Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulaanbaatar and Ubud, Bali Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulaanbaatar and Ubud, Bali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,160 in Ulaanbaatar versus $1,378 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,925 in Ulaanbaatar versus $2,327 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,691 in Ulaanbaatar versus $3,275 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Ulaanbaatar costs roughly 16% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ulaanbaatar is 16% below, Ubud, Bali is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.54 MNT 19.9K

$3.33 Rp 58.7K

66.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 MNT 117.1K

$35.82 Rp 630.7K

-9.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.40 MNT 19.4K

$5.63 Rp 99.1K

-4.09%

Cappuccino

$2.38 MNT 8,567

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

-15.60%

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

$0.83 MNT 2,974

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

-52.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 MNT 2,032

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

-28.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 MNT 8,312

$3.04 Rp 53.6K

-24.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 MNT 11.7K

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

-24.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MNT 5,219

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

-9.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 MNT 3,502

$2.27 Rp 39.9K

-57.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 MNT 7,402

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

76.07%

Eggs

$2.15 MNT 7,747

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

-0.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.41 MNT 44.6K

$17.63 Rp 310.5K

-29.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.85 MNT 17.4K

$4.05 Rp 71.4K

19.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.16 MNT 25.7K

$12.18 Rp 214.5K

-41.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 MNT 11.5K

$3.62 Rp 63.7K

-11.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 MNT 8,547

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

45.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.64 MNT 13.1K

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

57.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 MNT 11.2K

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

59.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 MNT 2,499

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

-61.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 MNT 3,756

$2.37 Rp 41.7K

-56.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 MNT 6,280

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 MNT 2,847

$0.54 Rp 9,560

46.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.77 MNT 6,353

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

-23.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.61 MNT 38.1K

$23.08 Rp 406.4K

-54.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 MNT 5,388

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

-35.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 MNT 6,200

$3.07 Rp 54.0K

-43.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 MNT 1,045

$0.25 Rp 4,365

16.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.54 MNT 59.5K

$9.42 Rp 165.9K

75.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 MNT 1,846

$0.49 Rp 8,631

4.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 MNT 1,929

$0.47 Rp 8,349

14.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.23 MNT 22.4K

$5.60 Rp 98.6K

11.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 MNT 3,803

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

30.86%

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

$27.3K MNT 98.3M

$25.0K Rp 440.3M

9.33%

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

$34.5K MNT 124.0M

$31.1K Rp 547.0M

11.02%

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

$69.8 MNT 250.8K

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

-15.68%

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

$7.47 MNT 26.8K

$6.49 Rp 114.2K

15.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.90 MNT 50.0K

$18.79 Rp 330.8K

-26.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.1 MNT 241.1K

$55.2 Rp 972.6K

21.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 MNT 65.5K

$18.21 Rp 320.6K

0.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.08 MNT 14.7K

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

-5.12%

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

$813 MNT 2.9M

$494 Rp 8.7M

64.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,436 MNT 30.3M

$5,917 Rp 104.2M

42.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.6 MNT 300.7K

$46.28 Rp 814.8K

80.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.65 MNT 160.5K

$36.44 Rp 641.6K

22.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MNT 377.1K

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

29.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$190 MNT 683.9K

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

141.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 MNT 2.1M

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

-47.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$452 MNT 1.6M

$693 Rp 12.2M

-34.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 MNT 6.1M

$3,639 Rp 64.1M

-53.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 MNT 3.7M

$1,712 Rp 30.1M

-40.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,928 MNT 6.9M

$2,761 Rp 48.6M

-30.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$955 MNT 3.4M

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

-58.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 MNT 2.1M

$167 Rp 2.9M

254.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.32

13.78

-25.11%

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

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: September 7, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $586 in Ulaanbaatar and $1,114 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulaanbaatar pays 254% 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 $36.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $294 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 Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ulaanbaatar wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ulaanbaatar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 254% 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 $1,114 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Ulaanbaatar versus $494 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,160 in Ulaanbaatar versus $1,378 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ulaanbaatar but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Ulaanbaatar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ulaanbaatar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,160 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ulaanbaatar hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ulaanbaatar and Ubud, Bali 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 19% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.