What budget for activities and outings Mongolia?
If you want to do sports without spending a cent in Mongolia, the best plan is to go hiking. The country is full of national parks and nature reserves, some of which are located just outside Ulaanbaatar. No need to go far!
Many outdoor activities can be organized at low cost: horseback riding, canoeing on the lakes and rivers of the country, fishing, climbing in the mountains... It would be a pity not to take advantage of the great landscapes of Mongolia and the natural treasures it shelters. It is especially for horseback riding that the country is renowned, and its steppes are well suited to the practice of this discipline. It is not difficult to find tours and guides, or to rent horses by the hour or by the day in the tourist areas.
In winter, snowshoeing is the most popular activity. There is only one ski resort in the country
Life in Mongolia is much cheaper than in France. So you will have no problem to do business. However, the foreign products and the big brands have prices approximately identical to those at home. Stores are located in shopping malls, and globalization has brought the same big brands that you can find everywhere. The big stores take credit cards, but you need to bring cash to pay for your purchases in the markets or in the small shops.
In general, going out in Mongolia is not very expensive. In Ulaanbaatar, the high number of English pubs will surprise the visitors. Japanese, European and Chinese beers land easily in Mongolia. National beers have also emerged. One can find Chinggis, Borgio, Senguur, Fusion, Khan Brau... The pints are around 8 000 T. Bars also serve wine, which will be a little more expensive: about T10,000 a glass. If you prefer strong spirits and cocktails, the bill can quickly rise.
What budget to eat Mongolia?
The capital now offers a large number of restaurants and specialties from around the world: Chinese, Korean, Mexican, Italian, French, Indian... The prices remain very reasonable: it is necessary to count between 25 000 and 30 000 T per person for a copious Western meal. The meat is generally excellent.
Many small restaurants offer a wide range of traditional dishes(khuushuur, buuz, soups...) to eat on the go. These guanz are generally the only places where you can eat in the sum or the aimags. It is necessary to count between 5 000 and 7 000 T per person.
In the countryside, the only way to eat is either to have one's own reserves or to share the meals of the nomads, to whom it is nevertheless advisable not to arrive empty-handed, but with gifts, even very modest, for the whole family
Cafes and bakeries have multiplied in recent years in Ulaanbaatar. It is easy to find nice establishments where you can have a gourmet break, the big Korean coffee chains being installed everywhere in the capital. Cappuccino, mocha, latte... count between 7 000 and 9 000 T for a hot drink.
The other big cities of Mongolia like Erdenet or Kharkhorin also have some establishments, but it remains very rare and difficult to find cafes and bars in the cities of the Mongolian countryside
What is the budget for accommodation Mongolia?
There are different types of accommodation in Mongolia: hotels, yurt camps, guesthouses... Travelers with a small budget will have no problem to find economical accommodation by staying directly with local people, in guesthouses or by camping.
Bed and Breakfast. Hospitality is not an empty word in Mongolia, which is one of the few countries in the world where homestay is so widespread. It is always possible to ask for accommodation in a nomadic family, and it is extremely rare, if not impossible, to be refused. Guests will be invited to share the family dinner before the night. If you arrive in the ger with one or two people, the parents will probably ask their children to squeeze into a bed to free up one for the guests. Mattresses can also be set up on the north side of the ger on the floor. If there are more guests, it is likely that the entire family will move to a neighboring ger to give up their home for guests! Whichever solution the family adopts, it is most convenient to have one's own sleeping bag, or even a small foam mattress, which allows one to sleep next to the stove without forcing the locals into a game of musical beds. Nomads do not expect any payment for their hospitality, except sometimes in very touristy areas. On the other hand, you should have a supply of small items to give to the host families. Avoid offering alcohol, men drink enough without being encouraged to do so. It is better to give useful items (flashlights, candles, pencils, toys, notebooks, or candy for the children) or food (rice, pasta, cookies, and especially fruit, which is much appreciated).
Camping is the cheapest and easiest solution, but also the best adapted to the country. It is possible to camp everywhere, the only advice being to avoid settling too close to sacred places such as temples and övöos as well as to tourist accommodations (hotels, yurts...). However, some parks and protected sites prohibit camping and indicate it with signs. It is imperative to respect the environment by not leaving any garbage behind, and especially by being very careful with water. Campsites should be located about 60 meters from waterways, and no detergents (soap, dishwashing liquid, shampoo...) should be thrown into lakes and rivers. The ideal is to use a basin or a solar shower to wash oneself, and to disperse the water on the ground far enough from the watercourse so that the earth has time to filter the used water before it reaches the water table. For the same reasons, pit toilets should be located as far away from streams as possible, preferably more than 100 meters. It is advisable to make a hole and burn the paper.
You should also be very careful with campfires in areas where they are possible. It is necessary to favor the circles of old fires, in order not to multiply the burned zones, and to well delimit the hearth with stones. When you leave, make sure the fire is out: you should be able to get your hands on the fire without getting burned.
Campers should plan to be completely self-sufficient. The best camping sites are obviously far from cities and tourist campsites, and located in very wild places. This means that you should have enough food, gas or oil for the stove, and gasoline for the vehicle.
Yurt camps are the most classical accommodation in Mongolia, and often the only option in rural areas. However, beware, they are extremely few to be open off-season, that is to say between October and May. The comfort of these tourist camps varies greatly, and we can find very luxurious camps as well as very basic ger. Prices vary accordingly, from a few euros to several dozen euros per night
Guesthouses. The country has a good network of guesthouses to accommodate budget travelers. Count at least 10 US$ per night in a dormitory. In the capital, many have the advantage of being connected to each other. They organize tours of different lengths throughout the country. People who travel alone or in small groups and who do not want to ruin themselves to discover Mongolia will be well advised to refer to them to find travel companions to reduce the cost of their itinerary.
Hotels are numerous enough in the cities and capitals of aimag to be always able to find an accommodation. Their comfort is sometimes very basic, with showers more often cold than hot, common toilets, etc. Here again, you can find them at all prices depending on the level of comfort and standing desired.
Travel budget Mongolia and cost of living
By exchanging euros for tugriks, any visitor can quickly become a millionaire. Life in Mongolia is not very expensive when you earn a western salary. The food is not very expensive: you can easily eat for 6 000 T in a guanz and make a gastronomic meal for 30 000 T.
Small budget : 30 €/day: this budget is very tight for those who want to discover the Mongolian countryside in depth. It imposes to use the few local means of transportation, not to go through an agency, to eat in the guanz and to camp most of the time or to take low-end guesthouses.
Average budget : 100 €/day: this budget allows to travel in Mongolia in small group, via a travel agency which provides driver, guide, accommodation and food.
Big budget : 250 €/day: with such a budget, we can organize a customized trip. It is possible to sleep in good hotels, to take the plane to go from one end of the country to the other and to rent the services of a private guide and driver.
