Kunming at a glance
- Kunming ranks 3rd of 17 priced cities in China on cost: $444 a month in essentials, 4% above Chongqing, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $859 covers that 1.9×.
- 105.8 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at prefecture level.
- PM2.5 averages 18.1 µg/m³ a year, 4× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 17 China cities we track, so every row says whether Kunming is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $444 | $520 | $76 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $178 | $263 | 1.48ร as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $237 | $425 | 1.79ร as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $91 | $91 | same |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $67 | $84 | 1.25ร as much |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $71 | $70 | $1 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $37 | $22 | 1.68ร as much |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $859 | $1,159 | 1.35ร as much |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $321 | $525 | 1.64ร as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $543 | $878 | 1.62ร as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Kunming, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $2.22 | $2.96 | 1.33ร as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $22.22 | $24.02 | $1.80 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $6.29 | $5.17 | $1.12 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.89 | $3.04 | $0.15 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $1.48 | $1.18 | 1.25ร as much |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $2.22 | $2.22 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.46 | $0.49 | $0.03 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.30 | $0.30 | same |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.72 | $1.84 | $0.12 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.72 | $1.72 | same |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.48 | $1.00 | 1.48ร as much |
| Eggs, 12 | $1.56 | $1.60 | $0.04 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $7.41 | $14.62 | 1.97ร as much |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $4.44 | $3.50 | 1.27ร as much |
| Apples, 1 kg | $1.37 | $2.08 | 1.52ร as much |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.00 | $1.28 | 1.28ร as much |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.18 | $1.27 | $0.09 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $0.37 | $0.82 | 2.22ร as much |
| Onions, 1 kg | $0.89 | $0.92 | $0.03 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.64 | $0.59 | $0.05 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.74 | $0.44 | 1.68ร as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $37.03 | $22.17 | 1.67ร as much |
| Taxi start | $1.48 | $1.48 | same |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.30 | $0.37 | $0.07 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.21 | $1.25 | $0.04 |
| Basic utilities, 85 mยฒ flat | $54.10 | $54.25 | $0.15 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $17.37 | $11.20 | 1.55ร as much |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $14.63 | $9.00 | 1.63ร as much |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $41.97 | $42.19 | $0.22 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $5.92 | $6.65 | $0.73 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Kunming has 105.8 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (prefecture level). That is the 13th-highest of 20 China cities we track. China's national figure is 112.8, so Kunming runs 7 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Kunming ranks against every city we track
Kunming sits ahead of 91% of the 553 cities we track on city-centre rent. On safety it is ahead of 91% of 562. Its weakest measure is clean air, ahead of only 21% of 898.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Kunming sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: ็ไธฝๆฑ็ๆฒณๆฐด, CC BY-SA 4.0.
