The apartment

Hey everyone! I hinted at my apartment earlier so I thought I'd show everyone what $400/month gets you in downtown UB. For that price you'd probably expect something pretty nice because Mongolia is a developing country and the cost of living is much lower compared to home, but housing is actually very expensive here. Most 1-bedroom places seem to be going for about $500-800/month for a central location, and often even more if it's a new and well furnished place. My apartment is neither new nor well furnished, and water apparently seeps through the ceiling on occasion. It's in one of the old Soviet buildings that somehow has not been condemned. But actually I like the "lived in" feel of it. Also, the location can't be beat. It's in the heart of downtown and about a 5 minute walk from two main bus stops. There are good grocery stores nearby and lots of small cafes and restaurants where you can get a steaming bowl of banshtei tsai (mutton dumplings in milk tea broth) for about $2.

This is the living room/dining room/study.

My room, the other side of the big main room.

Looking into the living room from the kitchen. I made the curtain/door myself!

The kitchen.

The bedroom I'm trying to rent out.

Cozy!

The best part of the apartment, a giant aloe plant!

The apocalyptic bathroom. The semi-automatic washing machine is on the tub so you can fill it with water from the showerhead and then drain it straight into the tub.