The areas in which you can teach abroad in Mongolia are as vast and varied as the land itself. There are bigger city opportunities with a higher number of Western amenities, and there are also areas that require travel by dirt road. Contrasts of modern and traditional are ever present, but there’s bound to be a place that fits your comfort level and personality.

Ulaanbaatar. The capital of Mongolia is also home to about half the country’s population, with the city numbering about one and a half million and the entire country at nearly three million. Since it is the biggest city, it also offers the best paying teaching jobs in Mongolia along with some of the most motivated students. A lot of the schools in Ulaanbaatar (also known as UB) offer paid housing for international teachers too. As the metropolitan center of the country, UB’s population is uniquely internationally minded, with a bevy of foreign restaurants, coffee shops, and clothes stores that can’t be found anywhere else in Mongolia. Without a doubt, Ulaanbaatar is the most comfortable city to teach in Mongolia.

Erdenet. The second largest city in the country with a population of about 85,000, Erdenet is a great place to teach in Mongolia. With modern amenities and warm apartments for the winter time, Erdenet is a great city for foreigners looking to ease into Mongol life. The city features a plethora of foreign restaurants, and teachers can find fruits and vegetables year round at the market. Erdenet is home to a handful of universities and a number of schools which are eager to host international English teachers; therefore, Erdenet offers plenty of opportunities to teach English in Mongolia.

Darkhan. The third biggest city in Mongolia is located about five hours north of Ulaanbaatar, by bus and dirt road. Separated into new and old Darkhan, the city is a perfect example of Mongolian contrasts with new apartments and schools going up in new Darkhan all the time, while a large portion of the population live in gers and rickety wooden houses in old Darkhan. The city also boasts a great market with fruit and vegetables imported from Russia and a good choice of foreign restaurants with one or two coffee shops.