Which place is cheaper, Vienna or Ulaanbaatar?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Ulaanbaatar or Vienna?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Ulaanbaatar or Vienna? 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 Vienna?
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.
Vienna
Vienna is the largest city and capital of Austria. It has a population of over 1.7 million and is a cultural, political and economic center for the country. The historical center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and some complain that it feels more like a museum than a real city. Outside of the historical center though, is a young and vibrant city with a huge music scene, many street performers, and eclectic and fun restaurants and nightclubs.
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 in Austria, and The Best Tours for Seniors to Austria.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayUlaanbaatar $25Vienna $162
The average daily cost (per person) in Ulaanbaatar is $25, while the average daily cost in Vienna is $162. 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 Vienna in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personUlaanbaatar $12Vienna $100
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomUlaanbaatar $24Vienna $200
Compare Hotels in Ulaanbaatar and Vienna
Looking for a hotel in Ulaanbaatar or Vienna? 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 Vienna Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Ulaanbaatar $2.91Vienna $20
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 Vienna
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Vienna:
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Bus to Airport$32
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Vienna
Also for Vienna, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- 2-in-1 Jewish Museums in Vienna Private Tour with Transfers: $363
- Airport Transfer: Vienna Airport VIE to Vienna by Business Car: $79
- Airport Transfer: Vienna Airport VIE to Vienna by Luxury Car: $105
- Airport Transfer: Vienna Airport VIE to Vienna by Luxury Van: $106
- Airport Transfer: Vienna to Vienna Airport VIE by Business Car: $79
- Airport Transfer: Vienna to Vienna Airport VIE by Luxury Van: $106
- Arrival Private Transfer from Vienna Airport VIE to Vienna City by Luxury Car: $96
- Arrival Private Transfer from Vienna Airport VIE to Vienna City by Luxury Van: $66
- Arrival Private Transfer from Vienna Airport VIE to Vienna City by Minibus: $220
- Arrival Private Transfer: Vienna Airport VIE to Vienna City by Business Car: $55
- Belvedere Palace: Tour with Skip-the-Line/Transfer Options: $55
- Bratislava: Bus Transfer to/from Vienna: $9.58
Is it cheaper to fly into Ulaanbaatar or Vienna?
Prices for flights to both Vienna 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 $8.94Vienna $36
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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Vienna
For Vienna, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Hard Rock Cafe with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $28
- Hard Rock Cafe Vienna with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $29
- 1 Hour Tradtional Kaiserschmarrn Cooking Class & Tasting in Wien: $41
- Performance Of The Lipizzans At Spanish Riding School: $44
- Naschmarkt Food Tour: $64
- Traditional Vienna Tasting Dinner With Folk Music: $69
- Vienna Evening Sightseeing Cruise With Music and Dinner: $74
- Naschmarkt Guided Food Tour: $74
- 3-Course Evening Dinner Cruise: $76
- Traditional Dinner Show at the Wiener Rathauskeller: $85
- Kursalon New Year's Day Concert with optional Dinner: $87
- Schnitzel cooking class with Nicole: $98
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Ulaanbaatar $4.42Vienna $41
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
Tours and Activities in Vienna
For Vienna, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Escape Game and Tour: $3.23
- First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.23
- Highlights Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt and Tour: $4.84
- City Tour with Audio Guide: $5.38
- Self-guided Walking Tour of the Vienna City: $5.46
- City Exploration Game and Tour on your Phone: $6.45
- Cultural Heart of the City Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.99
- Vienna Cultural Heritage: Self-Guided Walking Tour with Audio: $7.27
- Top of Vienna in One Day: An English Self-Guided Audio Tour: $7.95
- Vienna Emperor Route: Walking Tour with Audio Guide on App: $8.07
- Vienna Historic Center: Walking Tour with Audio Guide on App: $8.07
- MAK - Geymüllerschlössel Entry Ticket: $8.07
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayUlaanbaatar $3.83Vienna $18
Sample the Local Flavors in Vienna
Also in Vienna, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Pub Crawl Vienna: $16
- Vienna Nights Pub Crawl: $16
- City Center Pub Crawl: $27
- Wine Tasting at Traditional Cellar: $34
- Guided Wine Tasting in a Private Wine Cellar: $39
- Viennese Wine Tasting in a Private Hidden Wine Cellar: $39
- Wine Tasting at Schönbrunn Palace: $48
- Austrian Wine Tasting Experience: $64
- Vienna Historical Highlight City Tour + Wine Tasting: $74
- Skip-the-Line Schönbrunn Palace Entry & Wine Tasting: $83
- Wine Tasting E-Bike Tour: $91
- Romantic Old Vienna City Walk and Wine Tasting: $96
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ulaanbaatar and Vienna, we can see that Vienna 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 Vienna 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 Vienna would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Vienna 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 Vienna Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Ulaanbaatar or Vienna?
Vienna has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Ulaanbaatar. When comparing the sizes of Ulaanbaatar and Vienna, 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.