Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Decatur, AL and Haikou

For one person, living is cheaper in Haikou: $813 a month against $1,929 in Decatur, AL, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Decatur, AL, United States
Haikou, China
Decatur, AL
🇺🇸 United States
$1,929
/mo nomad
Haikou
🇨🇳 China
$813
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Decatur, AL and in Haikou

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Decatur, AL and in Haikou actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,929 per month in Decatur, AL vs $813 in Haikou, rent included.

  • Decatur, AL $1,929
  • Haikou $813

A couple spends around $2,715 per month in Decatur, AL vs $1,165 in Haikou, rent included.

  • Decatur, AL $2,715
  • Haikou $1,165

A family of three spends $3,500 per month in Decatur, AL vs $1,516 in Haikou, rent included.

  • Decatur, AL $3,500
  • Haikou $1,516

Decatur, AL costs about 137% more than Haikou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Decatur, AL sits 42% above the global median, while Haikou is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Decatur, AL
Haikou
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.73 $14.73
$4.49 ¥29.87
228.06%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.83 $42.83
$14.88 ¥99.0
187.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.02 $12.02
$5.93 ¥39.45
102.70%
Cappuccino
$4.44 $4.44
$2.50 ¥16.62
77.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 $1.27
$0.84 ¥5.59
51.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 $1.59
$0.37 ¥2.44
329.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.10 $5.10
$1.52 ¥10.09
235.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.91 $5.91
$2.77 ¥18.43
113.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Decatur, AL
Haikou
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.50 $0.50
$2.12 ¥14.12
-76.42%
White Bread (500g)
$3.10 $3.10
$1.41 ¥9.38
119.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.03 $2.03
$0.69 ¥4.60
194.20%
Eggs
$2.60 $2.60
$1.37 ¥9.12
89.78%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.94 $7.94
-
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.70 $5.70
$3.97 ¥26.43
43.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.26 $12.26
$15.52 ¥103
-21.01%
Apples (1kg)
$3.01 $3.01
$1.75 ¥11.64
72.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.80 $1.80
$0.93 ¥6.21
93.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 $2.70
$1.09 ¥7.27
147.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.93 $1.93
$0.94 ¥6.24
105.32%
Potato (1kg)
$1.44 $1.44
$0.86 ¥5.73
67.44%
Onion (1kg)
$1.61 $1.61
$0.74 ¥4.90
117.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.66 $2.66
$0.43 ¥2.88
518.60%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.19 $2.19
$0.56 ¥3.73
291.07%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.40 $9.40
$3.17 ¥21.11
196.53%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.04 $13.04
$9.01 ¥60.0
44.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.72 $1.72
$0.62 ¥4.14
177.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.60 $1.60
$1.17 ¥7.77
36.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Decatur, AL
Haikou
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.86 ¥5.71
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$54.9 ¥365
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.98 $1.98
$2.29 ¥15.25
-13.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.34 $1.34
$0.47 ¥3.13
185.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$20.31 $20.31
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$1.27 ¥8.48
-18.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K $27.4K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.6K $27.6K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Decatur, AL
Haikou
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$189 $189
$36.44 ¥242
418.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$84.5 $84.5
$13.45 ¥89.5
528.10%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$74.2 $74.2
$13.72 ¥91.3
440.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Decatur, AL
Haikou
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$46.34 ¥308
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$6.51 ¥43.30
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.86 $14.86
$4.62 ¥30.74
221.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Decatur, AL
Haikou
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,713 $1,713
$871 ¥5,795
96.68%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.1K $25.1K
$19.7K ¥131.3K
26.96%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Decatur, AL
Haikou
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.48 $46.48
$27.29 ¥182
70.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.04 $33.04
$35.76 ¥238
-7.61%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$82.2 $82.2
$44.30 ¥295
85.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$156 $156
$38.38 ¥255
305.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Decatur, AL
Haikou
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$987 $987
$370 ¥2,463
166.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$872 $872
$294 ¥1,956
196.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,704 $1,704
$571 ¥3,801
198.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,336 $1,336
$374 ¥2,489
257.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,659 $1,659
$3,265 ¥21.7K
-49.17%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,681 $1,681
$2,136 ¥14.2K
-21.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Decatur, AL
Haikou
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$715 ¥4,757
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.6
3.85
71.43%

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

Last update for Decatur, AL: October 26, 2026

Last update for Haikou: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Decatur, AL
$872
Haikou
$294 66.3% $578
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Decatur, AL
$348
Haikou
$64 81.7% $284
Groceries & Markets
Decatur, AL
$272
Haikou
$169 * 37.8% $103
Eating Out
Decatur, AL
$256
Haikou
$102 60.3% $154
Clothing & Footwear
Decatur, AL
$143
Haikou
$66 54.1% $77
Sport & Entertainment
Decatur, AL
$30 *
Haikou
$56 87% $26
Getting Around
Decatur, AL
$8.7 *
Haikou
$63 624% $54

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $987 in Decatur, AL versus $370 in Haikou. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Decatur, AL versus $15 in Haikou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $169 – making Haikou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Decatur, AL
🇨🇳 Haikou
🕒 Local time
22:49 10:49 PM
12:49 12:49 PM
14 h ahead of Decatur, AL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
77,047
2,873,358
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.43 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Decatur, AL Haikou 13,670 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Decatur, AL
  • Haikou

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
Decatur, AL vs Haikou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Decatur, AL or Haikou?
Decatur, AL costs about 137% more than Haikou, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Decatur, AL and in Haikou?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,894 per month in Decatur, AL and $1,219 in Haikou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Decatur, AL or Haikou?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Haikou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $370 there versus $987 in Decatur, AL.
How do dining costs compare in Decatur, AL and in Haikou?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Decatur, AL and $15 in Haikou. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Decatur, AL or in Haikou?
Groceries cost about 61% more in Decatur, AL, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Decatur, AL or in Haikou?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Haikou, where all-in costs run around $813, than in Decatur, AL at $1,929. In Haikou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Decatur, AL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Haikou – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Decatur, AL vs other spots: cost of living compared

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