Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Haikou and Decatur, AL

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Haikou is about 58% cheaper than Decatur, AL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Haikou
Decatur, AL
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.49 ¥29.87
$14.73 $14.73
-69.52%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$14.88 ¥99.0
$42.83 $42.83
-65.26%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.93 ¥39.45
$12.02 $12.02
-50.67%
Cappuccino
$2.50 ¥16.62
$4.44 $4.44
-43.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.84 ¥5.59
$1.27 $1.27
-33.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37 ¥2.44
$1.59 $1.59
-76.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.52 ¥10.09
$5.10 $5.10
-70.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 ¥18.43
$5.91 $5.91
-53.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Haikou
Decatur, AL
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.12 ¥14.12
$0.50 $0.50
324.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 ¥9.38
$3.10 $3.10
-54.52%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.69 ¥4.60
$2.03 $2.03
-66.01%
Eggs
$1.37 ¥9.12
$2.60 $2.60
-47.31%
Local Cheese (1kg)
-
$7.94 $7.94
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.97 ¥26.43
$5.70 $5.70
-30.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.52 ¥103
$12.26 $12.26
26.59%
Apples (1kg)
$1.75 ¥11.64
$3.01 $3.01
-41.86%
Banana (1kg)
$0.93 ¥6.21
$1.80 $1.80
-48.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.09 ¥7.27
$2.70 $2.70
-59.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.94 ¥6.24
$1.93 $1.93
-51.30%
Potato (1kg)
$0.86 ¥5.73
$1.44 $1.44
-40.28%
Onion (1kg)
$0.74 ¥4.90
$1.61 $1.61
-54.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.43 ¥2.88
$2.66 $2.66
-83.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ¥3.73
$2.19 $2.19
-74.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.17 ¥21.11
$9.40 $9.40
-66.28%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.01 ¥60.0
$13.04 $13.04
-30.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.62 ¥4.14
$1.72 $1.72
-63.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.17 ¥7.77
$1.60 $1.60
-26.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Haikou
Decatur, AL
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.86 ¥5.71
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.9 ¥365
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.29 ¥15.25
$1.98 $1.98
15.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.47 ¥3.13
$1.34 $1.34
-64.93%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$20.31 $20.31
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.27 ¥8.48
$1.04 $1.04
22.12%
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
Haikou
Decatur, AL
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$36.44 ¥242
$189 $189
-80.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.45 ¥89.5
$84.5 $84.5
-84.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.72 ¥91.3
$74.2 $74.2
-81.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Haikou
Decatur, AL
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.34 ¥308
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.51 ¥43.30
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.62 ¥30.74
$14.86 $14.86
-68.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Haikou
Decatur, AL
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$871 ¥5,795
$1,713 $1,713
-49.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.7K ¥131.3K
$25.1K $25.1K
-21.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Haikou
Decatur, AL
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$27.29 ¥182
$46.48 $46.48
-41.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.76 ¥238
$33.04 $33.04
8.23%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$44.30 ¥295
$82.2 $82.2
-46.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$38.38 ¥255
$156 $156
-75.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Haikou
Decatur, AL
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$370 ¥2,463
$987 $987
-62.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$294 ¥1,956
$872 $872
-66.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$571 ¥3,801
$1,704 $1,704
-66.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$374 ¥2,489
$1,336 $1,336
-72.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,265 ¥21.7K
$1,659 $1,659
96.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,136 ¥14.2K
$1,681 $1,681
27.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Haikou
Decatur, AL
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$715 ¥4,757
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
6.6
-41.67%

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

Last update for Haikou: October 25, 2026

Last update for Decatur, AL: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Haikou
$294
Decatur, AL
$872 197% $578
Groceries & Markets
Haikou
$169 *
Decatur, AL
$272 60.7% $103
Eating Out
Haikou
$102
Decatur, AL
$256 152% $154
Clothing & Footwear
Haikou
$66
Decatur, AL
$143 118% $77
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Haikou
$64
Decatur, AL
$348 447% $284
Getting Around
Haikou
$63
Decatur, AL
$8.7 * 86.2% $54
Sport & Entertainment
Haikou
$56
Decatur, AL
$30 * 46.5% $26

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $370 in Haikou versus $987 in Decatur, AL. 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 $15 in Haikou versus $43 in Decatur, AL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $169 vs $272 – making Haikou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇳 Haikou
🇺🇸 Decatur, AL
🕒 Local time
11:56 11:56 AM
21:56 9:56 PM
14 h behind Haikou
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,873,358
77,047
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

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).

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

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

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
Haikou vs Decatur, AL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Haikou or Decatur, AL?
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 Haikou and in Decatur, AL?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,219 per month in Haikou and $2,894 in Decatur, AL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Haikou or Decatur, AL?
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 Haikou and in Decatur, AL?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $15 in Haikou and $43 in Decatur, AL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Haikou or in Decatur, AL?
Groceries cost about 61% more in Decatur, AL, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Haikou or in Decatur, AL?
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.

Haikou vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?