Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulaanbaatar and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulaanbaatar: $1,159 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Ulaanbaatar
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Ulaanbaatar Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Ulaanbaatar

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$1,159

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ulaanbaatar and in Seoul

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

A single person spends $1,159 per month in Ulaanbaatar vs $1,822 in Seoul, rent included.

Ulaanbaatar $1,159
Seoul $1,822

A couple spends around $1,881 per month in Ulaanbaatar vs $2,847 in Seoul, rent included.

Ulaanbaatar $1,881
Seoul $2,847

A family of three spends $2,602 per month in Ulaanbaatar vs $3,872 in Seoul, rent included.

Ulaanbaatar $2,602
Seoul $3,872

Ulaanbaatar is about 36% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ulaanbaatar sits 13% below the global median, while Seoul is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.62 MNT 20.2K

$9.10 ₩12.2K

-38.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.97 MNT 114.9K

$67.0 ₩89.8K

-52.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 MNT 20.1K

$7.42 ₩9,941

-24.66%

Cappuccino

$2.35 MNT 8,452

$4.08 ₩5,470

-42.40%

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

$0.87 MNT 3,130

$1.60 ₩2,141

-45.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 MNT 2,225

$0.80 ₩1,078

-22.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 MNT 8,233

$3.65 ₩4,886

-37.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 MNT 11.9K

$5.94 ₩7,956

-44.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MNT 5,064

$2.05 ₩2,742

-31.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 MNT 3,508

$3.08 ₩4,130

-68.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 MNT 7,672

$4.21 ₩5,646

-49.17%

Eggs

$2.11 MNT 7,596

$3.57 ₩4,784

-40.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.32 MNT 44.3K

$17.95 ₩24.1K

-31.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.91 MNT 17.6K

$10.64 ₩14.3K

-53.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.76 MNT 24.3K

$26.44 ₩35.4K

-74.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 MNT 11.4K

$7.42 ₩9,946

-57.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 MNT 8,492

$3.53 ₩4,732

-33.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 MNT 13.1K

$5.87 ₩7,866

-37.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 MNT 11.2K

$6.37 ₩8,534

-51.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 MNT 2,586

$3.75 ₩5,028

-80.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 MNT 3,700

$2.49 ₩3,337

-58.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 MNT 6,281

$2.92 ₩3,911

-40.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 MNT 2,610

$1.15 ₩1,542

-36.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.66 MNT 5,961

$3.29 ₩4,408

-49.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.34 MNT 37.2K

$18.49 ₩24.8K

-44.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 MNT 5,403

$2.28 ₩3,057

-34.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 MNT 6,246

$3.28 ₩4,398

-46.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 MNT 1,045

$1.14 ₩1,526

-74.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.73 MNT 60.1K

$45.47 ₩60.9K

-63.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.54 MNT 1,952

$3.48 ₩4,663

-84.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MNT 1,863

$0.60 ₩803

-13.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.49 MNT 23.3K

$8.70 ₩11.7K

-25.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 MNT 4,016

$1.50 ₩2,004

-25.33%

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

$27.4K MNT 98.4M

$29.1K ₩39.0M

-5.95%

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

$34.3K MNT 123.1M

$28.2K ₩37.8M

21.54%

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

$71.1 MNT 255.5K

$209 ₩279.9K

-65.95%

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

$7.56 MNT 27.2K

$35.13 ₩47.1K

-78.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.87 MNT 49.8K

$21.18 ₩28.4K

-34.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.0 MNT 240.7K

$57.3 ₩76.8K

16.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.98 MNT 64.6K

$15.89 ₩21.3K

13.15%

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 MNT 15.2K

$11.33 ₩15.2K

-62.58%

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

$814 MNT 2.9M

$1,902 ₩2.5M

-57.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,372 MNT 30.1M

$22.5K ₩30.2M

-62.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.3 MNT 292.0K

$58.9 ₩78.9K

37.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.60 MNT 163.8K

$32.12 ₩43.0K

41.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MNT 364.2K

$70.1 ₩94.0K

44.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 MNT 661.7K

$82.5 ₩110.5K

123.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$578 MNT 2.1M

$885 ₩1.2M

-34.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 MNT 1.6M

$624 ₩835.5K

-28.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 MNT 6.0M

$2,494 ₩3.3M

-33.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$992 MNT 3.6M

$1,275 ₩1.7M

-22.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,901 MNT 6.8M

$29.8K ₩40.0M

-93.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$973 MNT 3.5M

$11.8K ₩15.9M

-91.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$593 MNT 2.1M

$3,649 ₩4.9M

-83.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.32

4.08

152.94%

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

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: October 3, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ulaanbaatar

$443 38%

Seoul

$624 34.7% 40.8% $181

Groceries & Markets

Ulaanbaatar

$234 20.1%

Seoul

$479 26.7% 104% $245

Clothing & Footwear

Ulaanbaatar

$186 15.9%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 40.9% $76

Eating Out

Ulaanbaatar

$114 9.8%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 61.2% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ulaanbaatar

$93 7.9%

Seoul

$265 14.8% 187% $173

Sport & Entertainment

Ulaanbaatar

$75 6.5%

Seoul

$80 4.5% 6% $4.5

Getting Around

Ulaanbaatar

$21 1.8%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 169% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $578 in Ulaanbaatar versus $885 in Seoul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 515% higher in Seoul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Ulaanbaatar versus $67.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $479 – making Ulaanbaatar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇳 Ulaanbaatar

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

11:14 11:14 AM

12:14 12:14 PM

1 h ahead of Ulaanbaatar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,401,200 Capital

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to MNT – Mongolian Tögrög Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇳 Mongolian Tögrög (₮)

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,593 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,030 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,503 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR).

USD to MNT in detail →

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Between locations

Ulaanbaatar Seoul 1,990 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Ulaanbaatar
Seoul

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 Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 57% more than Ulaanbaatar, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,739 per month in Ulaanbaatar and $2,733 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ulaanbaatar, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 172% less in Ulaanbaatar. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $814 per month in Ulaanbaatar and $1,902 in Seoul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ulaanbaatar, where all-in costs run around $1,159, than in Seoul at $1,822. In Ulaanbaatar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ulaanbaatar. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seoul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.