Seoul vs Ulaanbaatar Cost of Living
Seoul (South Korea) · Overall index 53.3 — Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) · Overall index 27.1
Summary
- Overall, Ulaanbaatar is 49% cheaper than Seoul.
- Rent in Ulaanbaatar is 57% cheaper than in Seoul.
- Transport in Ulaanbaatar is 55% cheaper than in Seoul.
| Item | Seoul | Ulaanbaatar | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -57% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,128 | $503 | -55% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $885 | $387 | -56% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,631 | $1,159 | -56% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,576 | $639 | -59% |
| Groceries | -47% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.97 | $0.44 | -55% |
| White bread (500g) | $3.03 | $1.33 | -56% |
| Rice (1kg) | $3.33 | $1.78 | -47% |
| Eggs (12) | $3.32 | $1.9 | -43% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $9.47 | $5.11 | -46% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $8.39 | $5.28 | -37% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $14.8 | $7.5 | -49% |
| Apples (1kg) | $4.15 | $2.34 | -44% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.53 | $0.83 | -46% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $3.36 | $1.79 | -47% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $3.73 | $1.89 | -49% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.22 | $1.09 | -51% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.86 | $1.16 | -38% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.71 | $1 | -42% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.67 | $0.99 | -41% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $11.7 | $5.81 | -50% |
| Transport | -55% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1.68 | $0.68 | -60% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $68.9 | $39.1 | -43% |
| Taxi, base fare | $2.76 | $1.25 | -55% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.34 | $0.6 | -55% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.53 | $0.25 | -53% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $18,844 | $7,462 | -60% |
| Dining out | -53% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $14.8 | $6.7 | -55% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $84.8 | $39.1 | -54% |
| Fast food combo meal | $7.96 | $3.82 | -52% |
| Cappuccino | $3.11 | $1.74 | -44% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.89 | $0.88 | -53% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $4.53 | $2.04 | -55% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $5.53 | $2.68 | -52% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.43 | $0.62 | -57% |
| Telecom | -38% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $45.1 | $28.6 | -37% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $47.3 | $31.2 | -34% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.22 | $0.14 | -36% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $11.3 | $6.31 | -44% |
| Utilities & household | -46% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $130 | $64.3 | -51% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.16 | $0.07 | -56% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $3.13 | $1.9 | -39% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.03 | $0.6 | -42% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $15.9 | $9.23 | -42% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $60.9 | $33.4 | -45% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $9.46 | $5.44 | -42% |
| Men's haircut | $22.9 | $11.5 | -50% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $16.6 | $8.89 | -46% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,561 | $814 | -48% |
2,994 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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