Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tashkent and Kunming, Yunnan

For one person, living is cheaper in Kunming, Yunnan: $776 a month against $1,038 in Tashkent, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Tashkent
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan
$1,038
/mo nomad
Kunming, Yunnan
🇨🇳 China
$776
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,038 in Tashkent versus $776 in Kunming, Yunnan.

  • Tashkent $1,038
  • Kunming, Yunnan $776

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,636 in Tashkent versus $1,220 in Kunming, Yunnan.

  • Tashkent $1,636
  • Kunming, Yunnan $1,220

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,234 in Tashkent versus $1,665 in Kunming, Yunnan.

  • Tashkent $2,234
  • Kunming, Yunnan $1,665

Living in Tashkent is roughly 34% more expensive than in Kunming, Yunnan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tashkent 23% lower, Kunming, Yunnan 43% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tashkent
Kunming, Yunnan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.54 UZS 78.8K
$2.26 ¥15.09
189.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.23 UZS 412.5K
$22.23 ¥149
53.98%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.12 UZS 61.7K
$6.46 ¥43.18
-20.74%
Cappuccino
$2.62 UZS 31.6K
$2.87 ¥19.21
-8.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.71 UZS 8,593
$0.48 ¥3.22
47.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 UZS 3,921
$0.29 ¥1.91
13.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.16 UZS 26.0K
$1.47 ¥9.82
46.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.79 UZS 45.7K
$2.18 ¥14.57
73.85%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tashkent
Kunming, Yunnan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.26 UZS 15.2K
$1.77 ¥11.84
-28.81%
White Bread (500g)
$0.86 UZS 10.4K
$1.75 ¥11.67
-50.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.64 UZS 19.8K
$1.52 ¥10.15
7.89%
Eggs
$1.78 UZS 21.4K
$1.60 ¥10.70
11.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.93 UZS 95.5K
$7.32 ¥48.95
8.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.19 UZS 50.5K
$4.51 ¥30.16
-7.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.60 UZS 151.8K
$12.10 ¥80.9
4.13%
Apples (1kg)
$1.53 UZS 18.5K
$1.36 ¥9.09
12.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.80 UZS 21.7K
$1.10 ¥7.35
63.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.32 UZS 28.0K
$1.57 ¥10.48
47.77%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.71 UZS 20.7K
$1.23 ¥8.25
39.02%
Potato (1kg)
$0.55 UZS 6,683
$0.38 ¥2.56
44.74%
Onion (1kg)
$0.38 UZS 4,526
$0.92 ¥6.16
-58.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.03 UZS 12.4K
$1.68 ¥11.22
-38.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.48 UZS 5,799
$0.64 ¥4.26
-25.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.07 UZS 24.9K
$2.94 ¥19.63
-29.59%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.66 UZS 92.3K
$6.63 ¥44.36
15.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 UZS 16.4K
$0.76 ¥5.09
78.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.64 UZS 43.9K
$1.47 ¥9.84
147.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Tashkent
Kunming, Yunnan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.16 UZS 1,937
$0.77 ¥5.17
-79.22%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.52 UZS 150.8K
$30.06 ¥201
-58.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.81 UZS 9,790
$1.51 ¥10.11
-46.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.36 UZS 4,376
$0.31 ¥2.08
16.13%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.30 UZS 39.8K
$14.77 ¥98.7
-77.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.15 UZS 13.9K
$1.22 ¥8.19
-5.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$16.6K UZS 200.4M
$19.9K ¥132.9K
-16.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K UZS 289.1M
$17.7K ¥118.0K
35.89%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tashkent
Kunming, Yunnan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$68.1 UZS 821.0K
$54.2 ¥362
25.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.49 UZS 54.1K
$14.62 ¥97.7
-69.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.64 UZS 164.4K
$17.74 ¥119
-23.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tashkent
Kunming, Yunnan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$62.6 UZS 754.2K
$42.16 ¥282
48.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.78 UZS 226.3K
$25.91 ¥173
-27.52%
Cinema Ticket
$5.98 UZS 72.1K
$5.85 ¥39.15
2.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tashkent
Kunming, Yunnan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$328 UZS 4.0M
$360 ¥2,409
-8.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,455 UZS 113.9M
$13.7K ¥91.6K
-30.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tashkent
Kunming, Yunnan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.10 UZS 591.7K
$70.6 ¥472
-30.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.8 UZS 708.4K
$53.3 ¥357
10.22%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 UZS 1.4M
$76.1 ¥509
48.42%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$140 UZS 1.7M
$111 ¥741
25.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tashkent
Kunming, Yunnan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$600 UZS 7.2M
$238 ¥1,593
151.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$382 UZS 4.6M
$181 ¥1,208
111.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,210 UZS 14.6M
$555 ¥3,713
117.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$714 UZS 8.6M
$322 ¥2,150
122.12%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,585 UZS 19.1M
$3,089 ¥20.7K
-48.69%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$945 UZS 11.4M
$1,284 ¥8,585
-26.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tashkent
Kunming, Yunnan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$711 UZS 8.6M
$872 ¥5,832
-18.51%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
23.31
3.6
547.50%

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

Last update for Tashkent: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kunming, Yunnan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tashkent
$382
Kunming, Yunnan
$181 52.8% $202
Groceries & Markets
Tashkent
$195
Kunming, Yunnan
$192 1.9% $3.8
Clothing & Footwear
Tashkent
$162
Kunming, Yunnan
$140 13.7% $22
Eating Out
Tashkent
$122
Kunming, Yunnan
$87 28.8% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tashkent
$86
Kunming, Yunnan
$87 0.3% $0.3
Sport & Entertainment
Tashkent
$75
Kunming, Yunnan
$54 27.7% $21
Getting Around
Tashkent
$16
Kunming, Yunnan
$36 129% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $600 in Tashkent and $238 in Kunming, Yunnan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kunming, Yunnan pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Tashkent vs $22.00 in Kunming, Yunnan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $192 per month, with Kunming, Yunnan cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇿 Tashkent
🇨🇳 Kunming, Yunnan
🕒 Local time
01:50 1:50 AM
04:50 4:50 AM
3 h ahead of Tashkent
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,956,384 Capital
3,583,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to UZS – Uzbekistani Som Converter

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 12,051 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.3 USD). 1 EUR = 13,548 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.38 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tashkent Kunming, Yunnan 3,570 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tashkent
  • 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
Tashkent vs Kunming, Yunnan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Tashkent or Kunming, Yunnan?
Kunming, Yunnan wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Tashkent. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kunming, Yunnan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Tashkent or in Kunming, Yunnan?
On paper, salaries run 23% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Tashkent compared to Kunming, Yunnan?
Rent for a central apartment: $600 in Tashkent versus $238 in Kunming, Yunnan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Tashkent and in Kunming, Yunnan?
Dining out is cheaper in Kunming, Yunnan – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $34.00 in Tashkent. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Tashkent compared to Kunming, Yunnan?
All in, you'll spend $1,038 per month in Tashkent versus $776 in Kunming, Yunnan – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Tashkent or in Kunming, Yunnan?
At $776 in Kunming, Yunnan versus $1,038 in Tashkent, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kunming, Yunnan but tight or insufficient in Tashkent. The gap between the two cities makes Kunming, Yunnan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Tashkent or Kunming, Yunnan?
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.
How safe is Tashkent compared to Kunming, Yunnan?
Safety-wise, Tashkent and Kunming, Yunnan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Kunming, Yunnan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Tashkent. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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