Costs & FX
Water, Power & Labour: The Numbers
Compare water, electricity and labour costs in Yunnan against the US, Germany and France — with an editable calculator that estimates your monthly and annual savings.
Last updated：2026-11
Order of magnitude
Same Water, Power and Labour — What's the Bill
Water, power and labour priced in RMB against income in USD or EUR is the most direct calculation for doing business in Yunnan. The table is compiled for the closest possible like-for-like comparison; actual bills and payroll prevail.
| Item | Yunnan (ref.) | United States | Germany | France |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial power (1–10 kV, normal tariff) | 0.44 CNY/kWh (≈ USD 0.066) | USD 0.096 industrial, 0.145 commercial | ≈ EUR 0.27/kWh (incl. taxes) | ≈ EUR 0.18/kWh (incl. taxes) |
| Non-residential water (incl. sewage) | CNY 6.05/m³ (4.65 supply + 1.40 sewage) | ≈ USD 2.34/m³ (residential, excl. sewage) | No federal figure; local bills apply | ≈ EUR 4.69/m³ (incl. sewage) |
| Statutory minimum wage (ref.) | CNY 2,170/month (Tier 1, from Oct 2025) | USD 7.25 federal; USD 11.51 state average per hour | EUR 13.90/h (2026) | EUR 12.31/h (from Jun 2026) |
| Farm labour (market rate) | ≈ CNY 120/day (seasonal CNY 100–150) | ≈ USD 17.15/h (crops/greenhouse) | Sector agreements apply | Sector agreements apply |
Yunnan: commercial power tariff for Oct 2026 (normal period), non-residential water tariff effective 2021 (2026 hearing proposes no change), minimum wage from Oct 2025. US: EIA August 2026 average delivered prices (excl. state sales tax); water figure is residential and excludes sewage. Europe: Eurostat H1 2026 non-household band including all taxes, and official minimum wages — secondary compilation pending verification against source tables. FX fixing on 3 Nov 2026: USD 1 ≈ CNY 6.72, EUR 1 ≈ CNY 7.48. All figures are order-of-magnitude references; verify locally before signing.
By Your Country
Pick Your Country, See the Gap
Power, water and wage structures vary widely. Pick the country closest to yours to compare it with Yunnan — then send the figures straight into the calculator below.
United States vs Yunnan (ref.)
Order-of-magnitude figures from 2025–2026 public sources and market research; tax and FX bases differ. Converted at USD 1 ≈ CNY 6.72 and EUR 1 ≈ CNY 7.48. Local bills prevail.
Run your numbers
Put In Your Scale, See the Annual Gap
Enter your local prices and scale on the left; the result updates instantly. Yunnan rates are references — replace them with your quoted prices.
Your costs at home
Yunnan reference rates (editable)
Your scale
Monthly cost comparison (USD)
Excludes rent, taxes, logistics and one-off costs. Rates and prices are editable; results are for order-of-magnitude reference only.
This is a simplified monthly operating cost model: electricity + water + wages. It excludes land or greenhouse rent, depreciation, taxes, logistics and one-off costs; the exchange rate is your input and does fluctuate.
How to read
Three Caveats That Matter
First, tax treatment differs. European industrial power prices usually include grid charges, taxes and levies; US commercial rates vary widely by state; Yunnan separates agricultural and general commercial categories by voltage level. Comparing headline unit prices can mislead — match line items against your own bill.
Second, labour is more than wages. Employers in Europe and the US also carry social insurance, benefits, leave and termination costs; Yunnan has social insurance and housing fund contributions too, but the overall burden and flexibility differ. Model total employer cost, not just monthly salary.
Third, the exchange rate cuts both ways. RMB-denominated costs against USD or EUR income look best when the RMB is relatively weak; a reversal narrows the advantage. Manage it with forward contracts or natural hedges rather than treating FX as a guaranteed gain.
One number growers often ask about: a new heated greenhouse (frame, insulation, film, smart irrigation and climate control) tendered in Yunnan in October 2026 came to about CNY 190,000 per mu (≈ CNY 285/m²). Rental rates have no public benchmark — negotiate with the park. Keep one-off capex separate from monthly operating costs so low power prices do not hide the upfront ticket.
FAQ
Four Questions We Hear Most
Can foreigners buy farmland in Yunnan?
No. Rural land in China is collectively owned; foreigners cannot buy farmland or rural housing land. The usual routes are setting up a foreign-invested enterprise and leasing land-use rights through rural land transfer, or renting standard factories or greenhouses in an industrial park. Land must remain in agricultural use, subject to local natural resources and agriculture authorities.
Can a planting business be 100% foreign-owned?
General planting, processing and sales can usually be structured as a wholly foreign-owned enterprise. However, breeding new crop varieties and seed production are restricted under the Negative List (some require Chinese control), and activities involving China's rare and endemic premium varieties face prohibitions. Each project needs an access check first.
Do foreign-invested firms pay different utility rates?
Rates are set by customer category and voltage level — residential, agricultural, general commercial — applying equally to domestic and foreign-invested firms. Irrigation and protected agriculture may qualify for the agricultural category, as determined by the power supplier.
Can I rely on these numbers for an investment decision?
Not directly. They are order-of-magnitude references to help you decide whether a visit is worthwhile. Before deciding, we help you obtain current park quotations, sample utility bills, local wage data and policy opinions, then have your accountant verify.
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