Which place is cheaper, Dublin or Ulaanbaatar?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Ulaanbaatar or Dublin?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Ulaanbaatar or Dublin? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Ulaanbaatar or Dublin?
Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar is Mongolia's capital city. It has a population of slightly over two million people, or about sixty percent of the country's entire population. You are likely to arrive in Ulaanbaatar either by train, coming from China or Russia, or by plane. Many people use Ulaanbaatar as a stop off while doing the Transsiberian Railway. The city is a great place to organize a tour of the surrounding countryside. It's also good city to relax, so make sure you allow yourself a few days to recover from your tour, enjoy some of the great food options, and see some of the fascinating cultural sights around town.
Dublin
Dublin is the vibrant and fun capital city of Ireland and home to over a third of the country's population. There are almost 2 million people in the metropolitan area. It's also the most common entry point into the country for visitors. Once you arrive, its a good idea to head over to the main tourist office in St. Andrew's Church off Grafton Street. They can give you maps and information to make sure your trip is efficient and fun. Many people enjoy seeing what remains of the Georgian architecture throughout the city. Much of the city is also modernist in style with many blocks made up of offices.
For some great organized tour ideas, see Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Mongolia, The Best Adventure Tours to Mongolia, The Best Walking Tours in Ireland, and The Best Luxury Tours to Ireland.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayUlaanbaatar $25Dublin $154
The average daily cost (per person) in Ulaanbaatar is $25, while the average daily cost in Dublin is $154. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Ulaanbaatar and Dublin in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personUlaanbaatar $12Dublin $73
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomUlaanbaatar $24Dublin $146
Compare Hotels in Ulaanbaatar and Dublin
Looking for a hotel in Ulaanbaatar or Dublin? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Ulaanbaatar Hotel Prices and Dublin Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Ulaanbaatar $2.91Dublin $21
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ulaanbaatar
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Ulaanbaatar:
- 2024 Ulaanbaatar Airport Transfer & Taxi Shuttle Service - Best!: $18
- Airport - Ulaanbaatar transfer service: $40
- Airport transfer service: $50
- Mongolia Airport Transfer & Taxi Service -BEST!: $18
- New Ulaanbaatar International Airport Transfer Service: $45
- Private Departure Transfer: Ulaanbaatar Airport: $40
- Private Transfer Ulaanbaatar Airport ULN to Ulaanbaatar City : $28
- Private Transfer from Chinggis Khaan Airport to Ulaanbaatar: $37
- Private Transfer from Ulaanbaatar to or from Terelj National Park: $60
- Private Transfer to Ulaanbaatar Airport ULN by Business Vehicle: $28
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Dublin
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Dublin:
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Rental Car for a Day$16
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Dublin
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Dublin:
- Dublin Airport Or Dublin City To Martinstown House Private Chauffeur Transfer: $287
- 4 to 8 People Private Transfer from Dublin Airport to City Centre: $76
- Arrival Transfer Dublin Airport to Dublin City by Van or Minibus: $109
- Arrival Transfer: Dublin Airport DUB to Dublin in Business Car: $103
- Belfast | Coach transfer from / to Dublin: $13
- Chauffeur Luxury Driver Private Transfer: $142
- Child Friendly | Dublin Airport Transfer: $170
- Collon House & Garden To Dublin Airport Or City Private Chauffeur Transfer : $298
- Departure Transfer Dublin to Dublin Airport by Van or Minibus: $109
- Departure Transfer: Dublin to Dublin Airport DUB in Luxury Van: $111
- Dublin Airport & City Transfers : $182
- Dublin Airport Or Dublin City To Bellinter House Private Chauffeur Transfer: $293
Is it cheaper to fly into Ulaanbaatar or Dublin?
Prices for flights to both Dublin and Ulaanbaatar change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayUlaanbaatar $8.94Dublin $53
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ulaanbaatar
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Ulaanbaatar.
- Cooking Class in a Traditional Ger Home in Ulaanbaatar Suburbs: $100
Typical Food Prices in Dublin
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Dublin:
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Lunch Lynam's Pub$4.23
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Dublin
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Dublin.
- Discover the Flavors of Dublin on a Guided Street Food Tour: $30
- Dublin 3-Course Dinner and Live Shows at The Irish House Party: $31
- No Diet Club - Best Food Tour in Dublin !: $59
- Dublin Irish Night Show, Dance and Traditional 3-Course Dinner: $60
- NO DIET CLUB - Best Food Tour in Dublin !: $62
- Grand Canal Cruise with Dinner: $72
- Delicious Walking Food Tour: $81
- Delicious Dublin Food Tour: $82
- Dublin Delicious Donut Adventure & Walking Food Tour: $87
- Howth Coastal Craft Beer and Seafood Tour: $96
- Bread, Beer & Bia: Irish Cooking Class & Dinner in Dublin: $99
- Irish Craic & Cuisine: Cooking Class & Dinner in Central Dublin: $106
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Ulaanbaatar $4.42Dublin $27
Tours and Activities in Ulaanbaatar
Here are a few actual costs in Ulaanbaatar for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Private custom tour with a local guide: $47
- Ulaanbatar : Private Custom Tour With A Local Guide : $48
- Chinggis Khaan Statue Complex and Sain Nomun Monastery Tour : $50
- Genghis Khan Statue Tour: 3-Hour Ticket Included: $65
- Genghis Khan Statue Tour: 3-Hour Ticket Included: $65
- Traditional Music and Dance Performance Ticket: $69
- Genghis Khan Statue One Day Tour +Bonus Terelj National Park And Aryabal Temple: $79
- Ancient Fine Arts with Honored Masters - UB City Experience: $82
- 1 Day Coach Tour of Terelj National Park Including Lunch And Free Camel Ride: $83
- 1 Day Coach Tour of Genghis Khan Statue Complex and Terelj National Park Including Lunch: $83
- Day Tour of Hustai National Park: $83
- Full Day Private Tour in Terelj National Park with Horse Riding: $85
Typical Entertainment Prices in Dublin
Here are a few typical costs in Dublin for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Wild Wicklow Tour$28
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Guinness Brewery for Two$29
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St Pauls Cathedral$4.82
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Dublin Writer's Museum$6.75
Tours and Activities in Dublin
Here are a few actual costs in Dublin for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.23
- Self Guided Tours Dublin With 100 Captivating Audio Stories: $3.26
- Dublin Scavenger Hunt and Best Landmarks Self-Guided Tour: $4.37
- Retracing Viking Origins on a Self-Guided Audio Tour: $4.63
- Dublin city tour: audio guide in your smartphone: $5.38
- Dublin city tour: audio guide for smartphone in French: $5.38
- Self Guided City Audio Tour in Dublin: $5.46
- Temple Bar Self-Guided Must-See Highlights Tour: $6.35
- City Highlights Self-guided Walking Tour: $6.35
- City Exploration Game and Tour on your Phone: $6.45
- Self-Guided Highlights Scavenger Hunt & Walking Tour: $6.46
- Escape Game and Tour: $6.46
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayUlaanbaatar $3.83Dublin $18
Sample the Local Flavors in Dublin
Also in Dublin, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Authentic Brewery Tour: $11
- Generation Pub Crawl: $15
- Dublin Epic Pub Crawl: Experience Dublin's pubs and nightlife: $15
- "Dublin Delight Pub Expedition" Pub Crawl: $16
- The Dublin Liberties Distillery: Tour with Whiskey Tasting: $18
- The Dublin Liberties Distillery - Guided Tour and Whiskey Tasting: $19
- Teeling Whiskey Distillery Tour & Tasting: $22
- Exclusive Brewery Tour and Tasting at Kildare Brewing Co, Sallins: $22
- Skip the Line: Teeling Whiskey Distillery Tour and Tasting in Dublin Ticket: $22
- The Black Experience Pub Tour: $22
- City Pub Crawl Experience: $24
- Pearse Lyons Whiskey Distillery Experience: $24
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ulaanbaatar and Dublin, we can see that Dublin is more expensive. And not only is Ulaanbaatar much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Ulaanbaatar is in Asia and Dublin is in Europe, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Ulaanbaatar would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Ulaanbaatar and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Dublin would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Dublin than you might in Ulaanbaatar.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Ulaanbaatar Expensive? and Is Dublin Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Ulaanbaatar or Dublin?
Dublin has a larger population, and is about 21% larger than the population of Ulaanbaatar. When comparing the sizes of Ulaanbaatar and Dublin, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.