Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Timor-Leste

Name: Timor-Leste
Address: TL

For one person, living is cheaper in Timor-Leste: $1,598 a month against $2,539 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Timor-Leste
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Timor-Leste Living Index

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🇦🇺 Australia

$2,539

/mo nomad

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

$1,598

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Australia and in Timor-Leste

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

A single person spends $2,539 per month in Australia vs $1,598 in Timor-Leste, rent included.

Australia $2,539
Timor-Leste $1,598

A couple spends around $3,716 per month in Australia vs $2,482 in Timor-Leste, rent included.

Australia $3,716
Timor-Leste $2,482

A family of three spends $4,892 per month in Australia vs $3,366 in Timor-Leste, rent included.

Australia $4,892
Timor-Leste $3,366

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,635–$3,245) than in Timor-Leste ($1,619–$1,619), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Australia is about 59% higher than in Timor-Leste on average.

Both Australia and Timor-Leste are pricier than the global median – Australia by 87%, Timor-Leste by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.35 A$24.97

$5.11 $5.11

239.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.5 A$122

$35.38 $35.38

138.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 A$15.79

$6.57 $6.57

67.12%

Cappuccino

$3.84 A$5.53

$3.95 $3.95

-2.78%

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

$2.89 A$4.16

$1.80 $1.80

60.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 A$3.29

$2.88 $2.88

-20.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 A$11.21

$2.97 $2.97

162.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.42 A$12.12

$3.89 $3.89

116.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 A$2.52

$2.28 $2.28

-23.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$4.00

$2.42 $2.42

14.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 A$3.33

$0.97 $0.97

138.14%

Eggs

$4.89 A$7.04

$2.64 $2.64

85.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.95 A$14.32

$1.94 $1.94

412.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.06 A$13.03

$9.62 $9.62

-5.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.92 A$21.46

$15.83 $15.83

-5.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.65 A$5.25

$3.28 $3.28

11.28%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$1.86 $1.86

62.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.66

$2.49 $2.49

30.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 A$6.76

$2.31 $2.31

103.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 A$4.11

$1.20 $1.20

137.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.34

$1.20 $1.20

93.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 A$3.50

$0.86 $0.86

182.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 A$2.39

$1.02 $1.02

62.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.47 A$55.4

$3.03 $3.03

1169.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.84 A$19.92

$11.86 $11.86

16.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$7.01

$2.29 $2.29

112.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.28 A$7.59

$2.81 $2.81

87.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 A$3.90

$0.24 $0.24

1029.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.0 A$135

$42.44 $42.44

121.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 A$5.14

$3.60 $3.60

-0.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 A$2.35

$3.63 $3.63

-55.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.04 A$57.6

$19.61 $19.61

104.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.91

$1.42 $1.42

-6.34%

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

$29.1K A$41.9K

$20.1K $20.1K

44.90%

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

$25.7K A$37.0K

$18.0K $18.0K

43.25%

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

$205 A$296

$147 $147

39.28%

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

$28.24 A$40.63

$26.97 $26.97

4.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 A$82.0

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.4 A$79.7

$74.1 $74.1

-25.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.46 A$28.01

Cinema Ticket

$15.06 A$21.66

$6.06 $6.06

148.51%

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

$2,097 A$3,017

$1,527 $1,527

37.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K A$26.0K

$15.9K $15.9K

13.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.0 A$112

$61.1 $61.1

27.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 A$79.6

$29.83 $29.83

85.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 A$161

$79.4 $79.4

40.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 A$175

$59.1 $59.1

106.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,559 A$2,244

$830 $830

87.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 A$1,748

$745 $745

63.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,435 A$3,504

$2,689 $2,689

-9.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,924 A$2,769

$1,533 $1,533

25.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,175 A$11.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,060 A$8,721

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,038 A$5,811

$4,866 $4,866

-17.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.94

5.37

10.61%

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

Last update for Australia: October 19, 2026

Last update for Timor-Leste: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Australia

$1.2K 47.8%

Timor-Leste

$745 46.6% 38.6% $469

Groceries & Markets

Australia

$372 14.7%

Timor-Leste

$274 17.2% 26.3% $98

Eating Out

Australia

$294 11.6%

Timor-Leste

$149 9.3% 49.3% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Australia

$291 11.4%

Timor-Leste

$174 * 10.9% 40% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Australia

$165 6.5%

Timor-Leste

$103 6.5% 37.5% $62

Getting Around

Australia

$117 4.6%

Timor-Leste

$65 4.1% 44.1% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Australia

$85 3.4%

Timor-Leste

$86 5.4% 0.9% $0.7

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

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,364 in Australia vs $815 in Timor-Leste. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,719 in Canberra and $815 in Dili.

Average salary: $3,853 in Australia vs $3,531 in Timor-Leste. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 67% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 64% more in Australia.

Public transport is 142% more expensive in Australia.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Australia

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

🕒 Local time

13:26 1:26 PM

11:26 11:26 AM

2 h behind Australia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,473,055

1,243,235

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Australia Timor-Leste 3,820 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Australia
Timor-Leste

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

Australia vs Timor-Leste: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Timor-Leste is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 59% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,364 versus $815 in Timor-Leste.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Timor-Leste, adding to the overall 59% price gap.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Timor-Leste, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Timor-Leste is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.