Living in Mongolia

Mongolia's working life turns on what comes out of the ground, an economy shaped by mining more than anything else. Pay and living costs both land in the middle of the world, and after tax takes its share the margin left is modest, enough to live on with a little to spare. For an outsider the way in is narrow, since hiring favors those already known and English reaches only into certain corners of the work. What it offers is steadiness rather than abundance.

Mongolia is more a country of emigration than arrivals, with 175.6K people abroad and a diaspora that grew 41% over the past decade. The largest communities are in Kazakhstan (75.8K), South Korea, and Japan.