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What is it like living there?

YuriCoach (46 posts) • 0

Hello all. We are considering accepting a job in Kunming but have questions about many things. Can you please help?
1- What is the best are to live near the KIA ?

2- House or apartment?

3- Can you find western food easily?

4- Air quality? Food safety? City safety

5- What to do for 9yo kids? (Parks, etc)
6- Any French tutors available?

Thanks :-)

GoK Moderator (5096 posts) • 0

1. Lots of apartments around KIA. In fact it is a pretty good area to live if you have kids. There are other expat families and school kids from KIA live in the neighbouring housing developments. No need to cross the big road and a short walk to school.
2. Houses rare and rent high, few near KIA
3. Outside KIA is western style bakery /restaurant/shop (with imported foods). At first main road intersection is a shopping mall with Burger King, Papa Johns, Dairy Queen, and the supermarket has some imported foods.
4. Air (see aqicn.org) is average by Chinese standards, but pollution levels moderate to unhealthy most of time).
Food safety, average for China.
City safety, average for China, very safe around KIA.
5. Can't answer much. There is a cinema and mini ice rink in the aforementioned shopping mall. For most Chinese kids free time equals homework or tutors. There is an outdoor activity/assault course type thing about 5 km away, but kids really only do that once. Dianchi Lake is about the same distance, it has some fairground rides, but not much else apart from walking. Cycling for the uninitiated is not so safe, unless you/your child can get 'China road wise' quickly.
6. Yes. People advertise on here.

redjon77 (510 posts) • 0

Feels very westernised living near KIA, easy to forget your in China if you don't dwell on it ;) Only time it always needs to come to mind is when on the roads lol.

Agree with all tigers post but would add for kids I think some kind of activity group needed for them to join, maybe the school can help? Apart from that I just see a few kids playing basketball or similar.

YuriCoach (46 posts) • 0

We lived 5 years in Shanghai and there is a lot to do, nevertheless pollution levels are very high. It worries me going back for more of the same :-( Do you need air purifiers units at home?

redjon77 (510 posts) • 0

Wouldn't think air purifiers are needed indoors but maybe I'm being naive! Hope someones got a real good answer for that..... Mind you my wife did just get one as she's pregnant lol

It seems OK to me here, I lived in London previously as my comparison.

YuriCoach (46 posts) • 0

We try all kind of food, but rather cook western at home. What is the average monthly rate for an Ayi? We don't need her to speak English

Haali (1178 posts) • 0

The air is better than Shanghai most of the time. You get the odd bad day or couple of days, but its usually relatively good for a PRC city. And down south by KIA the air is better than downtown.

Alexez (349 posts) • 0

Yuri if I may ask regards to ' We have never lived in an apartment, and we were hoping to live in a nice house with a garden. ' ( in other thread )
How much is to rent a house in SH? just curious. Thanks

YuriCoach (46 posts) • 0

Shanghai is very expensive regarding rental prices. For a nice villa in a secured compound, prices could start around 25.000RMB

It is my understanding that KM not so pricey.

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