Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Kunming, Yunnan

For one person, living is cheaper in Kunming, Yunnan: $779 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Beijing (Pekin)
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Beijing (Pekin) Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Kunming, Yunnan
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Kunming, Yunnan Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Kunming, Yunnan

🇨🇳 China

$779

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Beijing (Pekin) and in Kunming, Yunnan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Beijing (Pekin) and in Kunming, Yunnan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,197 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $779 in Kunming, Yunnan, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,197
Kunming, Yunnan $779

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,223 in Kunming, Yunnan, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,913
Kunming, Yunnan $1,223

A family of three spends $2,630 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,668 in Kunming, Yunnan, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,630
Kunming, Yunnan $1,668

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 54% more than Kunming, Yunnan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Kunming, Yunnan are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Kunming, Yunnan 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 ¥29.34

$2.31 ¥15.32

91.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥197

$22.51 ¥150

31.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.71

$6.44 ¥42.82

-16.61%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ¥24.78

$2.96 ¥19.69

26.01%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.70

$0.47 ¥3.15

19.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.31 ¥2.07

-6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.90

$1.46 ¥9.68

-18.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥11.53

$2.21 ¥14.70

-21.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ¥11.41

$1.77 ¥11.78

-2.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.78

$1.72 ¥11.44

2.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.60

$1.48 ¥9.85

-12.84%

Eggs

$1.91 ¥12.72

$1.60 ¥10.63

19.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 ¥97.7

$7.46 ¥49.59

97.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.43

$4.56 ¥30.27

-29.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥74.6

$11.82 ¥78.6

-4.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ¥14.13

$1.43 ¥9.51

48.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.87

$1.10 ¥7.31

62.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.60

$1.58 ¥10.50

29.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.18

$1.19 ¥7.88

28.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.89

$0.36 ¥2.38

105.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.14

$0.94 ¥6.24

-2.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.59

$1.68 ¥11.15

-58.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.03

$0.66 ¥4.41

-7.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ¥29.53

$3.02 ¥20.06

47.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 ¥93.1

$6.69 ¥44.47

109.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥6.83

$0.79 ¥5.23

30.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥11.99

$1.50 ¥9.96

20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.89

$0.77 ¥5.14

-23.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.53 ¥216

$29.68 ¥197

9.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 ¥13.31

$1.54 ¥10.24

29.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.18

$0.31 ¥2.08

6.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 ¥51.1

$14.83 ¥98.5

-48.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.63

$1.24 ¥8.23

4.84%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.7K ¥131.2K

$20.6K ¥136.6K

-3.99%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$18.0K ¥119.6K

$17.3K ¥115.1K

3.93%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$58.8 ¥391

$55.4 ¥368

6.13%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$8.71 ¥57.9

$14.85 ¥98.7

-41.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.51 ¥96.4

$17.42 ¥116

-16.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.71 ¥310

$42.31 ¥281

10.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.48 ¥163

$25.14 ¥167

-2.63%

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 ¥50.5

$5.94 ¥39.46

27.95%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$985 ¥6,546

$351 ¥2,334

180.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥162.9K

$13.9K ¥92.6K

75.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 ¥479

$70.9 ¥471

1.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.22 ¥267

$51.9 ¥345

-22.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 ¥577

$76.2 ¥506

13.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ¥838

$111 ¥737

13.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,200

$240 ¥1,592

289.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 ¥3,519

$181 ¥1,204

192.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 ¥15.1K

$542 ¥3,605

320.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 ¥7,282

$320 ¥2,129

242.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K ¥78.5K

$3,120 ¥20.7K

278.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,566 ¥43.6K

$1,333 ¥8,856

392.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 ¥11.3K

$859 ¥5,706

98.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.6

-13.33%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): October 26, 2026

Last update for Kunming, Yunnan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2%

Kunming, Yunnan

$181 23.3% 65.8% $348

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2%

Kunming, Yunnan

$192 24.6% 16.5% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2%

Kunming, Yunnan

$139 17.9% 4.7% $6.8

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1%

Kunming, Yunnan

$88 11.3% 19.1% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Kunming, Yunnan

$88 11.3% 6.9% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2%

Kunming, Yunnan

$54 7% 12.5% $7.7

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2%

Kunming, Yunnan

$36 4.6% 6.9% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $933 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $240 in Kunming, Yunnan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 99% higher in Beijing (Pekin). Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $23 in Kunming, Yunnan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $192 – making Kunming, Yunnan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Kunming, Yunnan

🕒 Local time

09:06 9:06 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

3,583,000

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Beijing (Pekin) Kunming, Yunnan 2,090 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

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Beijing (Pekin)
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Beijing (Pekin) vs Kunming, Yunnan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 54%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,796 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,168 in Kunming, Yunnan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kunming, Yunnan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $240 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) and $23 in Kunming, Yunnan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin) and $779 in Kunming, Yunnan. That makes Kunming, Yunnan about 35% cheaper.

Families tend to lean toward Kunming, Yunnan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Kunming, Yunnan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Beijing (Pekin) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.