Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between India and Timor-Leste

Name: Timor-Leste
Address: TL

For one person, living is cheaper in India: $395 a month against $1,598 in Timor-Leste, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in India
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India Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Timor-Leste
Learn more

Timor-Leste Living Index

Jump to prices

🇮🇳 India

$395

/mo nomad

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

$1,598

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $395 in India versus $1,598 in Timor-Leste.

India $395
Timor-Leste $1,598

Estimated couple costs with rent: $628 in India versus $2,482 in Timor-Leste.

India $628
Timor-Leste $2,482

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $861 in India versus $3,366 in Timor-Leste.

India $861
Timor-Leste $3,366

Internal cost variation is higher in India: monthly costs span $229 to $828, compared to $1,619–$1,619 in Timor-Leste. City choice carries more weight in India.

Living in India costs about 75% less than in Timor-Leste on average.

India (71% below) and Timor-Leste (18% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 ₹203

$5.11 $5.11

-58.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.57 ₹1,004

$35.38 $35.38

-70.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.77 ₹358

$6.57 $6.57

-42.62%

Cappuccino

$1.76 ₹167

$3.95 $3.95

-55.44%

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

$0.42 ₹39.67

$1.80 $1.80

-76.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 ₹13.45

$2.88 $2.88

-95.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 ₹186

$2.97 $2.97

-34.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 ₹295

$3.89 $3.89

-20.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.63 ₹59.6

$2.28 $2.28

-72.37%

White Bread (500g)

$0.46 ₹43.45

$2.42 $2.42

-80.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.68 ₹64.3

$0.97 $0.97

-29.90%

Eggs

$0.93 ₹88.4

$2.64 $2.64

-64.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.83 ₹458

$1.94 $1.94

148.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.91 ₹276

$9.62 $9.62

-69.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.83 $15.83

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ₹190

$3.28 $3.28

-39.02%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 ₹59.6

$1.86 $1.86

-66.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 ₹92.8

$2.49 $2.49

-60.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 ₹48.04

$2.31 $2.31

-77.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.36 ₹34.28

$1.20 $1.20

-70.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 ₹36.72

$1.20 $1.20

-67.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ₹41.31

$0.86 $0.86

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 ₹27.53

$1.02 $1.02

-71.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 ₹488

$3.03 $3.03

69.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 ₹696

$11.86 $11.86

-38.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 ₹157

$2.29 $2.29

-27.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 ₹259

$2.81 $2.81

-2.85%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.08 ₹483

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₹23.70

$0.24 $0.24

4.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.49 ₹806

$42.44 $42.44

-80.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₹97.9

$3.60 $3.60

-71.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₹23.69

$3.63 $3.63

-93.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 ₹153

$19.61 $19.61

-91.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ₹101

$1.42 $1.42

-24.65%

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

$11.3K ₹1.1M

$20.1K $20.1K

-43.63%

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

$20.1K ₹1.9M

$18.0K $18.0K

12.13%

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

$37.73 ₹3,583

$147 $147

-74.41%

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

$3.58 ₹340

$26.97 $26.97

-86.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.89 ₹655

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.63 ₹1,390

$74.1 $74.1

-80.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.25 ₹688

Cinema Ticket

$3.17 ₹301

$6.06 $6.06

-47.69%

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

$56.5 ₹5,369

$1,527 $1,527

-96.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,646 ₹156.3K

$15.9K $15.9K

-89.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.73 ₹2,158

$61.1 $61.1

-62.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.04 ₹2,283

$29.83 $29.83

-19.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.04 ₹3,898

$79.4 $79.4

-48.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.60 ₹2,906

$59.1 $59.1

-48.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$144 ₹13.6K

$830 $830

-82.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$91.5 ₹8,691

$745 $745

-87.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$324 ₹30.8K

$2,689 $2,689

-87.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ₹20.3K

$1,533 $1,533

-86.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,200 ₹114.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$619 ₹58.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$440 ₹41.8K

$4,866 $4,866

-90.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.92

5.37

66.11%

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

Last update for India: October 19, 2026

Last update for Timor-Leste: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

India

$102 25.8%

Timor-Leste

$274 17.2% 169% $172

Accommodation & Living

India

$92 23.1%

Timor-Leste

$745 46.6% 714% $654

Eating Out

India

$68 17.1%

Timor-Leste

$149 9.3% 120% $82

Clothing & Footwear

India

$53 13.5%

Timor-Leste

$103 6.5% 93.7% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

India

$48 12.2%

Timor-Leste

$174 * 10.9% 262% $126

Sport & Entertainment

India

$21 5.3%

Timor-Leste

$86 5.4% 311% $65

Getting Around

India

$12 3%

Timor-Leste

$65 4.1% 454% $53

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

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $119 in India, $815 in Timor-Leste. Capital cities: $271 in Delhi vs $815 in Dili.

National salary averages: $413 in India, $3,531 in Timor-Leste. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 585% higher in Timor-Leste.

Dining out costs 400% more in Timor-Leste.

Public transport is 343% more expensive in Timor-Leste.

Salaries are 755% higher in Timor-Leste, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Timor-Leste.

Good to know

🇮🇳 India

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

🕒 Local time

07:17 7:17 AM

10:47 10:47 AM

3 h 30 min ahead of India

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,326,093,247

1,243,235

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

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

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

India Timor-Leste 6,630 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

India
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

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

At $395 per month in India and $1,598 in Timor-Leste, there's a 304% 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 India: 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 $119 in India. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In India, $1,000 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: India wins on affordability; Timor-Leste may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.