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Ulaanbaatar supermarket prices: February 2010

The supermarkets here are not as grand, well-stocked, nor as large as in many parts of the world, but interesting nevertheless. The labels on goods are simplistic and are neither informative nor helpful. Most pre-packed vegetables are labelled ‘China vegetables’ – this includes cauliflower, broccoli, capsicum (red peppers), and beetroot. Potatoes and onions are sold loosely in most places because they are locally grown. Pre-packed fresh fruit is labelled ‘Import fruit’ – oranges, apples, pears, and strawberries. It’s the middle of winter and almost everything is imported. White yoghurt is plain yoghurt and anything from the sea is labelled ‘Fish item’.

Current grocery prices are as follows (in Australian dollars):

Loaf of wholegrain bread $1.65
Butter (250g) $0.75
Tub of white yoghurt (150g) $0.72
Tub of fruit yoghurt (150g) $0.82
Frozen prawns (250g) $3.50
Tomato paste (250g) $1.54
Large jar of jam (340g) $4.00
Small jars of jam (200g) $2.28
Lipton Tea Bags (100) $6.65
Chinese loose tea (50g) $3.05
6 green apples $5.50
4 medium oranges $3.66
Dried apples (250g) $2.25
Dried kiwi fruit (350g) $2.68
Broccoli (350g) $2.05
6 small tomatoes $6.45
Mongolian wild mushrooms (150g) $2.10
Oats (500g) $3.95
Liverwurst (160g) $1.02
Romanian salami (350g) $6.37
Mongolian beef (250g) $1.54
Bottle 2007 Marquis de Rothberg Bordeaux $11.90
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Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 12, 2010 at 4:16 AM

    Wow, Martina,
    I didn't even know one could purchase French wine in Mongolia. That is pretty cool! For expats, what is the job scene? I am interested to bring my family for a year or two.

    Thank you.
    Yeshi
    kiybubumo@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousDecember 13, 2010 at 12:56 AM

    im planning to go to ulaanbaatar in january for a two-month internship. thanks for the info!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Fasting MinuteMarch 7, 2011 at 12:26 PM

    Thanks for the information. I was planning on sending a Chinese college to MIU. In your estimation, how much would be a reasonable amount of money to send as a monthly food allowance?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Martina NicollsMarch 17, 2011 at 6:15 PM

    Mary, It's difficult to predict a monthly amount for food. However, you can eat well with a small amount - including the occassional restaurant meal - especially if you eat seasonal foods and local foods. The cost of fruit and vegetables is high, but if you are creative in the kitchen, you can get by. I ate extremely well.

    ReplyDelete

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