At an 'international' school (read private school) I'd say you can expect to pay

30,000-50,000 a year, which is just about affordable on a 10k per month salary. But it is possible to earn a fair bit more than 10k if you have qualifications and experience. If you have a degree and/or TEFL, don't settle for less than 10k a month. At the school I work in, the starting salary for teachers is 10k plus bonuses.

@Leigh2305
DISCLAIMER
Epic email - expat experts, please ignore.

RENT
If rent is NOT covered or merely subsidized - then no. Rent in the cheapest of places will run a minimum of ¥1-2k per month, in the older areas and can exceed ¥6k per month in the nicer more upscale areas (aka places with elevators). Typical apartment sizes on the low end are around 30-50 sqm. A 3 bd 1 ba apt (60-80 sqm) on the low end is about ¥2.5k+ per month and you'll have to pay 6-12 months in advance - but can negotiate discounts based on pre-payment. BEWARE of fraudulent agents and apartment owners - use your school to rent an apartment. You'll also be required to register with the local Public Security Bureau (PSB) - so find the local office and take care of that within 24 hours. It's mandatory for conversion of your temporary Z Visa (work visa) into a permanent Z Visa. You typically have 30-90 days to convert your temporary work visa into a permanent work visa. Permanent means ≤ 12 month work visa - which must be renewed annually. After you establish a work history with no criminal violations - you can begin to apply for extended visas in conjunction with extended work permits (≥ 2 year).

MOST rentals come with cheap dingy banged up furniture and nominal appliances such as refrigerator, microwave, and toaster oven, gas (older places) or electric (newer places) stovetops - but better than nothing. Winters - you'll DEFINITELY need electric blankets and space heaters - winters are short (Dec-Jan), but can be brutally cold because of the altitude.

SUPPLEMENTAL INCOME
You and your spouse can possibly provide private tutoring services, which can potentially supplement your incomes by up to ¥10k per month, each - but you have two small children to care for and nurture. Private language tuition is typically ≥ ¥100+ per hour and goes considerably higher, based on wealthier students, english cram schools, and location location location. MOST teachers moonlight in cram schools. It's illegal for both Chinese teachers AND foreigners - but this is Kunming and that's just how it is. If you get caught - it can be unpleasant, so just be subtle and try to NOT attract attention or be TOO successful in student recruiting. There are a wealth of underground schools (not legally registered or licensed) and new language schools pop up like toast - prolific and pervasive - making STARTING your own language school highly and increasingly challenging.

FOOD
Living on that salary is possible, especially if your infant is weaned off formula and diapers - but you'll have to budget carefully, learn how to shop at the wet markets (outdoor & omnipresent farmer's markets) and predominantly cook and eat at home.

MacDonalds, Burger King, KFC - these become luxuries, but occasionally affordable.

SCHOOL FEES
Pre-school - cheapest I've ever seen is @ocean's school. You also have to throw food costs of ≥ ¥360 every month (breakfast, lunch, light dinner). Also throw in additional after school offerings such as art, music, martial arts for about ¥100 per month (pre-paid in semester increments of 3-6 months).

LANGUAGE
Most challenging will be your 7yo. Adjusting to an immersion environment where your primary school child can't initially read, write, listen, speak - will be academically and emotionally challenging.

Depending on whim, as a foreign expert your children are technically eligible to attend primary and middle school free - however as a foreigner most Kunming schools will attempt to illegally extort about ¥25k per year in "tuition" fees from you. I say extort because the piece of paper they show you - they won't let you copy it nor give you a copy - it's treated as some kind of secret. That coupled with their body language when presenting the fees implies the fees are illegal, coercive, and extortion. Your school absolutely must assist with placement into a neighborhood school.

Your standard of living, theoretically compared to minimum wage at home - should actually rise, but China is difficult and Kunming is NOT particularly inexpensive on cost of living, although definitely not close to the costs of a Beijing or Shanghai.

I wish you success with your move and with your childrens' relatively painless integration into society. This is a major cultural shift and environmental change. The advantage - no drugs, no guns. The downside for the kids - social integration or outcast if things go terribly wrong in school. And for primary school - you must also provide for the daily school lunch (which tends to be laced with spicy chili) - figure ¥6-8 per day for an almost vegetarian meal.

A small loaf of bread with about 10 slices is about ¥6-8. Add raisins and or nuts ≥ 12 per loaf. Butter is difficult to find. Cheese runs about ¥90/kg. Sliced ham and deli meats - forgot, but you can buy these things from Wicker Basket (not open Sundays and listed in the gokm listings) and Salvadors (who generously sells their cheese probably at near cost).

I shop online for toilet paper, cooking oil, and most everything because it is delivered and I detest lugging heavy stuff home from the market - so learning to shop online - safely and securely - critical skill. You'll need a chinese bank card, internet enabled.

INTERNET
High speed internet runs about ¥800-1200 a year - prepaid. That fee usually includes the modem/wifi thing these days and occasionally they'll even throw in a couple of extra free months of service. Most communities are now fiber to the curb (FTTC) if not Fiber to the Home (FTTH) and the speeds are throttled electronically.

Do NOT use google as gmail is blocked. DO use outlook.com as it is compliant with Chinese law and low in spam. You may also optionally sign up for an apple iCloud account free (3gb of storage, to include email & attachments).

TRANSPORTATION
Two kids - I'm guessing a pair of e-bikes or a granny scooter (4 wheeled electric or gas powered 3-4 SLIM person seater). A smaller e-bike will usually cost ¥1-2k depending on how much you want to cuss at the thing for breaking down. You'll have to charge it daily and should be able to eke out 30-70 km depending on driving habits and battery age.

TRAVEL
On the plus side - travel can be nominal and hopping across the borders to vietnam, thailand, laos, cambodia, etc - nominally dangerous

but visually exciting. If you crave beaches - vientiane is a roughly day trip away by rail (think 24 hours with border transfers, buses, etc).

If you're a practicing Christian - plugging into and integrating into any of the expat christian groups can be either a tremendously helpful and enriching experience or an utterly hellish and nightmarish experience, filled with gossip mongering, discrimination, and petty adolescent bullying.

MOBILE PHONES
Expect a minimum of ¥100-200 a month per phone for you and your spouse - try to NOT use mobile internet - that'll add ¥10-150 to your monthly bill. You MAY opt for an inexpensive granny phone for your son (simple keypad phone - no apps) for emergencies - about ¥200-400 for the phone and I think the mobile carriers used to have special programs for voice only plans - but figure ¥50 per month.

There is a wealth of free to low cost activities - hiking, biking, and generally busing yourself and kids around the city and suburbs on weekends - when you're not tutoring - try to keep a minimum of ONE WHOLE DAY (sunrise to bedtime) free to devote to your kids, as parents.

Another big factor is health insurance for you and rhe kids. Especially the kids.

That is another cost factor to consider.

100-200 a month for phone!? As newcomers, who are they going to be calling/texting apart from each other and perhaps the odd colleague. 50 should be plenty.

The most useful information is that foreign experts can (in theory) get their children into public schools for free like locals. But even locals struggle to get places because there aren't really enough schools in the city to cope with the population.

Maybe have a look into homeschooling or joining an expat homeschool group.

I wish you all the best. Towing 2 kids and teaching in a foreign country without knowing the language will be difficult. Best thing to do is establish a support system with others in your situation. Good Luck!

Difficult maybe, but a great opportunity for them - learning a foreign language in situ, as well as other things.

If you're heart isn't set on Kunming, you could get better benefits and twice as much salary or more in a tier 1 city like Beijing. Of course, Beijing comes with an urban rat race lifestyle and air pollution.

Thank you that’s great information. I know obviously the language will be a barrier but I’m sure he will be fine learning before and then during his time their

chinese isnt like learning french or german, its much harder coz of the reading and writing in chinese characters. now sure how many charachters are supposed to know and use by age 7, several hundred if not 1000