Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dili and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Dili: $1,574 a month against $3,454 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $22,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Dili
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Dili Living Index
168

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index

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Dili

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

$1,574

/mo nomad

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,454

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dili and in Singapore

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 Singapore actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,574 per month in Dili vs $3,454 in Singapore, rent included.

Dili $1,574
Singapore $3,454

A couple spends around $2,466 per month in Dili vs $5,224 in Singapore, rent included.

Dili $2,466
Singapore $5,224

A family of three spends $3,359 per month in Dili vs $6,994 in Singapore, rent included.

Dili $3,359
Singapore $6,994

Dili is about 54% cheaper than Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Dili and Singapore sit above the global median – Dili by 17%, Singapore by 158%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.13 $5.13

$11.53 SGD 14.77

-55.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.43 $42.43

$71.2 SGD 91.2

-40.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.91 $7.91

$8.76 SGD 11.22

-9.70%

Cappuccino

$4.18 $4.18

$5.25 SGD 6.73

-20.38%

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

$1.63 $1.63

$1.83 SGD 2.34

-10.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.25 SGD 1.60

120.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 $2.57

$8.42 SGD 10.79

-69.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 $4.46

$10.02 SGD 12.83

-55.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.94 SGD 3.76

-19.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.47 SGD 3.16

2.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 $0.96

$2.71 SGD 3.47

-64.58%

Eggs

$2.68 $2.68

$3.73 SGD 4.77

-28.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$21.54 SGD 27.58

-90.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 $9.41

$9.52 SGD 12.20

-1.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.78 $15.78

$25.98 SGD 33.27

-39.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$4.48 SGD 5.74

-26.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 $1.85

$3.11 SGD 3.99

-40.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$4.62 SGD 5.92

-46.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.23 SGD 2.86

1.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.50 SGD 3.20

-50.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 $1.15

$2.38 SGD 3.05

-51.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.78 SGD 2.28

-52.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.51 SGD 1.93

-35.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.08 $3.08

$14.18 SGD 18.16

-78.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 $11.95

$23.79 SGD 30.47

-49.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$4.51 SGD 5.78

-51.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 $2.89

$4.57 SGD 5.86

-36.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 $0.24

$1.58 SGD 2.03

-84.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.78 $29.78

$96.4 SGD 123

-69.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 $3.52

$3.63 SGD 4.65

-3.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.58 $3.58

$0.80 SGD 1.02

347.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.75 $19.75

$16.18 SGD 20.72

22.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$2.51 SGD 3.21

-42.63%

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

$18.0K $18.0K

$155.9K SGD 199.6K

-88.46%

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

$16.7K $16.7K

$145.8K SGD 186.7K

-88.53%

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

$152 $152

$175 SGD 224

-13.30%

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

$27.49 $27.49

$12.45 SGD 15.94

120.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.64 SGD 34.11

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.46 $49.46

$112 SGD 143

-55.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.07 SGD 15.46

Cinema Ticket

$6.17 $6.17

$11.60 SGD 14.85

-46.81%

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

$1,477 $1,477

$1,463 SGD 1,874

0.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K $16.1K

$28.4K SGD 36.3K

-43.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 $61.0

$81.5 SGD 104

-25.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.46 $30.46

$50.6 SGD 64.8

-39.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 $79.3

$112 SGD 143

-28.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.3 $60.3

$130 SGD 166

-53.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 $831

$2,916 SGD 3,734

-71.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$759 $759

$2,128 SGD 2,725

-64.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,739 $2,739

$5,654 SGD 7,241

-51.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,504 $1,504

$3,968 SGD 5,081

-62.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,656 $3,656

$4,369 SGD 5,594

-16.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

2.44

120.08%

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

Last update for Dili: October 5, 2026

Last update for Singapore: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dili

$759 47.9%

Singapore

$2.1K 61.4% 180% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Dili

$275 17.3%

Singapore

$457 13.2% 66.6% $183

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dili

$179 * 11.3%

Singapore

$214 6.2% 19.5% $35

Eating Out

Dili

$154 9.7%

Singapore

$256 7.4% 65.9% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Dili

$104 6.6%

Singapore

$168 4.9% 61.7% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Dili

$62 3.9%

Singapore

$135 3.9% 118% $73

Getting Around

Dili

$52 3.3%

Singapore

$110 3.2% 112% $58

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 $2,916 in Singapore. 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 19% higher in Singapore, 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 $71.0 in Singapore. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $457 – making Dili the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇱 Dili

🇸🇬 Singapore

🕒 Local time

15:56 3:56 PM

14:56 2:56 PM

1 h behind Dili

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

222,323 Capital

5,535,002 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Singapore Dollar SGD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.696 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SGD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇸🇬 Singapore Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.696 EUR).

SGD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dili Singapore 2,650 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dili
Singapore

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 Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Singapore is pricier by about 119%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,361 per month in Dili and $5,180 in Singapore. 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 $71.0 in Singapore. 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 $3,454 in Singapore. That's a gap of about 119%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Dili, where all-in costs run around $1,574, than in Singapore at $3,454. In Dili it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore 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, Singapore makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.