Mongolia Travel Costs: How Much We Spent & What To Budget For Your Mongolia Trip!

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Craving a little wilderness? Some pristine nature? A trip through the least densely populated country on earth? It’s not going to come cheap (or easy). But I can promise you that it will be worth all the cash required to make it a reality. This blog post will help you answer the question…what does it cost to travel in Mongolia?

Typically, we are budget travelers. We spent years traveling the world on $50 per day for the two of us. But every now and then we visit a destination where traveling on a shoestring is going to restrict our experiences in a way that doesn’t seem worth it. Mongolia was one of those destinations for us. We spent WAY more than we would typically. So don’t take this cost breakdown as my idea of “budget travel”. But I do think it is a realistic look at costs in the country and how much a traveler should expect to spend.

Fortunately for you, I took diligent notes on how much we spent in the country and found novel ways travelers could save even more than we did!

These are our complete Mongolia Travel Costs.

But first,

Local Currency: Mongolian Tugrik

Currently, the conversion rate is 1 USD to 3,376 tugriks.

Tugrik is the local currency of Mongolia. It’s also a closed currency for all practical purposes.

This means you should never leave the country with Tugrik you don’t plan to keep forever because you won’t be able to buy or sell Tugrik outside of Mongolia.

Cash or Card?

You can use credit cards in Mongolia on occasion! Mostly in Ulaanbaatar. But you should leave the city with LOTS of cash expecting to never have access to an ATM until you reach UB or Murun again. On occasion, you will be able to pay for gas, a hotel, or a restaurant meal with a credit card. Be sure to have a Visa and Mastercard as most places only take one or the other.

Should I Bring USD to Mongolia?

If you plan to rent a car in Mongolia from Drive Mongolia it is very beneficial to bring the payment in USD. But for any other purpose? Not super helpful. I always bring $100-$200 USD as emergency cash with me when I travel. Just in case you get yourself in a pickle and no ATMs are working.

This was a problem at times in Mongolia. Internet grids go down often. You should always try to stay ahead of the game when it comes to pulling out cash.

Is Mongolia an “Expensive” Travel Destination?

Well, here’s the bad news.

You are not going to be able to travel for “SEAsia Cheap” or “South America Cheap” in Mongolia.

I hate calling areas of the world cheap because that’s assuming you are traveling on a shoestring and coming from the US, EU, or another comparable currency country. But for all intents and purposes, you know what I mean.

Mongolia is more expensive than *almost* every other country I’ve ever visited. There is no way to do many things cheaply. You either do the things you want to do or you skip them.

But budget travelers don’t quit on Mongolia yet. There are still incredible things to do in the country with a lower budget, and I’ll list all of those for you at the end of the blog post.

Why is Mongolia expensive? Well, the country is huge, and transportation is limited. Also, budget hotels and guesthouses are priced higher than in other Asian countries. Mongolia has a few unavoidable overhead costs.

Flights to Mongolia

Mongolia is not easy to reach. Round-trip flights from anywhere are $$$. The cheapest countries to travel from (or through) are South Korea, Malaysia, and China.

We nabbed some $230 one-way flights from Malaysia with a stopover in Beijing in 2024. Then a $120 flight to Seoul from Ulaanbaatar after our trip.

Especially considering the time window for visiting Mongolia with good weather is so small, the only way to avoid the pricey flight is to take a pricey train. The Trans-Mongolian Railway connects China and Mongolia. You could take the multi-day train journey from Beijing for only a few hundred dollars or so (usually), but you’ll also need to acquire a Chinese visa, which is quite a difficult process as an American (and costs $185 per person). Not exactly a game changer when it comes to your Mongolian travel costs.

Visa Costs

Mongolia is a visa-free country for US and EU visitors who plan to stay fewer than 30-90 days. Check the visa regulations for your country here.

Is It Possible to Travel on a Budget in Mongolia?

With the right preparation and planning, you can definitely backpack Mongolia and spend as little as $50 per day.

If you don’t want to leave UB then your Mongolia travel costs could fall as low as $25 per person per day.

Don’t expect the same trip as those with a larger budget however.

Because the biggest question in terms of budget is…

What Kind of Mongolia Trip Are You Here For?

Are you a Chenggis Khan lover hoping to wander through some museums? Interested in life in UB, the “bustling” capital city? Craving a far-flung adventure to the reindeer-herding nomads in Siberia? Maybe you want to spend some time seriously off-the-grid hiking in the Altai Mountains? These trips (while all wonderful) come with hugely different price tags.

I’m going to go over the estimated costs of three different styles of Mongolia adventure.

Estimated Mongolian Travel Costs

Ulanbaatar Backpacker (Super Budget-Friendly)

Want to stay in the cheapest hostel in Ulaanbaatar? It will cost you $11 for a bed. Private rooms for two are $20 at Khongor Guesthouse (w/ breakfast). You could easily explore UB on foot from here eating at cheaper restaurants, hopping from museum to museum, and embarking on one big expedition to the Gobi Desert with the help of your hostel or a local driver found on this Mongolia Facebook Group. The all-inclusive tour to the Gobi (if you share with others, will probably cost you around $100 pp per day) and your other expenses in the country could easily be kept down to $30 per person a day.

Adding in other parts of the country at this price point gets far more logistically complicated. You’ll need to rely solely on public minibuses to tackle 14+-hour journeys. Dedicated budget travelers can do it, though. You can expect to pay anywhere from $20-45 per person, depending on the length of the journey. You’ll need to allot lots more time to wait around for buses to fill and have a flexible schedule.

Overland Explorer

This is the closest to what WE did in the country.

If you want to move about totally independnely and free to explore any corner of the country you so choose…this is for you. Unfortunately, the MASSIVE cost prohibitor here is the price tag of a car rental in Mongolia.

You essentially have two options:

1. Drive yourself for about $200 per day total for a fully loaded 4×4 vehicle. (Adventurous travelers only)
2. You hire a car AND driver to act as a guide for about $125-$150 per day (may vary based on the number of travelers in your party).

Should you drive yourself around Mongolia? I’ve got a blog post designed to help you decide if this kind of adventure is right for you.

With this option, you could eat for cheap or cook your own meals, wild camp for free, and pay for gas and entrance fees as you traverse the country. Obviously, the number of people in your group will determine how much this will cost per person.

But duos can expect to spend around $125-$145 per person per day if you commit to wild camping rather than sleeping in ger camps. Groups of 4 will cut that in half.

Group Tour

This is the most popular, most expensive, and easiest way to travel in Mongolia. There are guided group tours to every single region in the country. Usually costing about $4,000+ per person for a 2-3 week trip. You will find cheaper tours offered at the hostels in UB and the operators can usually hook you up with a guide who fits your budget. If you choose to do a guided tour in the country I recommend using the FB Page or a hostel in town to find the best price.

Breakdown of Traveler Expenses in Mongolia

Now let’s discuss the specifics so you know where you can trim your budget and why travel in Mongolia is so pricey.

Is Food Expensive in Mongolia?

A local meal at a roadside restaurant typically costs about $3-5. The portions are huge, so Evan and I typically share meals.

In major cities like UB, Murun, and Kharkhorin there are slightly nicer international restaurants (usually Korean or American-style) where lunch for two could set you back around $15-$20.

The other option is groceries. Unfortunately, this limits your diet to dried ramen and other easily cooked items. If you stock up on groceries in UB you’ll find that you can get by on about $10/day for three meals. Groceries (especially fresh ones) are not priced super affordably in Mongolia.

What did I think of the cuisine in Mongolia? 3/10. Did not love it. Read my blog post filled with things you should know about Mongolia before you go to learn more.

What do Hotels and Ger Camps Cost (on average) in Mongolia?

As I mentioned above, a budget hotel or guesthouse in major cities costs about $10- $15 per bed. For couples, a double room starts at $20.

Ger camps, where you share accommodation with others like in a hostel, vary greatly in both amenities and costs. This can be difficult to discern from outside the camp. Typically the smaller the facilities or fewer the tents, the cheaper it is. We paid anywhere from $7 per bed to $25 per bed.

Transportation Costs in Mongolia

I went over this above, so I’ll just glaze over it again here.

Getting around Mongolia is by far the most costly and inconvenient part of travel in the country but it’s also part of the fun. Driving for hours across the vast empty landscapes in this super wide-open environment is a unique experience in itself.

By Self-Drive Car Rental

Around $200 per day at the best price. Check out Drive Mongolia for the best cars and gear for your buck.

Don’t forget the factor in the cost of gas. It costs $1.13 per liter or $4.28 per gallon as of right now. Many cars take diesel and that costs around $3.93 per gallon and $1.04 per liter.

By Local Bus

The cheapest way to get around but also the most unreliable. Bus stops and stations are not labeled clearly and you’ll likely need the guidance of a local to get you to the right place. Easy enough to do. The ride is also extraordinarily unpleasant as you’ll be crammed into a Russian van with 10 others and all their gear. But great for getting around cheap if you don’t have too much of a time schedule and don’t feel the need to get far away from the small towns in Mongolia.

By Hired Driver or Guide

A great option for those who don’t feel the need to drive themselves but still want to venture further than the small towns connected by bus. Another perk? It’s affordable.

In Mongolia, it is cheaper to hire a car and driver than to hire just a 4×4 car.

I know that’s a weird concept. But it’s true. There are a couple of reasons for this. It’s pretty risky for a car rental company to hand over the keys of an expensive 4×4 and expect that you won’t total it in a river or head-on sheep collision. It’s also likely that they might have to come to rescue a lost or stuck driver far away in the Tiaga. If you’re with a local driver, then you’re much more likely to NOT have that happen to you. Less risk for the company means a cheaper price for you.

Another reason it’s cheaper is because you can hire individuals outside of car rental companies who have their own vehicles. They are always the cheapest option.

On average, you can get a car + driver for about $120 per day.

Why Are Tours in Mongolia so Expensive?

All the things I’ve previously mentioned (extraordinarily long distances on undeveloped roads between destinations, limited food + accommodation, etc) make Mongolia expensive to travel in any capacity. While group tours can be economical in many countries, Mongolian tours are still priced quite high. Usually in the range of $3,000-$6,000 per person for a 2-3 week trip.

Travel in Mongolia can be rough at times. You’ll usually have trouble finding hot water for showers and travel times are seriously long. Most group tours in Mongolia cater to the ‘average traveler’. Someone who wants basic comforts and doesn’t feel like wild camping without a shower for most of their stay in the country. This means they opt for more expensive accommodations, hot diverse meals (well as diverse as Mongolian cuisine gets), and pack in a few big ticket items like horseback riding. These things drive up prices.

That’s why I suggest booking a tour on arrival rather than on the internet. You can tailor your trip more to your needs when you meet guides and other travelers on the ground.

How Long Should I Plan to Travel in Mongolia?

I recommend 3-4 weeks. But again, it depends on what you want to see in the country and how you plan to tour it. Here are my itineraries for travel in Mongolia.

How Much *Exactly* Did We Spend Traveling in Mongolia?

Keep in Mind: We traveled as a group of 4 in Mongolia, so this affected our per-person travel costs. We also road-tripped independently. It’s not the cheapest way to travel in Mongolia, but it’s totally worth it.

In summary, we spent $1,868.75 per person. If you were a group of two doing the same trip, you could expect to spend about $3,050 per person because expenses like the car rental would only be split between you.

Can You Travel for Even Cheaper in Mongolia?

Absolutely! Honestly, you’re probably looking at my budget and laughing a bit.

While we are “budget travelers” we definitely used Mongolia as an opportunity to splurge on a bucketlist moment we always wanted. Because of that, we spent loads on a 4×4 car rental so we could drive independently.

If you just want to travel to Mongolia for cheap I’ve laid out what I think could be a conceivable bare-bones budget below.

Average Nightly Cost for Two in a Budget Hotel/Ger: $30 per night

Transport Between Major Cities Using a Bus: $25-40

Average Cost of a Meal in a Local Restaurant: $5 per person

Everything else is extra! To save even more money you can always wild camp!

5 Tips to Make Travel Cheaper in Mongolia

Aside from the obvious, sleeping in guesthouses, eating at local restaurants, or shopping at the grocery store…these are five ways to save some money in the country.

1. BYOT

Bring Your Own Tent. As I’ve mentioned a few times in this blog post, tent camping is pretty much 100% free in Mongolia. Unlike the United States where you often have to pay $40 per night for the privilege of sleeping on the ground in nature, it’s free here. Either travel with your own camping gear or rent/purchase some in UB upon arrival to make travel even cheaper in the country.

Note: This tactic works best if you have your own form of transport; otherwise, you’ll be tent camping near towns rather than in nature, which is a lot less fun.

2. Join Forces With Fellow Travelers on FB

There are a few very helpful FB groups for travelers visiting Mongolia. It’s important to join them not only for information but to help link up with other travelers. You can go in on a guide together and pool your resources. Especially if you’re solo!

Request to Join the Group Here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/595039907329886

3. Fly from China or South Korea

I’ve done the research. These are the two cheapest countries to reach Mongolia from, not nearby Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan. SK and China. I know I didn’t talk about flight prices in my budget breakdown, but honestly, they are one of the reasons so many people overlook Mongolia for easier-to-reach destinations.

4. Or Go Overland.

From Beijing, China to Mongolia you can ride the Trans-Mongolian Railway. It’s still not super cheap by budget travel standards…but it is far cheaper than flying. The only catch is that you need to have a Chinese Visa. You can’t travel on this railway with the easier-to-get transit visa to China. As a Chinese Visa costs about $150 for Americans, it usually only makes sense to go this route if you want to visit China as well or you already have acquired the 10-year visa.

5. Stick to the Gobi Region

This is the easiest region to access in Mongolia. All the tours and guides come here. This means there is an abundance of amenities and lots of transport options. Sticking to one region will save you money as much of Mongolia’s expense is due to transportation costs.

6 Things You Can Do on a Low Budget in Mongolia

Many of the best attractions in Mongolia can still be seen even if you’re on a tight budget.

1. Hiking near Khövsgöl Lake.
2. Visiting Terelj National Park.
3. Taking a day trip to Hustai National Park.
4. Getting to know the more rural city of Murun.
5. Explore the Ancient Capital City of Kharkorin.
6. Ride into the countryside to see Amarbayasgalant Monastery.

I wrote a giant list of all my favorite attractions in Mongolia. Not ALL of these ones are budget-friendly, but I found them all to be worthwhile.

Well, folks, that’s what it costs to travel in Mongolia in 2024. As I write this, the 2025 Mongolia Travel Season is upon us. I would love for people who travel to the country to comment their own prices for future travelers to reference here! This is the best way to keep things up to date. I’ll try my best to update this blog post yearly with adjustments.

Save My Mongolia Travel Costs Post For Later!