Which place is cheaper, Toronto or Ulaanbaatar?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Ulaanbaatar or Toronto?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Ulaanbaatar or Toronto? 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 Toronto?
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.
Toronto
The capital of Ontario and the most populated city in Canada, Toronto is a very popular travel destination for any number of reasons. It's positioned along the coast of Lake Ontario and has a population of more than 2.6 million with 6.2 million in the Greater Toronto Area. It's a very international and diverse city, with a very rich cultural history. More than half of the city's population was not born in Canada, and there are more than eighty different ethnic neighborhoods sprinkled throughout the city. The city is a center for music, theater, film, and television. It has countless museums, festivals, and sights that attract more than 25 million tourists every year.
For some great organized tour ideas, see Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Mongolia, The Best Adventure Tours to Mongolia, The Best Northern Lights Tours in Canada, and The Best Luxury Tours to Canada.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayUlaanbaatar $25Toronto $205
The average daily cost (per person) in Ulaanbaatar is $25, while the average daily cost in Toronto is $205. 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 Toronto in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personUlaanbaatar $12Toronto $86
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomUlaanbaatar $24Toronto $172
Compare Hotels in Ulaanbaatar and Toronto
Looking for a hotel in Ulaanbaatar or Toronto? 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 Toronto Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Ulaanbaatar $2.91Toronto $32
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ulaanbaatar
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Ulaanbaatar:
- Private Transfer to Ulaanbaatar Airport ULN by Business Vehicle: $28
- Private Transfer from Ulaanbaatar to or from Terelj National Park: $60
- Private Transfer from Chinggis Khaan Airport to Ulaanbaatar: $37
- Private Transfer Ulaanbaatar Airport ULN to Ulaanbaatar City : $28
- Private Departure Transfer: Ulaanbaatar Airport: $40
- New Ulaanbaatar International Airport Transfer Service: $45
- Mongolia Airport Transfer & Taxi Service -BEST!: $18
- Airport transfer service: $50
- Airport - Ulaanbaatar transfer service: $40
- 2024 Ulaanbaatar Airport Transfer & Taxi Shuttle Service - Best!: $18
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Toronto
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Toronto are as follows:
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Airport Shuttle$27
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Train: 2 Day Passes$16
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Toronto
Also for Toronto, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Arrival Private Transfer: Pearson Airport YYZ to Toronto in Luxury Car: $152
- Arrival Private Transfer: Pearson Airport YYZ to Toronto in Luxury Van: $157
- Arrival Private Transfer: Toronto Airport YYZ to Niagara Falls in Business Car: $293
- Arrival Private Transfer: Toronto Airport YYZ to Niagara Falls in Luxury SUV: $196
- Arrival Private Transfer: Toronto YYZ Airport to Toronto City by Business Car: $71
- Arrival Private Transfer: Toronto YYZ Airport to Toronto City by SUV or Minibus: $76
- Arrival Transfer: Pearson Airport YYZ to Toronto in Luxury SUV: $174
- Arrival Transfer: Pearson Airport YYZ to Toronto in Sedan Car: $152
- Convenient bus transfer between Hamilton Airport and Toronto: $3.65
- Departure Private Transfer Toronto City to Toronto Airport YYZ by Business Car: $59
- Departure Private Transfer Toronto City to Toronto Airport YYZ by SUV or Minibus: $66
- Departure Private Transfer: Toronto to Pearson Airport YYZ in Luxury Car: $152
Is it cheaper to fly into Ulaanbaatar or Toronto?
Prices for flights to both Toronto 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 $8.94Toronto $66
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 Toronto
For Toronto, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Lunch at St. Lawrence Market for Two$23
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Dinner at Mill Street Brewery (for 2)$56
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Toronto
For Toronto, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- E-Scooter Food Tour Toronto: $45
- Toronto Food Tour: Taste the World in Kensington Market: $66
- Must Do Toronto Food Tour: $66
- 3–Hour Secret Food Tour: $73
- Toronto Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $74
- Scenic Harbor Cruise with Lunch, Brunch, or Dinner: $76
- Kensington Market -Toronto's Neighborhood International Food Tour: $80
- Toronto's Fusion Food Tour: $80
- Toronto's Fusion Food Tour: $80
- Father's Day Premier Cruise with Brunch or Dinner: $90
- Mother's Day Premier Cruise with Brunch or Dinner: $93
- Toronto Premier Dinner Cruise on Odyssey in Toronto Harbour: $109
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Ulaanbaatar $4.42Toronto $31
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 Toronto
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Toronto's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Art Gallery of Ontario for Two$15
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CN Tower at night for Two$36
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Harbour Dinner Cruise$26
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Bata Shoe Museum (2)$7.32
Tours and Activities in Toronto
For Toronto, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Explore Niagara Falls with bus ticket from/to Toronto: $3.65
- Downtown City Landmarks Self-Guided Audio Tour: $4.31
- Toronto Beneath The Surface Walking Tour: $4.47
- Downtown Toronto Walking Tour: $4.47
- Graffiti in Toronto Walking Tour: $4.47
- City Highlights Walking Tour: $5.12
- Queen Street West: An audio tour exploring Toronto's coolest street: $5.20
- Kensington Market: Downtown Toronto Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
- Kensington Market, Chinatown and the Art Gallery of Ontario: A Self-Guided Tour: $5.99
- Between Huntsville and Smartphone Audio Tour: $6.21
- Toronto's Waterfront: Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $6.21
- Toronto's Waterfront: a Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $6.32
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayUlaanbaatar $3.83Toronto $22
Sample the Local Flavors in Toronto
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Toronto:
- Distillery District Outdoor Escape Game: $8.07
- Finest Whisky Exploration Game in Toronto Distillery District: $8.20
- Distillery District Historic Walking Tour: $17
- Spirits of the Distillery District Ghost Tour: $21
- Corktown and Distillery District Tour: $27
- Short Distillery District Segway Tour: $36
- 30-Minute Distillery District Segway Tour in Toronto: $36
- Distillery District Breakfast Tour: $36
- Toronto : Distillery & Old Town Walking Tour With A Guide: $38
- Toronto Distillery District self-guided walking tour & hunt: $38
- Pub Crawl Toronto: $38
- Pub Crawl Toronto: $39
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ulaanbaatar and Toronto, we can see that Toronto 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 Toronto is in North America, 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 Toronto would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Toronto 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 Toronto Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Ulaanbaatar or Toronto?
Toronto has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Ulaanbaatar. When comparing the sizes of Ulaanbaatar and Toronto, 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.