Ulaanbaatar vs Chiang Mai Cost of Living
Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) · Overall index 27.1 — Chiang Mai (Thailand) · Overall index 26.0
Summary
- Overall, Chiang Mai is 4% cheaper than Ulaanbaatar.
- Rent in Chiang Mai is 17% cheaper than in Ulaanbaatar.
- Telecom in Chiang Mai is 7% cheaper than in Ulaanbaatar.
| Item | Ulaanbaatar | Chiang Mai | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -17% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $503 | $477 | -5% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $387 | $325 | -16% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,159 | $805 | -31% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $639 | $542 | -15% |
| Groceries | -3% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.44 | $0.53 | +20% |
| White bread (500g) | $1.33 | $1.44 | +8% |
| Rice (1kg) | $1.78 | $1.68 | -6% |
| Eggs (12) | $1.9 | $1.78 | -6% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $5.11 | $4.79 | -6% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $5.28 | $4.84 | -8% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $7.5 | $6.72 | -10% |
| Apples (1kg) | $2.34 | $2.14 | -9% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $0.83 | $0.79 | -5% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $1.79 | $1.82 | +2% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $1.89 | $2.21 | +17% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $1.09 | $1.07 | -2% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.16 | $0.94 | -19% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1 | $0.93 | -7% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $0.99 | $0.87 | -12% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $5.81 | $5.67 | -2% |
| Transport | +2% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $0.68 | $0.71 | +4% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $39.1 | $38.2 | -2% |
| Taxi, base fare | $1.25 | $1.11 | -11% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.6 | $0.56 | -7% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.25 | $0.29 | +16% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $7,462 | $8,510 | +14% |
| Dining out | +2% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $6.7 | $6.98 | +4% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $39.1 | $40 | +2% |
| Fast food combo meal | $3.82 | $3.87 | +1% |
| Cappuccino | $1.74 | $1.62 | -7% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.88 | $0.9 | +2% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $2.04 | $2.41 | +18% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.68 | $2.63 | -2% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.62 | $0.64 | +3% |
| Telecom | -7% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $28.6 | $24.9 | -13% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $31.2 | $26.6 | -15% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.14 | $0.15 | +7% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $6.31 | $6.1 | -3% |
| Utilities & household | -1% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $64.3 | $67.6 | +5% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.07 | $0.08 | +14% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $1.9 | $1.58 | -17% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.6 | $0.56 | -7% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $9.23 | $8.03 | -13% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $33.4 | $32.5 | -3% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $5.44 | $6.4 | +18% |
| Men's haircut | $11.5 | $10.6 | -8% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $8.89 | $9.66 | +9% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $814 | $810 | 0% |
3,313 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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