Living in Ulaanbaatar as a Japanese Resident — The Ideal Location: Everyday Convenience + Within a 20-Minute Walk of the City Center

I bought a bicycle to use while living in Mongolia.

Living in Ulaanbaatar has made me realize that, for Japanese people who want a certain level of convenience similar to life in Japan, the ideal place to live is somewhere where daily necessities are available within the neighborhood and the city center is within about a 20-minute walk.

Traffic congestion in Ulaanbaatar is extremely heavy. Even when the distance is short, traveling by car or taxi can take much longer than expected. During the warmer months, there are many situations where walking is actually faster than driving.

If a place is about a 20-minute walk from the city center, it can usually be reached by bicycle in around 10 minutes at a relaxed pace. Cycling allows you to avoid traffic jams and greatly expands the area you can easily explore.

There are parts of central Ulaanbaatar where cycling is relatively easy, but electric motorcycles and electric scooters can sometimes travel at fairly high speeds, so extra caution is necessary for safety.

On the other hand, winters in Ulaanbaatar are extremely cold, so there are many situations where having access to a car or taxi becomes necessary.

There are plans for a subway system, but no one knows exactly when it will become a reality.

That is why, if I were choosing a place to live in Ulaanbaatar today, my conclusion would be simple:

Choose an area that is reasonably convenient for everyday life and within about a 20-minute walk of the city center.

This is the conclusion I have reached from actually living here.

In a city like Ulaanbaatar, where traffic congestion is so severe, I feel that living somewhere where you can manage your daily life without relying on a car has even greater value than simply owning a car.

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