Which place is cheaper, Glasgow or Ulaanbaatar?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Ulaanbaatar or Glasgow?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Ulaanbaatar or Glasgow? 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 Glasgow?
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.
Glasgow
Glasgow is the biggest city in Scotland with a population of about 600,000 and more than 2 million in the surrounding areas. It is located on the edge of River Clyde and has long been acclaimed as Scotland's main industrial city. It remains a major economic center for the United Kingdom outside of London. In recent years it has also been awarded the European titles as both the City of Culture as well as the City of Architecture and Design.
For some great organized tour ideas, see Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Mongolia, The Best Adventure Tours to Mongolia, The Best 2-Week Tours from Edinburgh, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to United Kingdom.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayUlaanbaatar $25Glasgow $181
The average daily cost (per person) in Ulaanbaatar is $25, while the average daily cost in Glasgow is $181. 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 Glasgow in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personUlaanbaatar $12Glasgow $93
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomUlaanbaatar $24Glasgow $186
Compare Hotels in Ulaanbaatar and Glasgow
Looking for a hotel in Ulaanbaatar or Glasgow? 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 Glasgow Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Ulaanbaatar $2.91Glasgow $34
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ulaanbaatar
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Ulaanbaatar:
- Private Transfer from Ulaanbaatar to or from Terelj National Park: $60
- Airport transfer service: $50
- New Ulaanbaatar International Airport Transfer Service: $45
- Private Departure Transfer: Ulaanbaatar Airport: $40
- Airport - Ulaanbaatar transfer service: $40
- Private Transfer from Chinggis Khaan Airport to Ulaanbaatar: $37
- Private Transfer to Ulaanbaatar Airport ULN by Business Vehicle: $28
- Private Transfer Ulaanbaatar Airport ULN to Ulaanbaatar City : $28
- 2024 Ulaanbaatar Airport Transfer & Taxi Shuttle Service - Best!: $18
- Mongolia Airport Transfer & Taxi Service -BEST!: $18
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Glasgow
Also for Glasgow, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport and Glasgow Centre Private Transfer to Oban: $314
- Departure Private Transfer Glasgow City to Glasgow GLA Airport by Business Car: $93
- Departure Private Transfer Glasgow City to Glasgow GLA Airport by Luxury Car: $139
- Departure Private Transfers: Glasgow City to Glasgow Airport GLA in Business Car: $98
- Executive transfer Glasgow/Edinburgh: $276
- From Private Day Trip to Edinburgh with Transfers: $840
- From Private One-Way Transfer to Edinburgh: $214
- Glasgow Airport (GLA) to Glenshee Ski Resort - Arrival Transfer: $104
- Glasgow Airport Transfer: Glasgow Airport GLA to Glasgow City in Luxury Van: $145
- Glasgow Airport Transfer: Glasgow City to Glasgow Airport GLA in Luxury Van: $145
- Glasgow Airport to Lecht Ski Resort - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $154
- Glasgow Private Transfer from Glasgow Airport to City centre: $65
Is it cheaper to fly into Ulaanbaatar or Glasgow?
Prices for flights to both Glasgow 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 $8.94Glasgow $56
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 Glasgow
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Glasgow:
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Dessert at Farmer's Market$2.26
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Glasgow
For Glasgow, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Glasgow Walking Food Tour with EatWalk Tours: $146
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Ulaanbaatar $4.42Glasgow $28
Tours and Activities in Ulaanbaatar
Here are a few actual costs in Ulaanbaatar for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 1 Day Chinggis Khaan Statue & Terelj National Park Private tour: $180
- 1 Day Coach Tour of Genghis Khan Statue Complex and Terelj National Park Including Lunch: $83
- 1 Day Coach Tour of Terelj National Park Including Lunch And Free Camel Ride: $83
- 1 Day Semi-Gobi All-included tour : $141
- 1 Day Semi-Gobi Tour Including Lunch And Free Camel +Bonus Khustai National Park: $169
- 1 Day Semi-Gobi Tour Including Lunch And Free Camel or Horseback Ride: $145
- 1 Day Tour: Terelj National Park And Chinggis Statue: $193
- 1 Session with Shaman and know your future tour: $149
- 1 day tour Chinggis khan statue, Terelj national park: $95
- 12 day Great Gobi and Central Mongolia full adventure: $1,950
- 2 Day Horse ride and Terelj national park tour: $350
- 2 Day Local experience by train visit Tunkhel town: $340
Typical Entertainment Prices in Glasgow
For Glasgow, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Luss Highland Games Entrance Fee (for 2)$15
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Two Bike Rental$43
Tours and Activities in Glasgow
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Glasgow.
- First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.23
- Self-Guided Highlights Scavenger Hunt & Tour: $4.31
- City Exploration Game and Tour: $4.31
- City Exploration Game and Tour on your Phone: $6.45
- Glasgow Scavenger Hunt and Best Landmarks Self-Guided Tour: $6.55
- Uncover Historic In-App Audio Tour: $11
- Discover Glasgow's Imperial Legacy: In-App Audio Tour: $11
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11
- City Center Guided Walking Tour: $15
- Glasgow City Centre Daily Walking Tour: 10:30am, 2pm & 5pm: $15
- Private Historical Walking Tour: $16
- Street Art Guided Walking Tour: $18
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayUlaanbaatar $3.83Glasgow $19
Typical Alcohol Prices in Glasgow
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Glasgow:
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Bottle of Wine$15
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Ciders at Kilted Skirlie$4.39
Sample the Local Flavors in Glasgow
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Glasgow:
- Clydeside Distillery Tour and Whisky Tasting: $23
- Tennent’s Brewery Guided Tour and Free Pint: $24
- Secrets & Summer Serves at Glengoyne Distillery: $25
- Glengoyne Distillery Tour with Whisky & Chocolate: $44
- Glasgow Bar Maid-led Pub Crawl for Special Events: $44
- Stirling Castle, Loch Lomond Walk & Whisky Distillery Tour from Glasgow : $70
- Sample Fine & Rare Whiskies at Glengoyne Distillery: $75
- The Malt Master Experience at Glengoyne Distillery: $125
- Scottish Whisky Distillery Tour: $187
- Guided Electric Bike Tour with a Distillery Visit: $188
- Pints & Past: Glasgow Pub Tour: $459
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ulaanbaatar and Glasgow, we can see that Glasgow 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 Glasgow 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 Glasgow would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Glasgow 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 Glasgow Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Ulaanbaatar or Glasgow?
Ulaanbaatar has a larger population, and is about 38% larger than the population of Glasgow. When comparing the sizes of Ulaanbaatar and Glasgow, 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.