Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brazil and Timor-Leste

Name: Timor-Leste
Address: TL

For one person, living is cheaper in Brazil: $909 a month against $1,598 in Timor-Leste, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Brazil
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Brazil Living Index
78

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

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🇧🇷 Brazil

$909

/mo nomad

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

$1,598

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brazil 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 Brazil and in Timor-Leste actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $909 per month in Brazil vs $1,598 in Timor-Leste, rent included.

Brazil $909
Timor-Leste $1,598

A couple spends around $1,446 per month in Brazil vs $2,482 in Timor-Leste, rent included.

Brazil $1,446
Timor-Leste $2,482

A family of three spends $1,983 per month in Brazil vs $3,366 in Timor-Leste, rent included.

Brazil $1,983
Timor-Leste $3,366

The regional cost range is wider in Brazil ($608–$1,432) than in Timor-Leste ($1,619–$1,619), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Brazil is roughly 43% lower than in Timor-Leste on average.

Brazil sits 33% below the global median, while Timor-Leste is 18% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.15 R$36.23

$5.11 $5.11

39.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.99 R$172

$35.38 $35.38

-3.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.03 R$40.72

$6.57 $6.57

22.22%

Cappuccino

$2.11 R$10.69

$3.95 $3.95

-46.58%

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

$1.28 R$6.47

$1.80 $1.80

-28.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 R$3.71

$2.88 $2.88

-74.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 R$10.30

$2.97 $2.97

-31.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 R$15.30

$3.89 $3.89

-22.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 R$5.49

$2.28 $2.28

-52.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 R$8.60

$2.42 $2.42

-29.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.36

$0.97 $0.97

28.87%

Eggs

$2.25 R$11.42

$2.64 $2.64

-14.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.68 R$49.06

$1.94 $1.94

398.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.26 R$21.60

$9.62 $9.62

-55.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.22 R$41.69

$15.83 $15.83

-48.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 R$11.76

$3.28 $3.28

-29.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 R$6.89

$1.86 $1.86

-26.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.49

$2.49 $2.49

-48.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.86

$2.31 $2.31

-32.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 R$5.98

$1.20 $1.20

-1.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 R$5.73

$1.20 $1.20

-5.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 R$4.13

$0.86 $0.86

-5.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 R$3.88

$1.02 $1.02

-24.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.45 R$12.40

$3.03 $3.03

-19.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 R$39.69

$11.86 $11.86

-33.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 R$6.79

$2.29 $2.29

-41.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 R$11.88

$2.81 $2.81

-16.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 R$4.99

$0.24 $0.24

308.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.03 R$243

$42.44 $42.44

13.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.26 R$6.40

$3.60 $3.60

-65.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 R$5.21

$3.63 $3.63

-71.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 R$40.00

$19.61 $19.61

-59.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R$6.35

$1.42 $1.42

-11.97%

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

$23.1K R$117.3K

$20.1K $20.1K

15.10%

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

$32.7K R$165.8K

$18.0K $18.0K

82.13%

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

$82.9 R$420

$147 $147

-43.78%

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

$12.87 R$65.3

$26.97 $26.97

-52.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.04 R$107

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.13 R$127

$74.1 $74.1

-66.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.63 R$135

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 R$38.51

$6.06 $6.06

25.41%

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

$340 R$1,724

$1,527 $1,527

-77.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,119 R$46.2K

$15.9K $15.9K

-42.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 R$272

$61.1 $61.1

-12.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.57 R$246

$29.83 $29.83

62.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 R$458

$79.4 $79.4

13.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.6 R$363

$59.1 $59.1

21.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 R$1,980

$830 $830

-52.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$249 R$1,260

$745 $745

-66.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$725 R$3,677

$2,689 $2,689

-73.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$486 R$2,462

$1,533 $1,533

-68.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,896 R$9,612

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,302 R$6,602

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$538 R$2,727

$4,866 $4,866

-88.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.19

5.37

108.38%

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

Last update for Brazil: October 18, 2026

Last update for Timor-Leste: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brazil

$249 27.4%

Timor-Leste

$745 46.6% 200% $497

Groceries & Markets

Brazil

$195 21.4%

Timor-Leste

$274 17.2% 40.9% $80

Eating Out

Brazil

$131 14.4%

Timor-Leste

$149 9.3% 14.1% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Brazil

$119 13.1%

Timor-Leste

$103 6.5% 13.1% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brazil

$117 12.9%

Timor-Leste

$174 * 10.9% 49.3% $58

Getting Around

Brazil

$58 6.4%

Timor-Leste

$65 4.1% 11.6% $6.8

Sport & Entertainment

Brazil

$40 4.4%

Timor-Leste

$86 5.4% 114% $46

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

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $349 in Brazil vs $815 in Timor-Leste. For reference, capital cities sit at $494 in Brasilia and $815 in Dili.

Average salary: $499 in Brazil 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 134% higher in Timor-Leste.

Dining out costs 61% more in Timor-Leste.

Public transport is 32% more expensive in Brazil.

Salaries are 608% higher in Timor-Leste, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Timor-Leste.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brazil

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

🕒 Local time

23:26 11:26 PM

11:26 11:26 AM

12 h ahead of Brazil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

203,062,512

1,243,235

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

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

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Brazil Timor-Leste 17,210 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Brazil
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

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

Brazil is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 76% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Timor-Leste: a central one-bedroom averages $815 versus $349 in Brazil.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Brazil, but in Timor-Leste it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Brazil 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.