Which place is cheaper, Rome or Ulaanbaatar?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Ulaanbaatar or Rome?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Ulaanbaatar or Rome? 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 Rome?
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.
Rome
Rome is the capital and largest city in Italy. It is also a common entry point for most visitors flying into the country. Rome has been a center of power, culture, and religion for the last millenium, making it one of the most famous and popular destinations in not only Europe, but the world. The influence of the Roman Empire can be seen across continents.
For some great organized tour ideas, see Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Mongolia, The Best Adventure Tours to Mongolia, The Best Luxury Tours to Italy, and The Best Budget Tours to Italy.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayUlaanbaatar $25Rome $182
The average daily cost (per person) in Ulaanbaatar is $25, while the average daily cost in Rome is $182. 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 Rome in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personUlaanbaatar $12Rome $95
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomUlaanbaatar $24Rome $190
Compare Hotels in Ulaanbaatar and Rome
Looking for a hotel in Ulaanbaatar or Rome? 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 Rome Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Ulaanbaatar $2.91Rome $23
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 Rome
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Rome:
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Metro Ride (for Two)$2.14
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Train to the Airport$16
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Taxi to Airport$48
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Bicycle Rental (Full Day)$11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Rome
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Rome:
- Transfer from Civitavecchia port to Fco Rome airport or Rome : $251
- Transfer from and to Airport - from and to Port - from and to hotel: $165
- All Italy: Private Premium Transfers in Rome: $77
- Arrival Private Transfer: Ciampino Airport CIA to Rome City in Business Car: $95
- Arrival Private Transfer: Ciampino Airport CIA to Rome City in Luxury Van: $102
- Arrival Private Transfer: Fiumicino Airport FCO to Rome in Business Car: $115
- Arrival in Airport Transfer & Exclusive City Introduction: $245
- Arrival in Seamless Private Hotel Transfer: $81
- Catacombs Rome Tour with Private Transfer and Tickets: $175
- Catacombs guided tour and Capuchin Crypt with Transfer: $85
- Catacombs in Rome Tour with Private Transfer : $218
- Catacombs in Rome with private transfer: $104
Is it cheaper to fly into Ulaanbaatar or Rome?
Prices for flights to both Rome 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 $8.94Rome $51
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 Rome
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Rome:
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$15
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4 Ice Cream Sandwiches$3.20
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Cafe e doce$4.29
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Pizza (Fast Food)$2.84
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Sitdown Lunch (for Two)$34
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Cheese and bread$11
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Espresso$2.14
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Dinner$62
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Rome
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Rome.
- Award-Winning Roman Food Tours: $16
- Eat Pasta in Rome, Testaccio - Self-Guided Walking Food Tour: $17
- Vatican and Trionfale Farmers Market Food tour and Wine tasting : $32
- Vatican Street Food Tour around the Biggest Fresh Market in Rome: $32
- Roman Master Chef Cooking Class with Wine: $37
- Roman Dinner & History Tour: An Epic Journey Through Time: $37
- Tasty Trionfale Farmers Market Food Tour and Local Wines Tasting: $38
- Campo dei Fiori & Jewish Ghetto area Street Food Tour: $42
- Rome Food Tour : Street Food Testings with Local Guide: $43
- Painting and Pizza Party in Rome: $43
- Pub Crawl and Ultimate Party with Open Bar and Pizza: $43
- Tiber River Urban Rafting Tour with Roman Pizza: $43
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Ulaanbaatar $4.42Rome $39
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 Rome
Here are a few typical costs in Rome for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Rome Museum Vaticano (for 2)$74
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Coliseum Tickets (for Two)$35
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Roma Pass$32
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Hop on Hop Off Bus (All Day)$21
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Segway Tour$80
Tours and Activities in Rome
Here are a few actual costs in Rome for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Cambridge: Discovery Walk & Reading Walking Tour: $3.23
- Bergamo Old Town: Discovery Walk & Reading Walking Tour: $3.23
- Roman Forum and Palatine Hill Self-Guided Audio Tour: $3.26
- Shared 4 Hours Guided tour of the House of the Emperor Hadrian: $5.11
- Private Audio Guided Walking Tour in Rome: $5.34
- Bergamo Old Town: City Exploration Game and Tour: $5.38
- Rome Walking Tour Including the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain: $5.45
- Jewish Ghetto and Trastevere Tour Rome: $5.45
- Vatican Night Tour - Rome: $5.45
- Twilight Treasures: An Evening Tour Through Rome's Rich History: $5.45
- Civitavecchia's Stories and Secrets: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.50
- An insider's look at A Self-Guided Audio Tour : $5.61
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayUlaanbaatar $3.83Rome $19
Typical Alcohol Prices in Rome
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Rome:
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Bottle of Wine$6.96
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Pint of Beer$6.79
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Beer$11
Sample the Local Flavors in Rome
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Rome:
- Cabaret & Burlesque Show: $32
- Vatican Street Food and Wine Tour with Farmers Market: $38
- The Best Wine Tasting in Trastevere with food pairing and Gelato: $49
- Bar Crawl with Local Guide & Drinks: $53
- Roman Night Life and Burlesque Show Tour: $54
- Wine Tour in Historic Center of Rome: $55
- Agricultural Brewery Tour in the Roman Countryside: $55
- Small-Group Exclusive Winery and Wine Tasting Tour in Frascati: $60
- Pasta Making Class & Wine Tasting in a Trasteve Villa: $68
- E-Bike Night Tour with Food and Wine Tasting: $69
- Rome by Night-Ebike tour with Food and Wine Tasting: $70
- Taste of Tuscany: Food & Wine tour with Florentine Steak: $74
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ulaanbaatar and Rome, we can see that Rome 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 Rome 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 Rome would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Rome 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 Rome Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Ulaanbaatar or Rome?
Rome has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Ulaanbaatar. When comparing the sizes of Ulaanbaatar and Rome, 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.