Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kunming, Yunnan

For one person, living is cheaper in Kunming, Yunnan: $779 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
37

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

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Kunming, Yunnan

🇨🇳 China

$779

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin 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 Medellin and in Kunming, Yunnan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $779 in Kunming, Yunnan.

Medellin $1,639
Kunming, Yunnan $779

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,223 in Kunming, Yunnan.

Medellin $2,413
Kunming, Yunnan $1,223

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,668 in Kunming, Yunnan.

Medellin $3,186
Kunming, Yunnan $1,668

Living in Medellin is roughly 111% more expensive than in Kunming, Yunnan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Kunming, Yunnan is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$2.31 ¥15.32

250.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$22.51 ¥150

109.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$6.44 ¥42.82

47.52%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$2.96 ¥19.69

1.69%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.47 ¥3.15

282.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.31 ¥2.07

354.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$1.46 ¥9.68

117.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$2.21 ¥14.70

160.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.77 ¥11.78

-14.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$1.72 ¥11.44

38.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.48 ¥9.85

19.59%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$1.60 ¥10.63

80.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$7.46 ¥49.59

36.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$4.56 ¥30.27

116.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$11.82 ¥78.6

18.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.43 ¥9.51

177.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.10 ¥7.31

40.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$1.58 ¥10.50

37.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$1.19 ¥7.88

83.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$0.36 ¥2.38

444.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$0.94 ¥6.24

69.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$1.68 ¥11.15

-31.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.66 ¥4.41

87.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$3.02 ¥20.06

31.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$6.69 ¥44.47

104.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$0.79 ¥5.23

110.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$1.50 ¥9.96

50.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.77 ¥5.14

51.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$29.68 ¥197

160.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.54 ¥10.24

-17.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$0.31 ¥2.08

561.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$14.83 ¥98.5

-42.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.24 ¥8.23

8.87%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$20.6K ¥136.6K

65.70%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$17.3K ¥115.1K

100.17%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$55.4 ¥368

206.01%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$14.85 ¥98.7

-8.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$17.42 ¥116

61.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$42.31 ¥281

3.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$25.14 ¥167

-31.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$5.94 ¥39.46

16.33%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$351 ¥2,334

126.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$13.9K ¥92.6K

-34.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$70.9 ¥471

19.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$51.9 ¥345

11.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$76.2 ¥506

77.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$111 ¥737

-11.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$240 ¥1,592

404.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$181 ¥1,204

253.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$542 ¥3,605

273.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$320 ¥2,129

215.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$3,120 ¥20.7K

33.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,333 ¥8,856

43.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$859 ¥5,706

-23.48%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kunming, Yunnan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Kunming, Yunnan

$181 23.3% 71.7% $460

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Kunming, Yunnan

$192 24.6% 35.4% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Kunming, Yunnan

$88 11.3% 58.5% $124

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Kunming, Yunnan

$88 11.3% 48% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Kunming, Yunnan

$139 17.9% 17.5% $30

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Kunming, Yunnan

$36 4.6% 61.6% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Kunming, Yunnan

$54 7% 5.8% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $240 in Kunming, Yunnan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kunming, Yunnan pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $23 in Kunming, Yunnan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $192 per month, with Kunming, Yunnan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇳 Kunming, Yunnan

🕒 Local time

21:02 9:02 PM

10:02 10:02 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

3,583,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Kunming, Yunnan 16,530 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Kunming, Yunnan

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

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

Kunming, Yunnan wins on cost – living expenses run 53% 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 23% lower in Medellin. 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $240 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 $23 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $779 in Kunming, Yunnan – Kunming, Yunnan is about 53% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Kunming, Yunnan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.