Python Decimal

from  timeit import Timer

def run(val, the_class):
    test = the_class(1)
    for c in xrange(10000):
        d = the_class(val)
        d + test
        d - test
        d * test
        d / test
        d ** test
        str(d)
        abs(d)

if __name__ == "__main__":
    a = Timer("run(123.345, float)", "from decimal_benchmark import run")
    print "FLOAT", a.timeit(1)
    a = Timer("run('123.345', Decimal)", "from decimal_benchmark import run; from decimal import Decimal")
    print "DECIMAL", a.timeit(1)

FLOAT 0.040635041427
DECIMAL 3.39666790146