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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $788 per month in Dushanbe vs $786 in Haikou, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,191 per month in Dushanbe vs $1,196 in Haikou, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,594 per month in Dushanbe vs $1,605 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

$6.06 TJS 56.1

$2.55 ¥17.26

137.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.07 TJS 139

$24.04 ¥163

-37.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 TJS 81.5

$5.31 ¥35.95

65.91%

Cappuccino

$2.02 TJS 18.67

$2.95 ¥19.94

-31.53%

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

$0.62 TJS 5.77

$0.45 ¥3.06

37.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 TJS 2.77

$0.30 ¥2.06

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 TJS 11.26

$1.40 ¥9.49

-12.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 TJS 18.85

$3.63 ¥24.55

-43.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 TJS 9.06

$1.77 ¥12.00

-44.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 TJS 5.27

$1.42 ¥9.61

-59.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 TJS 18.05

$0.88 ¥5.93

121.59%

Eggs

$1.86 TJS 17.16

$1.85 ¥12.55

0.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 TJS 84.9

$12.90 ¥87.3

-28.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.46 TJS 41.22

$5.47 ¥37.00

-18.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.28 TJS 85.9

$15.10 ¥102

-38.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.71 TJS 15.86

$0.86 ¥5.79

98.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 TJS 23.72

$0.89 ¥6.05

187.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 TJS 23.62

$0.40 ¥2.72

537.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 TJS 11.95

$0.95 ¥6.40

35.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 TJS 7.32

$0.70 ¥4.76

12.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 TJS 5.07

$0.68 ¥4.62

-19.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 TJS 7.27

$0.27 ¥1.81

192.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 TJS 5.89

$0.52 ¥3.53

23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 TJS 23.35

$2.90 ¥19.65

-13.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.28 TJS 104

$11.69 ¥79.2

-3.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 TJS 13.27

$0.79 ¥5.35

81.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 TJS 20.59

$1.57 ¥10.65

42.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 TJS 2.42

$0.27 ¥1.83

-3.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.98 TJS 92.3

$16.76 ¥113

-40.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.97 TJS 8.96

$2.73 ¥18.47

-64.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 TJS 2.49

$0.33 ¥2.20

-18.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.91 TJS 54.7

$6.73 ¥45.58

-12.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 TJS 9.04

$1.16 ¥7.87

-15.52%

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

$18.4K TJS 170.5K

$20.3K ¥137.7K

-9.38%

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

$25.9K TJS 239.6K

$16.7K ¥112.9K

55.30%

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

$50.9 TJS 470

$34.12 ¥231

49.06%

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

$13.67 TJS 126

$13.71 ¥92.8

-0.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.90 TJS 221

$8.57 ¥58.0

178.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.81 TJS 368

$32.90 ¥223

21.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.08 TJS 84.0

$5.79 ¥39.21

56.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 TJS 46.08

$5.41 ¥36.64

-7.95%

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

$101 TJS 930

$340 ¥2,304

-70.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K TJS 132.2K

$28.4K ¥192.2K

-49.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.38 TJS 281

$41.66 ¥282

-27.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.49 TJS 356

$41.90 ¥284

-8.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 TJS 698

$42.49 ¥288

77.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.2 TJS 502

$35.08 ¥237

54.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 TJS 4,118

$352 ¥2,383

26.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 TJS 2,175

$282 ¥1,906

-16.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$760 TJS 7,032

$540 ¥3,655

40.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$416 TJS 3,847

$469 ¥3,173

-11.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,301 TJS 12.0K

$3,108 ¥21.0K

-58.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$695 TJS 6,426

$2,120 ¥14.3K

-67.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$436 TJS 4,029

$719 ¥4,868

-39.44%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Haikou: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $445 in Dushanbe versus $352 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 65% 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 $24.00 in Haikou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $211 – 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 $1,182 per month in Dushanbe and $1,179 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 $24.00 in Haikou. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 68% 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 $788 in Dushanbe and $786 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.