Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Mongolia

Name: Mongolia
Address: MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Mongolia: $1,161 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $18,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Mongolia
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Mongolia Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$1,161

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Mongolia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the United States and in Mongolia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,734 per month in the United States vs $1,161 in Mongolia, rent included.

United States $2,734
Mongolia $1,161

A couple spends around $3,985 per month in the United States vs $1,847 in Mongolia, rent included.

United States $3,985
Mongolia $1,847

A family of three spends $5,235 per month in the United States vs $2,532 in Mongolia, rent included.

United States $5,235
Mongolia $2,532

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Mongolia ($376–$1,192), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the United States is about 135% higher than in Mongolia on average.

The United States sits 101% above the global median, while Mongolia is 15% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$5.63 MNT 20.2K

255.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$29.11 MNT 104.6K

174.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$5.53 MNT 19.9K

113.38%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$2.42 MNT 8,712

129.34%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$0.86 MNT 3,097

209.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.57 MNT 2,057

280.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$2.30 MNT 8,249

166.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$3.37 MNT 12.1K

135.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.36 MNT 4,895

-23.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$1.00 MNT 3,583

259.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.07 MNT 7,423

118.36%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$2.06 MNT 7,417

107.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$9.74 MNT 35.0K

35.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$5.17 MNT 18.6K

143.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$6.51 MNT 23.4K

170.35%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.98 MNT 10.7K

77.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.21 MNT 7,938

-23.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$3.67 MNT 13.2K

20.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$2.96 MNT 10.6K

61.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$0.82 MNT 2,931

262.20%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$0.88 MNT 3,171

257.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.67 MNT 5,992

31.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.76 MNT 2,739

209.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$1.70 MNT 6,101

545.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$9.51 MNT 34.2K

58.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.41 MNT 5,085

46.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$1.76 MNT 6,313

115.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.27 MNT 968

618.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$16.52 MNT 59.4K

259.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$0.51 MNT 1,847

601.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$0.56 MNT 2,029

235.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$6.41 MNT 23.1K

365.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.16 MNT 4,172

-12.07%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$27.4K MNT 98.4M

5.00%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$31.7K MNT 113.8M

-17.24%

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

$218 $218

$72.1 MNT 259.1K

202.39%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$7.11 MNT 25.6K

778.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$12.32 MNT 44.3K

504.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$65.9 MNT 237.0K

-36.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$17.40 MNT 62.5K

31.09%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$4.08 MNT 14.7K

260.29%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$645 MNT 2.3M

130.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$8,038 MNT 28.9M

214.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$79.2 MNT 284.6K

-31.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$49.63 MNT 178.4K

-13.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$102 MNT 366.7K

-7.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$167 MNT 598.4K

-31.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$630 MNT 2.3M

163.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$459 MNT 1.7M

193.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$1,598 MNT 5.7M

67.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$947 MNT 3.4M

129.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$1,785 MNT 6.4M

83.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$982 MNT 3.5M

152.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$590 MNT 2.1M

628.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

9.6

-31.77%

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mongolia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Mongolia

$459 39.5% 65.9% $888

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Mongolia

$222 19.1% 46.6% $193

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Mongolia

$92 7.9% 74.2% $263

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Mongolia

$115 9.9% 65% $213

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Mongolia

$179 15.4% 30.4% $42

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Mongolia

$21 1.8% 73.9% $59

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Mongolia

$74 6.4% 4% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,620 in the United States vs $530 in Mongolia. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,768 in Washington, DC and $636 in Ulaanbaatar.

Average salary: $4,549 in the United States vs $449 in Mongolia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 206% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 150% more in the United States.

Public transport is 350% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 10 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇲🇳 Mongolia

🕒 Local time

13:12 1:12 PM

01:12 1:12 AM

12 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

3,409,939

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.49 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MNT, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇳 Mongolian Tögrög (₮)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,594 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,011 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.49 EUR).

MNT to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

United States Mongolia 10,620 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
Mongolia

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

United States vs Mongolia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mongolia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 58% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 versus $530 in Mongolia.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Mongolia – part of why living there is about 58% cheaper overall.

Mongolia is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.