Living Conditions in Mongolia

General considerations

To learn more about living and working in Mongolia, applicants are encouraged to connect with a recruiter to discuss any specific considerations that could affect their service. In addition, please visit the U.S. Department of State's Mongolia travel information pages for the latest on travel advisories, local laws, and special circumstances.

Applicants who undergo an interview will have additional opportunities to raise questions or concerns. If, upon learning more information, an applicant would like to be considered for a different assignment from the one they have been assigned to serve in, the Peace Corps can often find an alternate option that may be a better fit.

Communications

Mail

Your address while you are in training is listed below in English and in the Cyrillic alphabet.

[Your Name], PCT
Post Office Box 1036
Central Post Office
Ulaanbaatar 15160
Mongolia

[Your Name], PCT

АНУ-ын Энх тайвны корпус
Төв Шуудан
Шуудангийн хайрцаг 1036
Улаанбаатар-15160 
Монгол улс 
Mongolia

Telephones

Cell phone service is widely available throughout Mongolia. Most cell phones purchased in the United States will function in Mongolia if they are unlocked.

An internet access is available throughout Mongolia except in some small towns, and villages may face connectivity issues sometimes, but not often. Volunteers can arrange internet service in their homes. Most schools where Volunteers work have internet available through an Ethernet cord at a minimum. Mobile data is widely available.

Internet

All provincial centers have access to the internet, and most Volunteers can get internet at home. Internet connections are improving in smaller towns and communities. Most schools where Volunteers work will have internet through an Ethernet cord at a minimum.

Housing and site location

During pre-service training you will live at the training community with a host family. After pre-service training, and for the remainder of service, you will live in a modest apartment. Each apartment is different; set-up and amenities depend on what is available at the assigned site location.

Electric current in Mongolia runs at 220-240 volts, 50 cycles with outlets taking European-style round pin plugs.

Living allowance and money management

Volunteers receive a monthly allowance in local currency sufficient to live at the level of their local community. The allowance covers food, household supplies, clothing, transportation to and from work, utilities, recreation and entertainment, and incidental expenses. Peace Corps Volunteers are expected to live at a level comparable with their host country counterparts. The Peace Corps discourages Volunteers from supplementing their living allowance with funds from home. However, Volunteers often wish to bring additional money for vacation travel to other countries. For this, credit cards are preferable to cash. If you bring cash, it is recommended to bring new, crisp $20 bills because they are the easiest to exchange. If you choose to bring extra money, bring the amount that will suit your own travel plans and needs. 

U.S. dollars can be exchanged at various places in Ulaanbaatar and a select number of cities in Mongolia. It is possible to exchange money at a variety of locations, including legal money exchange facilities (State Department store, Flower Center, etc.) and most major bank branches. Depending on the size of your community, you may be able to change money there as well. Many places will not exchange for U.S. dollars that are old and wrinkled; they prefer pristine bills.

There are two options for getting cash transferred from the United States. The cheapest and easiest is using an ATM machine. ATM machines in urban areas are often internationally connected. Some do not have local fees, but your U.S. bank may charge you to use them. While debit/credit cards are becoming more useful in Mongolia, they are not accepted everywhere. They can be used at most hotels, restaurants, and shops in Ulaanbaatar and some urban areas. They also come in handy when traveling outside the country. In smaller shops and markets around Mongolia, retailers are still heavily reliant on cash (Mongolian Tugrik). Traveler’s checks are outdated and not commonly accepted in Mongolia. Personal checks are not accepted in Mongolia.

Food and diet

Once a nation of nomadic herdsman, Mongolia is known as the "land of five animals"—sheep, goats, cattle, horses, and camels. Traditionally, herdsmen got everything they needed to survive from these animals. Today’s diet still relies heavily on meat and dairy products. Fermented mare’s milk is the traditional ceremonial drink. The main meats are mutton and beef, but Mongolians also eat goat, horse, marmot, chicken and camel. Fish is sometimes sold at markets or door-to-door. A very limited variety of fresh fruits and vegetables appear in the markets, but these foods are not a major part of the local diet. The traditional diet can be high in fat and cholesterol.

If you are a vegetarian, you may find it difficult to maintain your diet because of both limited food availability and cultural considerations. Turning down food may offend Mongolians, who believe meat is necessary for survival in harsh climates, so a vegetarian will have to become good at explaining their diet to Mongolians. If you are vegan we recommend you consider adjusting your dietary restrictions as plant protein can be difficult to find outside of major cities.

Transportation

The number of paved roads in Mongolia has grown in recent years and travel between cities by is mostly on paved roads. Travel from cities to villages is mostly on unpaved roads. Volunteers are prohibited from driving motorized vehicles in Mongolia or riding on or operating motorcycles. Some cities are also served by train and expensive flights.

Social activities

Although Mongolia’s traditionally nomadic herdsmen are now comfortable on both motorcycles and horses and many live in apartments rather than gers (yurts), Mongolia has not lost its rich cultural heritage. The Mongolian people’s hospitality endures, and most social life at Volunteer sites centers on visiting friends’ homes rather than going out to bars and clubs.

Mongolians enjoy a wide variety of sports. Basketball, volleyball, table tennis, and the national sport of wrestling all take place year-round and outdoors during the summer. Hiking is also popular during the warmer months. Cross-country skiing, sledding, and ice-skating are popular pastimes in the winter.

Professionalism, dress, and behavior

It is very important that you dress professionally in work settings, where the appearance of the staff reflects on the office or school as a whole. You are also expected to dress professionally during training, which means no shorts, T-shirts, open-toed shoes, workout clothes, or sneakers. Clothes should look clean at all times.

Typical clothing for men includes slacks, a collared shirt with a sweater or jacket, a tie (optional), and dress shoes. Women tend to wear dresses or dressy slacks or skirts with blouse-and-sweater combinations and nice boots or high-heeled shoes. Most Mongolians have only a few outfits for work and would welcome you doing the same.

You will need a more formal outfit for being sworn in as a Volunteer. Most Volunteers dress in traditional Mongolian clothing at their swearing-in ceremony.