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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $782 in Kunming, Yunnan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,218 in Kunming, Yunnan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,654 in Kunming, Yunnan.

Living in Medellin is roughly 115% more expensive than in Kunming, Yunnan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Kunming, Yunnan is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$2.26 ¥15.12

254.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$22.42 ¥150

113.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$6.32 ¥42.31

56.49%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.97 ¥19.92

5.39%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.45 ¥3.01

324.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.31 ¥2.10

387.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.52 ¥10.15

105.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.29 ¥15.36

151.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.69 ¥11.33

-14.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.68 ¥11.26

48.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.53 ¥10.27

15.69%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.58 ¥10.58

87.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$7.34 ¥49.15

37.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$4.36 ¥29.22

132.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$12.01 ¥80.5

19.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.35 ¥9.06

206.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.15 ¥7.70

40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.50 ¥10.05

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.21 ¥8.08

85.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.39 ¥2.60

423.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.85 ¥5.69

81.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.61 ¥10.80

-27.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.68 ¥4.55

92.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.03 ¥20.31

28.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$6.65 ¥44.56

110.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$0.72 ¥4.84

141.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.47 ¥9.87

95.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.73 ¥4.86

67.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$37.89 ¥254

112.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.52 ¥10.18

-13.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.29 ¥1.92

655.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$14.72 ¥98.6

-40.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.22 ¥8.20

12.30%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$19.9K ¥133.4K

39.79%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$17.8K ¥119.3K

100.82%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$54.1 ¥362

227.85%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$14.66 ¥98.2

-5.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$17.20 ¥115

72.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$42.24 ¥283

6.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$25.64 ¥172

-33.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$5.98 ¥40.02

11.20%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$348 ¥2,328

133.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$14.2K ¥94.8K

-35.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$71.5 ¥479

25.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$51.5 ¥345

14.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$76.4 ¥512

80.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$109 ¥729

-6.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$237 ¥1,584

348.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$176 ¥1,180

276.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$536 ¥3,589

252.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$319 ¥2,134

222.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$3,130 ¥21.0K

33.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,280 ¥8,571

30.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$853 ¥5,711

-20.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.6

203.89%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Kunming, Yunnan: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $237 in Kunming, Yunnan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kunming, Yunnan pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $22.00 in Kunming, Yunnan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $189 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 115% 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, salaries run 26% lower in Kunming, Yunnan. 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $237 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 $22.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $782 in Kunming, Yunnan – a 115% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $782 in Kunming, Yunnan versus $1,681 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 $782 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 115% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.