Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kunming, Yunnan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kunming, Yunnan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $828 in Kunming, Yunnan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,268 in Kunming, Yunnan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,708 in Kunming, Yunnan.

Living in Medellin is roughly 22% more expensive than Kunming, Yunnan, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Kunming, Yunnan 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$2.75 ¥18.65

117.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$28.34 ¥192

15.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$6.86 ¥46.44

3.35%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$3.11 ¥21.06

-45.02%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$0.44 ¥2.97

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.25 ¥1.68

212.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$1.41 ¥9.57

19.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$2.04 ¥13.78

50.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$2.01 ¥13.59

-45.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$1.72 ¥11.62

-26.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$1.34 ¥9.08

2.99%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$1.78 ¥12.08

23.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$7.00 ¥47.40

-37.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$4.12 ¥27.91

36.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$11.01 ¥74.5

-19.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$1.26 ¥8.55

85.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$0.92 ¥6.21

15.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$1.38 ¥9.33

8.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$1.09 ¥7.35

26.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$0.34 ¥2.27

238.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$0.82 ¥5.55

41.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$1.52 ¥10.27

-41.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$0.57 ¥3.88

47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$2.04 ¥13.81

11.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$6.53 ¥44.22

62.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$0.72 ¥4.87

66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$1.51 ¥10.22

63.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$0.64 ¥4.35

34.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

$34.21 ¥232

21.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$1.09 ¥7.36

34.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$0.28 ¥1.90

600.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$13.66 ¥92.5

-43.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$1.12 ¥7.58

-15.18%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$20.4K ¥137.9K

-11.03%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$17.5K ¥118.5K

51.29%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$51.7 ¥350

59.03%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$15.25 ¥103

-37.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$16.27 ¥110

48.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$68.6 ¥465

-62.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$26.45 ¥179

-28.17%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$6.46 ¥43.69

-39.16%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$426 ¥2,884

-27.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$13.0K ¥87.7K

-53.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$71.0 ¥480

-17.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$33.49 ¥227

-3.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$63.6 ¥431

61.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$105 ¥710

3.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$279 ¥1,891

70.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$206 ¥1,397

83.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$515 ¥3,485

62.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$353 ¥2,387

105.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$3,020 ¥20.4K

-7.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,303 ¥8,817

-7.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$843 ¥5,708

-39.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.45

201.80%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kunming, Yunnan: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $279 in Kunming, Yunnan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kunming, Yunnan pays 65% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $28.00 in Kunming, Yunnan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $182 per month, with Kunming, Yunnan cheaper across the board.

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

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

Kunming, Yunnan wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Medellin. 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, Kunming, Yunnan earns 65% less. 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: $476 in Medellin versus $279 in Kunming, Yunnan. 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 $28.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,013 per month in Medellin versus $828 in Kunming, Yunnan – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $828 in Kunming, Yunnan versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kunming, Yunnan but tight or insufficient in Medellin. 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 $828 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kunming, Yunnan hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Kunming, Yunnan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.