diff --git a/src/_pytest/python_api.py b/src/_pytest/python_api.py
index 5fa219619..bd74ec296 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/python_api.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/python_api.py
@@ -450,9 +450,26 @@ class ApproxScalar(ApproxBase):
         # for compatibility with complex numbers.
         if math.isinf(abs(self.expected)):  # type: ignore[arg-type]
             return False
+    
+        tolerance = self.tolerance    
+        expected = self.expected
+        
+        if (isinstance(self.expected, Decimal) and not isinstance(actual, Decimal)):
+            try:
+                actual = Decimal(str(actual))
+                tolerance = Decimal(str(tolerance))
+            except TypeError: # 
+                return False
+        elif (isinstance(actual, Decimal) and not isinstance(self.expected, Decimal)):
+            try :
+                expected = Decimal(str(expected))
+                tolerance = Decimal(str(tolerance))
+            except TypeError:
+                return False
+            
 
         # Return true if the two numbers are within the tolerance.
-        result: bool = abs(self.expected - actual) <= self.tolerance
+        result: bool = (abs(actual - expected) <= tolerance ) # type: ignore[arg-type]
         return result
 
     # Ignore type because of https://github.com/python/mypy/issues/4266.
@@ -491,9 +508,15 @@ class ApproxScalar(ApproxBase):
         # we've made sure the user didn't ask for an absolute tolerance only,
         # because we don't want to raise errors about the relative tolerance if
         # we aren't even going to use it.
-        relative_tolerance = set_default(
-            self.rel, self.DEFAULT_RELATIVE_TOLERANCE
-        ) * abs(self.expected)
+        
+        if isinstance(self.rel, Decimal):
+            relative_tolerance = set_default(
+                self.rel, self.DEFAULT_RELATIVE_TOLERANCE
+            )*Decimal(str(abs(self.expected)))
+        else:
+            relative_tolerance = set_default(
+                self.rel, self.DEFAULT_RELATIVE_TOLERANCE
+            ) * abs(self.expected)
 
         if relative_tolerance < 0:
             raise ValueError(
@@ -572,7 +595,7 @@ def approx(expected, rel=None, abs=None, nan_ok: bool = False) -> ApproxBase:
         >>> {'a': 0.1 + 0.2, 'b': 0.2 + 0.4} == approx({'a': 0.3, 'b': 0.6})
         True
 
-    The comparison will be true if both mappings have the same keys and their
+    The comparision will be true if both mappings have the same keys and their
     respective values match the expected tolerances.
 
     **Tolerances**
diff --git a/testing/python/approx.py b/testing/python/approx.py
index 7b4fbad15..eadaba1da 100644
--- a/testing/python/approx.py
+++ b/testing/python/approx.py
@@ -341,6 +341,8 @@ class TestApprox:
             (0.0, -0.0),
             (345678, 345678),
             (Decimal("1.0001"), Decimal("1.0001")),
+            (1.0001, Decimal("1.0001")),
+            (Decimal("1.0001"), 1.0001),
             (Fraction(1, 3), Fraction(-1, -3)),
         ]
         for a, x in examples:
@@ -515,6 +517,10 @@ class TestApprox:
         within_1e6 = [
             (Decimal("1.000001"), Decimal("1.0")),
             (Decimal("-1.000001"), Decimal("-1.0")),
+            (-1.000001, Decimal("-1.0")),
+            (1.000001, Decimal("1.0")),
+            (Decimal("1.000001"), 1.0),
+            (Decimal("-1.000001"), -1.0),
         ]
         for a, x in within_1e6:
             assert a == approx(x)
@@ -562,6 +568,15 @@ class TestApprox:
         expected = [Decimal("1"), Decimal("2")]
 
         assert actual == approx(expected)
+        
+        expected = [1, 2]
+        
+        assert actual == approx(expected)
+        
+        expected = [Decimal("1"), Decimal("2")]
+        actual = [1.000001, 2.000001]
+        
+        assert actual == approx(expected)
 
     def test_list_wrong_len(self):
         assert [1, 2] != approx([1])
@@ -603,6 +618,15 @@ class TestApprox:
         expected = {"b": Decimal("2"), "a": Decimal("1")}
 
         assert actual == approx(expected)
+        
+        actual = {"a": 1.000001, "b": 2.000001}
+        
+        assert actual == approx(expected)
+        
+        actual = {"a": Decimal("1.000001"), "b": Decimal("2.000001")}
+        expected = {"b": 2, "a": 1}
+        
+        assert actual == approx(expected)
 
     def test_dict_wrong_len(self):
         assert {"a": 1, "b": 2} != approx({"a": 1})
@@ -878,3 +902,4 @@ class TestApprox:
         """pytest.approx() should raise an error on unordered sequences (#9692)."""
         with pytest.raises(TypeError, match="only supports ordered sequences"):
             assert {1, 2, 3} == approx({1, 2, 3})
+    
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/testing/test_collection.py b/testing/test_collection.py
index 9099ec57f..e92a40076 100644
--- a/testing/test_collection.py
+++ b/testing/test_collection.py
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ class TestCollector:
 
         fn3 = pytester.collect_by_name(modcol, "test_fail")
         assert isinstance(fn3, pytest.Function)
-        assert not (fn1 == fn3)
+        assert fn1 != fn3
         assert fn1 != fn3
 
         for fn in fn1, fn2, fn3: