diff --git a/src/_pytest/python_api.py b/src/_pytest/python_api.py
index 515d437f0..326283b4c 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/python_api.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/python_api.py
@@ -376,7 +376,9 @@ class ApproxSequenceLike(ApproxBase):
     def _check_type(self) -> None:
         __tracebackhide__ = True
         for index, x in enumerate(self.expected):
-            if isinstance(x, type(self.expected)):
+            if (isinstance(x, Collection) or isinstance(x, Mapping)) and not isinstance(
+                x, STRING_TYPES
+            ):
                 msg = "pytest.approx() does not support nested data structures: {!r} at index {}\n  full sequence: {}"
                 raise TypeError(msg.format(x, index, pprint.pformat(self.expected)))
 
diff --git a/testing/python/approx.py b/testing/python/approx.py
index 6acb466ff..3bbccc862 100644
--- a/testing/python/approx.py
+++ b/testing/python/approx.py
@@ -781,6 +781,9 @@ class TestApprox:
         "x, name",
         [
             pytest.param([[1]], "data structures", id="nested-list"),
+            pytest.param([(1,)], "data structures", id="nested-list-tuple"),
+            pytest.param([{1}], "data structures", id="nested-list-set"),
+            pytest.param([{"key": 1}], "data structures", id="nested-list-dict"),
             pytest.param({"key": {"key": 1}}, "dictionaries", id="nested-dict"),
         ],
     )