Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dili and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Dili: $1,574 a month against $2,852 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Dili
Learn more

Dili Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
Learn more

Melbourne Living Index

Jump to prices

Dili

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

$1,574

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dili and in Melbourne

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

A single person spends $1,574 per month in Dili vs $2,852 in Melbourne, rent included.

Dili $1,574
Melbourne $2,852

A couple spends around $2,466 per month in Dili vs $4,297 in Melbourne, rent included.

Dili $2,466
Melbourne $4,297

A family of three spends $3,359 per month in Dili vs $5,742 in Melbourne, rent included.

Dili $3,359
Melbourne $5,742

Dili is about 45% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Dili and Melbourne sit above the global median – Dili by 17%, Melbourne by 113%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.13 $5.13

$17.75 A$25.40

-71.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.43 $42.43

$84.8 A$121

-49.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.91 $7.91

$12.16 A$17.40

-34.95%

Cappuccino

$4.18 $4.18

$3.93 A$5.62

6.36%

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

$1.63 $1.63

$3.14 A$4.49

-48.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.43 A$3.47

13.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 $2.57

$9.90 A$14.17

-74.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 $4.46

$8.29 A$11.86

-46.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.55 A$2.21

52.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.01 A$4.31

-16.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 $0.96

$2.88 A$4.12

-66.67%

Eggs

$2.68 $2.68

$5.44 A$7.79

-50.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$10.59 A$15.16

-80.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 $9.41

$9.61 A$13.76

-2.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.78 $15.78

$14.99 A$21.46

5.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$4.15 A$5.94

-20.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 $1.85

$3.05 A$4.37

-39.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$3.30 A$4.72

-24.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$4.76 A$6.81

-52.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$3.04 A$4.34

-59.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 $1.15

$2.55 A$3.65

-54.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 $0.85

$2.48 A$3.55

-65.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.63 A$2.33

-39.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.08 $3.08

$44.07 A$63.1

-93.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 $11.95

$12.43 A$17.79

-3.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$5.33 A$7.63

-58.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 $2.89

$5.16 A$7.38

-43.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 $0.24

$3.84 A$5.50

-93.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.78 $29.78

$142 A$203

-78.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 $3.52

$4.40 A$6.29

-20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.40 A$2.01

155.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.75 $19.75

$29.83 A$42.69

-33.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.46 A$2.09

-1.37%

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

$18.0K $18.0K

$28.1K A$40.3K

-36.11%

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

$16.7K $16.7K

$25.9K A$37.1K

-35.55%

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

$152 $152

$233 A$333

-34.77%

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

$27.49 $27.49

$27.28 A$39.04

0.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 A$81.6

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.46 $49.46

$52.7 A$75.4

-6.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.62 A$32.37

Cinema Ticket

$6.17 $6.17

$17.10 A$24.48

-63.92%

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

$1,477 $1,477

$2,373 A$3,397

-37.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K $16.1K

$30.5K A$43.6K

-47.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 $61.0

$78.2 A$112

-22.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.46 $30.46

$50.5 A$72.2

-39.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 $79.3

$121 A$172

-34.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.3 $60.3

$133 A$191

-54.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 $831

$1,713 A$2,451

-51.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$759 $759

$1,402 A$2,006

-45.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,739 $2,739

$3,339 A$4,778

-17.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,504 $1,504

$2,529 A$3,619

-40.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,018 A$10.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,767 A$9,685

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,656 $3,656

$4,228 A$6,051

-13.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

5.9

-8.98%

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

Last update for Dili: October 5, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dili

$759 47.9%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 84.6% $643

Groceries & Markets

Dili

$275 17.3%

Melbourne

$385 13.5% 40.3% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dili

$179 * 11.3%

Melbourne

$317 11.1% 76.9% $138

Eating Out

Dili

$154 9.7%

Melbourne

$314 11% 104% $160

Clothing & Footwear

Dili

$104 6.6%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 65.6% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Dili

$62 3.9%

Melbourne

$87 3.1% 40.6% $25

Getting Around

Dili

$52 3.3%

Melbourne

$168 5.9% 223% $116

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $831 in Dili versus $1,713 in Melbourne. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 16% higher in Melbourne, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Dili versus $85.0 in Melbourne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $385 – making Dili the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇱 Dili

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

17:14 5:14 PM

19:14 7:14 PM

2 h ahead of Dili

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

222,323 Capital

5,031,195

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

AUD to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dili Melbourne 3,790 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Dili
Melbourne

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

Dili vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 81%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,361 per month in Dili and $4,277 in Melbourne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dili, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Dili and $85.0 in Melbourne. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,574 in Dili and $2,852 in Melbourne. That's a gap of about 81%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Dili, where all-in costs run around $1,574, than in Melbourne at $2,852. In Dili it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dili – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Dili. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Melbourne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.