Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulaanbaatar and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulaanbaatar and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,160 in Ulaanbaatar versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,925 in Ulaanbaatar versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,691 in Ulaanbaatar versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Ulaanbaatar costs roughly 8% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ulaanbaatar 16% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.54 MNT 19.9K

$4.66 ฿154

18.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 MNT 117.1K

$32.22 ฿1,065

1.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.40 MNT 19.4K

$8.68 ฿287

-37.79%

Cappuccino

$2.38 MNT 8,567

$2.90 ฿95.8

-17.93%

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

$0.83 MNT 2,974

$0.84 ฿27.89

-1.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 MNT 2,032

$0.49 ฿16.16

16.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 MNT 8,312

$2.48 ฿82.0

-6.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 MNT 11.7K

$3.73 ฿123

-12.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MNT 5,219

$1.89 ฿62.3

-23.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 MNT 3,502

$1.41 ฿46.54

-31.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 MNT 7,402

$1.62 ฿53.6

27.16%

Eggs

$2.15 MNT 7,747

$2.24 ฿74.1

-4.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.41 MNT 44.6K

$19.84 ฿656

-37.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.85 MNT 17.4K

$3.48 ฿115

39.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.16 MNT 25.7K

$11.37 ฿376

-37.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 MNT 11.5K

$2.90 ฿95.8

10.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 MNT 8,547

$1.72 ฿57.0

38.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.64 MNT 13.1K

$2.27 ฿75.1

60.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 MNT 11.2K

$2.13 ฿70.4

46.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 MNT 2,499

$1.47 ฿48.72

-52.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 MNT 3,756

$1.42 ฿46.92

-26.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 MNT 6,280

$1.10 ฿36.25

59.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 MNT 2,847

$0.60 ฿19.76

31.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.77 MNT 6,353

$4.31 ฿142

-58.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.61 MNT 38.1K

$18.60 ฿615

-42.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 MNT 5,388

$1.80 ฿59.5

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 MNT 6,200

$2.97 ฿98.0

-42.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 MNT 1,045

$2.25 ฿74.2

-87.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.54 MNT 59.5K

$23.49 ฿776

-29.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 MNT 1,846

$3.10 ฿102

-83.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 MNT 1,929

$1.08 ฿35.56

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.23 MNT 22.4K

$3.87 ฿128

60.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 MNT 3,803

$1.43 ฿47.16

-25.87%

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

$27.3K MNT 98.3M

$27.8K ฿918.0K

-1.59%

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

$34.5K MNT 124.0M

$27.0K ฿891.5K

27.82%

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

$69.8 MNT 250.8K

$105 ฿3,462

-33.44%

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

$7.47 MNT 26.8K

$11.39 ฿376

-34.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.90 MNT 50.0K

$17.54 ฿580

-20.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.1 MNT 241.1K

$54.3 ฿1,795

23.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 MNT 65.5K

$11.44 ฿378

59.35%

Cinema Ticket

$4.08 MNT 14.7K

$7.78 ฿257

-47.56%

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

$813 MNT 2.9M

$576 ฿19.0K

41.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,436 MNT 30.3M

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-27.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.6 MNT 300.7K

$63.6 ฿2,103

31.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.65 MNT 160.5K

$29.10 ฿961

53.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MNT 377.1K

$96.2 ฿3,179

9.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$190 MNT 683.9K

$90.0 ฿2,974

111.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 MNT 2.1M

$733 ฿24.2K

-20.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$452 MNT 1.6M

$501 ฿16.5K

-9.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 MNT 6.1M

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-20.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 MNT 3.7M

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-18.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,928 MNT 6.9M

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-45.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$955 MNT 3.4M

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-63.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 MNT 2.1M

$508 ฿16.8K

16.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.32

5.57

85.28%

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

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $586 in Ulaanbaatar and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulaanbaatar pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ulaanbaatar vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $237 vs $275, with Ulaanbaatar cheaper for home cooking.

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ulaanbaatar is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 17% higher in Ulaanbaatar, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $586 in Ulaanbaatar versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Ulaanbaatar versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,160 in Ulaanbaatar versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ulaanbaatar but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ulaanbaatar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ulaanbaatar is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ulaanbaatar and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ulaanbaatar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.