Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Timor-Leste

Name: Timor-Leste
Address: TL

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $800 a month against $1,598 in Timor-Leste, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index
78

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

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🇨🇳 China

$800

/mo nomad

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

$1,598

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $800 in China versus $1,598 in Timor-Leste.

China $800
Timor-Leste $1,598

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,266 in China versus $2,482 in Timor-Leste.

China $1,266
Timor-Leste $2,482

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,731 in China versus $3,366 in Timor-Leste.

China $1,731
Timor-Leste $3,366

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $462 to $1,256, compared to $1,619–$1,619 in Timor-Leste. City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in China costs about 50% less than in Timor-Leste on average.

China (41% below) and Timor-Leste (18% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.50

$5.11 $5.11

-42.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.45 ¥150

$35.38 $35.38

-36.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 ¥35.65

$6.57 $6.57

-18.87%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.34

$3.95 $3.95

-23.04%

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

$0.48 ¥3.23

$1.80 $1.80

-73.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$2.88 $2.88

-89.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ¥7.12

$2.97 $2.97

-63.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.11

$3.89 $3.89

-41.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥11.70

$2.28 $2.28

-23.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.80

$2.42 $2.42

-33.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.63

$0.97 $0.97

2.06%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.44

$2.64 $2.64

-40.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 ¥88.6

$1.94 $1.94

582.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ¥22.50

$9.62 $9.62

-64.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.39 ¥76.2

$15.83 $15.83

-28.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.19

$3.28 $3.28

-44.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.34

$1.86 $1.86

-32.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.39

$2.49 $2.49

-37.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.55

$2.31 $2.31

-44.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.72

$1.20 $1.20

-40.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.75

$1.20 $1.20

-28.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.36

$0.86 $0.86

-24.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$1.02 $1.02

-42.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.76 ¥25.14

$3.03 $3.03

24.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.76 ¥78.6

$11.86 $11.86

-0.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ¥6.11

$2.29 $2.29

-60.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.86

$2.81 $2.81

-42.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$0.24 $0.24

29.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.75 ¥152

$42.44 $42.44

-46.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.17

$3.60 $3.60

-57.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.50

$3.63 $3.63

-89.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.66

$19.61 $19.61

-62.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.38

$1.42 $1.42

-11.97%

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

$19.4K ¥129.7K

$20.1K $20.1K

-3.52%

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

$17.1K ¥114.4K

$18.0K $18.0K

-4.67%

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

$55.5 ¥371

$147 $147

-62.37%

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

$8.29 ¥55.4

$26.97 $26.97

-69.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.97 ¥73.3

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.38 ¥270

$74.1 $74.1

-45.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.76 ¥98.7

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 ¥45.18

$6.06 $6.06

11.55%

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

$465 ¥3,108

$1,527 $1,527

-69.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$15.9K $15.9K

23.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.32 ¥310

$61.1 $61.1

-24.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.30 ¥243

$29.83 $29.83

21.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 ¥510

$79.4 $79.4

-4.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 ¥527

$59.1 $59.1

33.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 ¥2,646

$830 $830

-52.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 ¥1,604

$745 $745

-67.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,499

$2,689 $2,689

-69.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 ¥3,116

$1,533 $1,533

-69.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,544 ¥30.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 ¥15.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,075 ¥7,188

$4,866 $4,866

-77.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

5.37

-35.57%

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

Last update for China: 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

China

$240 30%

Timor-Leste

$745 46.6% 211% $505

Groceries & Markets

China

$209 26.1%

Timor-Leste

$274 17.2% 31.4% $66

Clothing & Footwear

China

$107 13.4%

Timor-Leste

$103 6.5% 3.5% $3.7

Eating Out

China

$89 11.1%

Timor-Leste

$149 9.3% 68% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$75 9.3%

Timor-Leste

$174 * 10.9% 133% $100

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.7%

Timor-Leste

$86 5.4% 60% $32

Getting Around

China

$27 3.4%

Timor-Leste

$65 4.1% 138% $38

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

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $299 in China, $815 in Timor-Leste. Capital cities: $945 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $815 in Dili.

National salary averages: $870 in China, $3,531 in Timor-Leste. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 173% higher in Timor-Leste.

Dining out costs 138% more in Timor-Leste.

Public transport is 82% more expensive in Timor-Leste.

Salaries are 306% higher in Timor-Leste, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Timor-Leste.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

🕒 Local time

10:26 10:26 AM

11:26 11:26 AM

1 h ahead of China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

1,243,235

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

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

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

China Timor-Leste 5,470 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

China
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

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

At $800 per month in China and $1,598 in Timor-Leste, there's a 100% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in China: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $815 in Timor-Leste and $299 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Timor-Leste it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; Timor-Leste may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.