Taxi

Ulaanbaatar has an estimated 600 official taxis (UB taxi service) of 11 companies operating in the city. That is not enough to serve at least for the 1.4 million population of the Mongolian capital city. That's why many people do taxi service with their private cars.

Ulaanbaatar taxis can be taken on the street, from virtually anywhere you like, at most times and in most areas. Besides, there are some cab stands with an official taxis in Ulaanbaatar airport, State department store, train station.

It is not easy to take an official taxi on the street when you are not calling the taxi companies. When you on the road for a cab, privet cars stop for your taxi service is a common thing in the city.

Public buses in Ulaanbaatar city stop operations around 10:00 p.m., and demand for taxis rises at this time. You can see many cars are at every bus station for a taxi service and at the airport, train station, bus terminals, bars and nightclubs at night time.

Taxi fares in Ulaanbaatar

Mongolian taxi fare is not expensive. In the Ulaanbaatar city, a taxi fare is 1500 MNT (0.5 USD) per km. when you call the official taxi, the base fee is 1500 MNT.

There are also some flat taxi fares for some distances, including to/from the train station, bus terminal or airport.

For example: if taking a taxi to the new Ulaanbaatar international airport from downtown, the one-way fee is typically between 120,000 and 150,000 MNT even though the airport is 52 km from the city center.

So, when you travel for long-distance, you can bargain a fare with private taxis on the price, not with official taxis.

All official taxis have fare meters. Private taxis don't have fare meters, but you can control the distance by using google map, and it can prevent you from overcharging.

Tipping is standard in UB nowadays. Credit cards not accepted by taxi drivers. Cash is the preferred method in Mongolia.

Four ways of taking a taxi in Ulaanbaatar city

Now you know the taxi service situation and price ranges in Ulaanbaatar city. Here are the ways of taking a taxi.

Taking a taxi on the street

You can stand along the road on the street and lift your hand to call a cab. Whatever official taxis or private cars, they will stop and pick you up.

It is the easiest and quickest way to take a taxi, and there are no base fees.

Calling a taxi operator

Prefer to official taxis, call the taxi companies and ask the taxi plate number and arrival time. Of course, this option makes you safe and reliable. You can ask them drivers speak English or not. They add the base fee to the taxi fare of your travel distance.

Using taxi apps

Another way is using taxi apps to take a taxi. There is no Uber taxi app in Mongolia. However, there are UBCab and ABA taxi Mongolia taxi apps used in Mongolia. These two taxi apps are widely used in Ulaanbaatar city and have an English menu. They have their own registered and trusted drivers. Fare is the same as 1500 MNT per km. You can download it on the App Store and Play Store.

Link for app

UBCab - App store, Play store.

ABA taxi Mongolia - App store,

Hiring a driver

If you prefer a more private and safest way of service, you can hire a driver with a car. Some companies offer this service with an English speaking driver.

Taxi driver and safety tips

• Most taxi drivers do not speak English. So show your destination to the driver on google map or city map.
• When taking private cars, you can track your travel distance on the google map on preventing you from overcharging.
• It is not recommended to use a random private car at night time.
• Double-check your item when you items when you get off, especially in the non-official taxis. It is hard to find a car afterward.