Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulaanbaatar and Tashkent

For one person, living is cheaper in Tashkent: $1,025 a month against $1,159 in Ulaanbaatar, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 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
51

Cost of Living Index in Tashkent
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Tashkent Living Index

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Ulaanbaatar

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$1,159

/mo nomad

Tashkent

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

$1,025

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ulaanbaatar and in Tashkent

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

A single person spends $1,159 per month in Ulaanbaatar vs $1,025 in Tashkent, rent included.

Ulaanbaatar $1,159
Tashkent $1,025

A couple spends around $1,881 per month in Ulaanbaatar vs $1,630 in Tashkent, rent included.

Ulaanbaatar $1,881
Tashkent $1,630

A family of three spends $2,602 per month in Ulaanbaatar vs $2,234 in Tashkent, rent included.

Ulaanbaatar $2,602
Tashkent $2,234

Ulaanbaatar costs about 13% more than Tashkent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ulaanbaatar and Tashkent are more affordable than the global median – Ulaanbaatar 13% lower, Tashkent 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.62 MNT 20.2K

$6.91 UZS 82.0K

-18.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.97 MNT 114.9K

$33.76 UZS 400.7K

-5.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 MNT 20.1K

$5.01 UZS 59.5K

11.58%

Cappuccino

$2.35 MNT 8,452

$2.56 UZS 30.4K

-8.20%

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

$0.87 MNT 3,130

$0.76 UZS 9,070

14.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 MNT 2,225

$0.34 UZS 4,022

82.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 MNT 8,233

$2.17 UZS 25.7K

5.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 MNT 11.9K

$3.84 UZS 45.6K

-14.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MNT 5,064

$1.35 UZS 16.0K

4.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 MNT 3,508

$0.83 UZS 9,811

18.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 MNT 7,672

$1.75 UZS 20.8K

22.29%

Eggs

$2.11 MNT 7,596

$1.82 UZS 21.6K

15.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.32 MNT 44.3K

$8.03 UZS 95.3K

53.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.91 MNT 17.6K

$4.13 UZS 49.0K

18.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.76 MNT 24.3K

$12.77 UZS 151.6K

-47.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 MNT 11.4K

$1.56 UZS 18.5K

102.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 MNT 8,492

$1.78 UZS 21.2K

32.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 MNT 13.1K

$2.35 UZS 27.9K

55.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 MNT 11.2K

$1.73 UZS 20.5K

79.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 MNT 2,586

$0.57 UZS 6,715

26.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 MNT 3,700

$0.42 UZS 4,967

145.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 MNT 6,281

$1.05 UZS 12.5K

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 MNT 2,610

$0.46 UZS 5,411

58.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.66 MNT 5,961

$1.99 UZS 23.7K

-16.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.34 MNT 37.2K

$7.58 UZS 90.0K

36.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 MNT 5,403

$1.34 UZS 15.8K

11.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 MNT 6,246

$3.54 UZS 42.1K

-50.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 MNT 1,045

$0.15 UZS 1,828

93.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.73 MNT 60.1K

$12.64 UZS 150.0K

32.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.54 MNT 1,952

$0.84 UZS 9,946

-35.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MNT 1,863

$0.36 UZS 4,311

44.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.49 MNT 23.3K

$3.43 UZS 40.7K

89.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 MNT 4,016

$1.17 UZS 13.9K

-4.27%

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

$27.4K MNT 98.4M

$16.7K UZS 198.0M

64.21%

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

$34.3K MNT 123.1M

$24.7K UZS 292.8M

38.93%

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

$71.1 MNT 255.5K

$67.5 UZS 800.8K

5.39%

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

$7.56 MNT 27.2K

$4.46 UZS 52.9K

69.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.87 MNT 49.8K

$13.75 UZS 163.2K

0.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.0 MNT 240.7K

$63.7 UZS 756.0K

5.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.98 MNT 64.6K

$18.97 UZS 225.2K

-5.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 MNT 15.2K

$6.02 UZS 71.5K

-29.57%

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

$814 MNT 2.9M

$333 UZS 3.9M

144.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,372 MNT 30.1M

$9,395 UZS 111.5M

-10.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.3 MNT 292.0K

$50.7 UZS 602.3K

60.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.60 MNT 163.8K

$59.3 UZS 704.4K

-23.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MNT 364.2K

$111 UZS 1.3M

-8.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 MNT 661.7K

$137 UZS 1.6M

34.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$578 MNT 2.1M

$595 UZS 7.1M

-2.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 MNT 1.6M

$376 UZS 4.5M

17.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 MNT 6.0M

$1,177 UZS 14.0M

41.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$992 MNT 3.6M

$727 UZS 8.6M

36.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,901 MNT 6.8M

$1,653 UZS 19.6M

15.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$973 MNT 3.5M

$941 UZS 11.2M

3.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$593 MNT 2.1M

$712 UZS 8.5M

-16.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.32

23.31

-55.73%

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

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: October 3, 2026

Last update for Tashkent: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ulaanbaatar

$443 38%

Tashkent

$376 36.3% 15% $67

Groceries & Markets

Ulaanbaatar

$234 20.1%

Tashkent

$197 19% 16.1% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Ulaanbaatar

$186 15.9%

Tashkent

$161 15.6% 13.1% $24

Eating Out

Ulaanbaatar

$114 9.8%

Tashkent

$124 12% 8.7% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ulaanbaatar

$93 7.9%

Tashkent

$86 8.3% 7.4% $6.9

Sport & Entertainment

Ulaanbaatar

$75 6.5%

Tashkent

$76 7.3% 0.3% $0.3

Getting Around

Ulaanbaatar

$21 1.8%

Tashkent

$16 1.5% 24.3% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $578 in Ulaanbaatar versus $595 in Tashkent. 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 20% higher in Tashkent, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Ulaanbaatar versus $34.00 in Tashkent. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Ulaanbaatar vs $197 in Tashkent – so Tashkent wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇳 Ulaanbaatar

🇺🇿 Tashkent

🕒 Local time

13:12 1:12 PM

10:12 10:12 AM

3 h behind Ulaanbaatar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,401,200 Capital

2,956,384 Capital

💱 Currency

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

Uzbekistani Som UZS soʻm

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR

100,000 UZS = 8.42 USD

100,000 UZS = 7.51 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UZS, 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).

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 11,870 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.42 USD). 1 EUR = 13,313 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.51 EUR).

USD to MNT in detail →

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Ulaanbaatar Tashkent 3,040 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ulaanbaatar
Tashkent

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 Tashkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ulaanbaatar costs about 13% more than Tashkent, 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 $1,537 in Tashkent. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Ulaanbaatar and $34.00 in Tashkent. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,159 in Ulaanbaatar and $1,025 in Tashkent. That's a gap of about 13%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tashkent, where all-in costs run around $1,025, than in Ulaanbaatar at $1,159. In Tashkent it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ulaanbaatar it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tashkent – 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 Tashkent. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ulaanbaatar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.