Cost of Living Comparison Between Dushanbe and Haikou Cost of Living Comparison Between Dushanbe and Haikou

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $789 per month in Dushanbe vs $785 in Haikou, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,206 per month in Dushanbe vs $1,194 in Haikou, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,624 per month in Dushanbe vs $1,603 in Haikou, rent included.

Dushanbe and Haikou have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Dushanbe and Haikou are more affordable than the global median – Dushanbe 41% lower, Haikou 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.80 TJS 53.6

$2.44 ¥16.51

137.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.03 TJS 139

$24.58 ¥166

-38.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 TJS 80.4

$5.06 ¥34.24

71.94%

Cappuccino

$2.06 TJS 19.07

$3.06 ¥20.71

-32.68%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 TJS 6.18

$0.46 ¥3.08

45.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 TJS 2.98

$0.33 ¥2.26

-3.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 TJS 10.70

$1.36 ¥9.22

-14.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 TJS 18.49

$3.72 ¥25.18

-46.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 TJS 9.08

$1.79 ¥12.07

-45.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 TJS 5.29

$1.37 ¥9.25

-58.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 TJS 17.69

$0.82 ¥5.54

132.93%

Eggs

$1.79 TJS 16.55

$1.86 ¥12.60

-3.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 TJS 83.0

$12.66 ¥85.6

-29.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 TJS 42.36

$5.70 ¥38.57

-19.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.09 TJS 84.0

$15.45 ¥104

-41.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 TJS 15.44

$0.81 ¥5.48

106.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 TJS 24.18

$0.93 ¥6.26

181.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 TJS 23.56

$0.43 ¥2.91

493.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 TJS 11.83

$0.93 ¥6.29

37.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 TJS 6.83

$0.78 ¥5.25

-5.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 TJS 5.36

$0.71 ¥4.83

-18.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 TJS 7.69

$0.29 ¥1.96

186.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 TJS 5.84

$0.52 ¥3.53

21.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 TJS 22.71

$3.00 ¥20.27

-18.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.33 TJS 95.5

$11.39 ¥77.0

-9.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 TJS 13.84

$0.80 ¥5.42

87.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 TJS 20.76

$1.65 ¥11.17

36.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 TJS 2.21

$0.29 ¥1.96

-17.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.06 TJS 93.0

$16.58 ¥112

-39.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 TJS 9.26

$2.87 ¥19.40

-65.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 TJS 2.47

$0.36 ¥2.41

-25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.09 TJS 56.3

$6.53 ¥44.17

-6.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 TJS 8.94

$1.13 ¥7.61

-14.16%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$18.1K TJS 167.7K

$20.4K ¥138.2K

-11.20%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.8K TJS 238.3K

$16.2K ¥109.4K

59.39%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$50.7 TJS 468

$33.79 ¥228

49.93%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.45 TJS 124

$13.85 ¥93.6

-2.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.21 TJS 224

$8.11 ¥54.9

198.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.00 TJS 370

$32.15 ¥217

24.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.91 TJS 82.4

$5.80 ¥39.25

53.62%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 TJS 45.22

$5.46 ¥36.92

-10.44%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$102 TJS 941

$333 ¥2,251

-69.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K TJS 132.9K

$27.9K ¥188.6K

-48.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.80 TJS 285

$41.58 ¥281

-25.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.42 TJS 355

$41.71 ¥282

-7.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 TJS 692

$42.57 ¥288

75.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.2 TJS 510

$34.35 ¥232

60.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 TJS 4,056

$343 ¥2,320

27.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$230 TJS 2,129

$274 ¥1,855

-16.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 TJS 6,778

$533 ¥3,602

37.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$419 TJS 3,873

$472 ¥3,191

-11.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,257 TJS 11.6K

$3,212 ¥21.7K

-60.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$711 TJS 6,570

$2,147 ¥14.5K

-66.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$478 TJS 4,417

$717 ¥4,851

-33.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

25.75

4.85

430.93%

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

Last update for Dushanbe: June 1, 2026

Last update for Haikou: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $439 in Dushanbe versus $343 in Haikou. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 50% higher in Haikou. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15.00 in Dushanbe versus $25.00 in Haikou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $195 vs $212 – making Dushanbe the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Dushanbe vs Haikou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,183 per month in Dushanbe and $1,177 in Haikou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Haikou, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15.00 in Dushanbe and $25.00 in Haikou. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 65% less in Haikou. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $789 in Dushanbe and $785 in Haikou, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Haikou. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dushanbe makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.