatar
$187
Olsztyn
$157 15.9% $30
Eating Out
Ulaanbaatar
$115
Olsztyn
$207 79.4% $92
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ulaanbaatar
$93
Olsztyn
$365 291% $272
Sport & Entertainment
Ulaanbaatar
$77
Olsztyn
$62 19% $15
Getting Around
Ulaanbaatar
$21
Olsztyn
$35 68.5% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $633 in Ulaanbaatar and $820 in Olsztyn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Olsztyn pays about 2.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Ulaanbaatar vs $50 in Olsztyn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $238 per month, with Ulaanbaatar cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇳 Ulaanbaatar
🇵🇱 Olsztyn
🕒 Local time
11:25 11:25 AM
04:25 4:25 AM
7 h behind Ulaanbaatar
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,401,200 Capital
174,675
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to MNT – Mongolian Tögrög Converter

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,593 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,045 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.47 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.9 PLN (1 PLN = 0.256 USD). 1 EUR = 4.39 PLN (1 PLN = 0.228 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ulaanbaatar Olsztyn 5,720 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ulaanbaatar
  • Olsztyn

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 Olsztyn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ulaanbaatar cheaper than Olsztyn?
Ulaanbaatar is about 30% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Ulaanbaatar or Olsztyn?
On paper, salaries run 58% lower in Ulaanbaatar. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Ulaanbaatar and Olsztyn?
Rent for a central apartment: $633 in Ulaanbaatar versus $820 in Olsztyn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $810 in Ulaanbaatar versus $374 in Olsztyn. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Ulaanbaatar or in Olsztyn?
Dining out is cheaper in Ulaanbaatar – a meal for two runs $32 versus $50 in Olsztyn. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,000 enough to cover costs in Ulaanbaatar or in Olsztyn?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ulaanbaatar is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Is it better to live in Ulaanbaatar or in Olsztyn?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Ulaanbaatar wins on affordability, Olsztyn on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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