Go, but pay attention.
Numbeo's Safety Index puts Ulaanbaatar at 48/100 for crime — that makes it read sketchier than Mongolia's national picture overall (72/100 vs 76/100).
City page · part of Mongolia
The one number a country page can't give you
What people who actually live in Ulaanbaatar report
Numbeo aggregates thousands of resident-submitted perception surveys into a per-city Crime Index (higher = worse) and its inverse, a Safety Index — the only real city-granularity crime signal feeding this page, alongside Mongolia's national advisory, political, health, and police-trust data.
Crime Index
51.9
Safety Index
48.1
Sub-scores
Same real inputs as Mongolia's national page, with crime swapped for Ulaanbaatar's own Numbeo number above.
Local know-how
Staying safe in Ulaanbaatar, specifically
- • Crime: While crime rates in Ulaanbaatar are said to be among the highest of any Asian city, this generally applies less to the city center than the underdeveloped ger districts on the outskirts of…
- • Unfortunately, xenophobia and violence towards foreigners is common.
- • While muggings, assaults, and taxi scams all occasionally occur, the main crime for foreigners to be concerned about is pickpocketing.
- • Though unmarked taxis are common and generally nothing to fear, it's probably a good idea to get a local to serve as an interpreter and explain the fare system, and to keep an eye on where the taxi is taking you.
- • Hotel scams: Vacation home hosting is common in UB, foreign investors, locals, and real estate developers list available apartments on the usual booking sites.…
Legal status (national law)
Legal since 1993 + UN decl. sign.
Source: Wikipedia — LGBTQ rights by country →Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
C / E / F · 220V
Driving side
right
Emergency
police: 105 / ambulance: 105 / fire: 105
Tipping
In Mongolia tipping is rarely expected except in tourism-related services like tour guides. Waiters, taxis, and hotel attendants do not expect tips. Sometimes taxis will attempt to overcharge you by refusing to give change back, but this has nothing to do with gratuity. Some nicer restaurants and hotels in the capital do often add fees to the bill for service, especially for larger groups.
Cash vs. Card
The Mongolian currency is the tögrög (also spelled "tugrik", "tugrug" etc.; Mongol: төгрөг), denoted by the sign "₮" (ISO international currency code: MNT). You may also see the notations "tg" and "T".
How this compares to Mongolia
Numbeo's Safety Index puts Ulaanbaatar at 48/100 for crime — that makes it read sketchier than Mongolia's national picture overall (72/100 vs 76/100).
See the full Mongolia page and all receipts →