Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kunming, Yunnan and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Kunming, Yunnan: $776 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Kunming, Yunnan
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Kunming, Yunnan Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Kunming, Yunnan

🇨🇳 China

$776

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $776 in Kunming, Yunnan versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Kunming, Yunnan $776
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,220 in Kunming, Yunnan versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Kunming, Yunnan $1,220
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,665 in Kunming, Yunnan versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Kunming, Yunnan $1,665
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Kunming, Yunnan costs roughly 65% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kunming, Yunnan is 43% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ¥15.07

$16.50 €14.67

-86.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.23 ¥148

$61.3 €54.5

-63.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.46 ¥43.12

$11.27 €10.03

-42.68%

Cappuccino

$2.87 ¥19.18

$3.06 €2.72

-6.21%

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

$0.48 ¥3.22

$2.26 €2.01

-78.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$1.73 €1.54

-83.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ¥9.81

$3.39 €3.02

-56.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ¥14.55

$3.40 €3.02

-35.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 ¥11.82

$1.12 €1.00

58.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 ¥11.66

$1.86 €1.65

-5.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.14

$1.53 €1.36

-0.65%

Eggs

$1.60 ¥10.68

$3.96 €3.53

-59.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ¥48.88

$12.76 €11.35

-42.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.51 ¥30.12

$7.90 €7.02

-42.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.10 ¥80.8

$16.97 €15.09

-28.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.36 ¥9.08

$2.27 €2.02

-40.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.34

$1.75 €1.55

-37.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ¥10.47

$1.85 €1.64

-15.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 ¥8.24

$2.57 €2.28

-52.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 ¥2.56

$1.86 €1.65

-79.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$2.02 €1.80

-54.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 ¥11.20

$1.44 €1.28

16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ¥4.26

$0.82 €0.73

-21.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 ¥19.60

$6.56 €5.83

-55.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.63 ¥44.29

$5.62 €5.00

17.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥5.08

$1.28 €1.14

-40.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 ¥9.82

$2.07 €1.84

-28.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 ¥5.16

$2.35 €2.09

-67.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.06 ¥201

$44.18 €39.30

-31.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ¥10.10

$3.99 €3.55

-62.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.07

$1.09 €0.97

-71.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.77 ¥98.6

$16.64 €14.81

-11.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥8.17

$2.28 €2.03

-46.49%

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

$19.9K ¥132.7K

$33.7K €30.0K

-40.98%

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

$17.7K ¥117.9K

$39.3K €35.0K

-55.08%

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

$54.2 ¥362

$167 €149

-67.65%

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

$14.62 ¥97.6

$18.80 €16.72

-22.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.74 ¥118

$33.09 €29.43

-46.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.16 ¥282

$46.01 €40.93

-8.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.91 ¥173

$19.19 €17.07

35.02%

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 ¥39.09

$9.84 €8.75

-40.55%

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

$360 ¥2,406

$677 €602

-46.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K ¥91.5K

$16.9K €15.1K

-19.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ¥472

$101 €90.1

-30.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 ¥356

$45.76 €40.70

16.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.1 ¥508

$100.0 €88.9

-23.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ¥740

$123 €109

-9.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$238 ¥1,591

$1,614 €1,436

-85.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$181 ¥1,206

$1,197 €1,065

-84.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$555 ¥3,708

$2,862 €2,545

-80.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ¥2,147

$1,990 €1,770

-83.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,089 ¥20.6K

$7,577 €6,740

-59.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,284 ¥8,573

$4,307 €3,831

-70.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$872 ¥5,824

$1,588 €1,412

-45.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.6

3.85

-6.49%

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

Last update for Kunming, Yunnan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kunming, Yunnan

$192 24.7%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 40.6% $78

Accommodation & Living

Kunming, Yunnan

$181 23.3%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 563% $1K

Clothing & Footwear

Kunming, Yunnan

$140 18%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 18.9% $26

Eating Out

Kunming, Yunnan

$87 11.2%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 179% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kunming, Yunnan

$87 11.2%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 154% $133

Sport & Entertainment

Kunming, Yunnan

$54 7%

Lisbon

$66 3% 21.9% $12

Getting Around

Kunming, Yunnan

$36 4.7%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 74% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $238 in Kunming, Yunnan and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 82% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $22.00 in Kunming, Yunnan vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $269 per month, with Kunming, Yunnan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Kunming, Yunnan

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

03:37 3:37 AM

20:37 8:37 PM

7 h behind Kunming, Yunnan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,583,000

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kunming, Yunnan Lisbon 10,000 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Kunming, Yunnan
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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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kunming, Yunnan wins on cost – living expenses run 187% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kunming, Yunnan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 82% lower in Lisbon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $238 in Kunming, Yunnan versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kunming, Yunnan – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $61.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $776 per month in Kunming, Yunnan versus $2,223 in Lisbon – a 187% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $776 in Kunming, Yunnan versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kunming, Yunnan but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Kunming, Yunnan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kunming, Yunnan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $776 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kunming, Yunnan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kunming, Yunnan and Lisbon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kunming, Yunnan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 187% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.