Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kunming, Yunnan and Delhi

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $522 a month against $776 in Kunming, Yunnan, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Kunming, Yunnan
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Kunming, Yunnan Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index

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Kunming, Yunnan

🇨🇳 China

$776

/mo nomad

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$522

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kunming, Yunnan and in Delhi

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

A single person spends $776 per month in Kunming, Yunnan vs $522 in Delhi, rent included.

Kunming, Yunnan $776
Delhi $522

A couple spends around $1,220 per month in Kunming, Yunnan vs $872 in Delhi, rent included.

Kunming, Yunnan $1,220
Delhi $872

A family of three spends $1,665 per month in Kunming, Yunnan vs $1,222 in Delhi, rent included.

Kunming, Yunnan $1,665
Delhi $1,222

Kunming, Yunnan costs about 49% more than Delhi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kunming, Yunnan and Delhi are more affordable than the global median – Kunming, Yunnan 43% lower, Delhi 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ¥15.09

$3.70 ₹351

-38.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.23 ¥149

$21.05 ₹1,999

5.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.46 ¥43.18

$3.73 ₹354

73.19%

Cappuccino

$2.87 ¥19.21

$2.35 ₹223

22.13%

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

$0.48 ¥3.22

$0.37 ₹35.21

29.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.15 ₹13.93

93.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ¥9.82

$2.14 ₹203

-31.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ¥14.57

$3.06 ₹291

-28.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 ¥11.84

$0.69 ₹65.1

156.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 ¥11.67

$0.53 ₹50.0

230.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.15

$0.77 ₹73.1

97.40%

Eggs

$1.60 ¥10.70

$1.11 ₹105

44.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ¥48.95

$4.63 ₹440

58.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.51 ¥30.16

$3.52 ₹334

28.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.10 ¥80.9

Apples (1kg)

$1.36 ¥9.09

$2.00 ₹190

-32.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.35

$0.74 ₹70.5

48.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ¥10.48

$0.97 ₹92.6

61.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 ¥8.25

$0.53 ₹49.92

132.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 ¥2.56

$0.30 ₹28.61

26.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.16

$0.40 ₹37.82

130.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 ¥11.22

$0.42 ₹39.62

300.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ¥4.26

$0.31 ₹29.81

106.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 ¥19.63

$4.94 ₹469

-40.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.63 ¥44.36

$8.21 ₹779

-19.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥5.09

$1.58 ₹150

-51.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 ¥9.84

$2.69 ₹255

-45.35%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.19 ₹588

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$0.46 ₹43.46

67.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.06 ¥201

$15.78 ₹1,498

90.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ¥10.11

$1.07 ₹102

41.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.27 ₹25.66

14.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.77 ¥98.7

$1.58 ₹150

834.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥8.19

$1.07 ₹101

14.02%

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

$19.9K ¥132.9K

$10.7K ₹1.0M

86.47%

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

$17.7K ¥118.0K

$18.9K ₹1.8M

-6.80%

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

$54.2 ¥362

$42.37 ₹4,024

27.87%

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

$14.62 ¥97.7

$4.03 ₹383

262.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.74 ¥119

$6.95 ₹660

155.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.16 ¥282

$19.18 ₹1,821

119.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.91 ¥173

$7.92 ₹752

227.15%

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 ¥39.15

$5.27 ₹500

11.01%

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

$360 ¥2,409

$100 ₹9,525

259.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K ¥91.6K

$2,247 ₹213.4K

509.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ¥472

$24.11 ₹2,290

192.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 ¥357

$27.85 ₹2,645

91.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.1 ¥509

$52.4 ₹4,977

45.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ¥741

$42.90 ₹4,074

158.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$238 ¥1,593

$267 ₹25.4K

-10.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$181 ¥1,208

$156 ₹14.8K

15.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$555 ¥3,713

$734 ₹69.7K

-24.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ¥2,150

$394 ₹37.5K

-18.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,089 ¥20.7K

$2,507 ₹238.0K

23.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,284 ¥8,585

$1,020 ₹96.8K

25.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$872 ¥5,832

$608 ₹57.7K

43.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.6

8.33

-56.78%

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

Last update for Kunming, Yunnan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Delhi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kunming, Yunnan

$192 24.7%

Delhi

$109 20.9% 43.2% $83

Accommodation & Living

Kunming, Yunnan

$181 23.3%

Delhi

$156 29.9% 13.7% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Kunming, Yunnan

$140 18%

Delhi

$66 12.7% 52.6% $74

Eating Out

Kunming, Yunnan

$87 11.2%

Delhi

$88 16.8% 1.4% $1.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kunming, Yunnan

$87 11.2%

Delhi

$53 10.2% 38.3% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Kunming, Yunnan

$54 7%

Delhi

$30 5.7% 44.8% $24

Getting Around

Kunming, Yunnan

$36 4.7%

Delhi

$20 3.8% 44.7% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $238 in Kunming, Yunnan versus $267 in Delhi. 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 44% higher in Kunming, Yunnan, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Kunming, Yunnan versus $21.00 in Delhi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $192 vs $109 – making Delhi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Kunming, Yunnan

🇮🇳 Delhi

🕒 Local time

08:55 8:55 AM

06:25 6:25 AM

2 h 30 min behind Kunming, Yunnan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,583,000

16,787,941 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Kunming, Yunnan Delhi 2,560 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Kunming, Yunnan
Delhi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Kunming, Yunnan vs Delhi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $776 in Kunming, Yunnan, $522 in Delhi – roughly 49% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,163 per month in Kunming, Yunnan and $783 in Delhi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Delhi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Kunming, Yunnan and $21.00 in Delhi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $776 in Kunming, Yunnan and $522 in Delhi. That's a gap of about 49%.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $776 in Kunming, Yunnan and $522 in Delhi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Delhi – 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 Delhi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kunming, Yunnan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.