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: $1,127 in Ulaanbaatar versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,770 in Ulaanbaatar versus $2,585 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,413 in Ulaanbaatar versus $3,763 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Ulaanbaatar costs roughly 20% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ulaanbaatar is 16% below, Ubud, Bali is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.38 MNT 19.3K

$3.45 Rp 61.8K

55.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.93 MNT 103.7K

$32.34 Rp 578.5K

-10.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 MNT 18.9K

$4.84 Rp 86.7K

9.09%

Cappuccino

$2.55 MNT 9,154

$2.75 Rp 49.1K

-7.27%

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

$0.76 MNT 2,714

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

-44.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 MNT 1,830

$0.75 Rp 13.4K

-32.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 MNT 7,526

$2.99 Rp 53.5K

-29.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 MNT 8,379

$3.85 Rp 68.9K

-39.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MNT 5,132

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

-17.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 MNT 3,522

$2.46 Rp 44.0K

-60.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 MNT 7,567

$1.17 Rp 20.9K

80.34%

Eggs

$2.09 MNT 7,499

$2.43 Rp 43.5K

-13.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.62 MNT 56.0K

$14.50 Rp 259.5K

7.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.77 MNT 20.7K

$4.35 Rp 77.8K

32.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.48 MNT 23.2K

$11.98 Rp 214.3K

-45.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 MNT 11.4K

$3.72 Rp 66.5K

-14.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 MNT 9,554

$1.63 Rp 29.1K

63.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 MNT 15.4K

$2.74 Rp 49.1K

56.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 MNT 9,581

$2.24 Rp 40.1K

19.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 MNT 2,589

$1.92 Rp 34.3K

-62.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 MNT 3,625

$2.28 Rp 40.7K

-55.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 MNT 4,638

$1.06 Rp 19.0K

21.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 MNT 2,534

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

-1.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.77 MNT 6,342

$3.29 Rp 58.8K

-46.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.38 MNT 37.2K

$23.19 Rp 414.9K

-55.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 MNT 4,795

$2.78 Rp 49.7K

-51.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 MNT 6,092

$2.73 Rp 48.9K

-37.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 MNT 991

$0.27 Rp 4,765

3.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.81 MNT 31.6K

$8.11 Rp 145.0K

8.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.56 MNT 2,011

$0.48 Rp 8,636

16.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MNT 2,024

$0.42 Rp 7,511

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.64 MNT 16.6K

$6.22 Rp 111.3K

-25.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 MNT 3,860

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

33.33%

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

$30.5K MNT 109.2M

$26.6K Rp 476.1M

14.49%

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

$18.4K MNT 65.9M

$32.2K Rp 575.9M

-42.87%

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

$82.7 MNT 296.4K

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

5.56%

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

$7.41 MNT 26.5K

$4.07 Rp 72.8K

82.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.71 MNT 59.9K

$24.33 Rp 435.2K

-31.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.3 MNT 223.3K

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

-36.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.72 MNT 49.2K

$6.34 Rp 113.3K

116.40%

Cinema Ticket

$3.76 MNT 13.5K

$3.99 Rp 71.3K

-5.76%

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

$175 MNT 628.2K

$305 Rp 5.5M

-42.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,474 MNT 23.2M

$6,642 Rp 118.8M

-2.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.9 MNT 307.7K

$54.1 Rp 968.6K

58.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.8 MNT 250.3K

$37.81 Rp 676.3K

84.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MNT 375.0K

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

20.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 MNT 573.3K

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

109.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 MNT 1.8M

$992 Rp 17.7M

-48.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MNT 1.5M

$673 Rp 12.0M

-39.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,501 MNT 5.4M

$3,375 Rp 60.4M

-55.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$757 MNT 2.7M

$2,050 Rp 36.7M

-63.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,934 MNT 6.9M

$2,805 Rp 50.2M

-31.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$957 MNT 3.4M

$2,227 Rp 39.8M

-57.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$596 MNT 2.1M

$167 Rp 3.0M

257.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

-54.82%

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

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $511 in Ulaanbaatar and $992 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulaanbaatar pays 257% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29.00 in Ulaanbaatar vs $32.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $247 vs $297 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 25% 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 257% 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: $511 in Ulaanbaatar versus $992 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $175 in Ulaanbaatar versus $305 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,127 in Ulaanbaatar versus $1,408 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 $1,127 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 25% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.