Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Timor-Leste Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Timor-Leste

Name: Timor-Leste
Address: TL

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,792 in Italy versus $1,553 in Timor-Leste.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,735 in Italy versus $2,403 in Timor-Leste.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,678 in Italy versus $3,252 in Timor-Leste.

Living in Italy is roughly 15% more expensive than in Timor-Leste on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Italy 30% above, Timor-Leste 13% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,168 to $2,645, compared to $1,553–$1,553 in Timor-Leste. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.31 €18.32

$4.96 $4.96

329.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.6 €70.1

$42.07 $42.07

93.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.64 €10.01

$7.88 $7.88

47.72%

Cappuccino

$2.02 €1.74

$4.20 $4.20

-51.90%

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

$3.15 €2.71

$1.64 $1.64

92.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.25

$2.38 $2.38

-39.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €4.90

$2.49 $2.49

128.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 €5.11

$4.63 $4.63

28.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.45

$2.30 $2.30

-26.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 €2.13

$2.47 $2.47

0.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.97 €2.55

$0.94 $0.94

215.96%

Eggs

$4.32 €3.72

$2.69 $2.69

60.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.42 €14.98

$2.05 $2.05

749.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.79 €11.00

$9.32 $9.32

37.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.28 €18.30

$15.87 $15.87

34.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.42 $3.42

-22.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.80 $1.80

22.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 €2.40

$2.53 $2.53

10.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €2.90

$2.31 $2.31

45.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$1.19 $1.19

76.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.19 $1.19

65.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 €1.38

$0.86 $0.86

86.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.49

$1.02 $1.02

-44.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.13

$2.97 $2.97

140.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.52

$12.11 $12.11

-37.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.20 $2.20

-15.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 €2.15

$2.87 $2.87

-12.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.26 $0.26

669.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.09 €38.77

$43.18 $43.18

4.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.80 €4.98

$3.42 $3.42

69.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 €1.54

$3.56 $3.56

-49.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.95 €30.05

$20.35 $20.35

71.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.83

$1.49 $1.49

42.95%

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

$37.4K €32.1K

$19.6K $19.6K

90.88%

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

$36.3K €31.2K

$18.4K $18.4K

97.00%

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

$239 €205

$149 $149

60.16%

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

$12.14 €10.44

$27.28 $27.28

-55.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.42 €27.02

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.9 €47.22

$49.32 $49.32

11.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.84 €21.36

Cinema Ticket

$10.92 €9.39

$6.03 $6.03

81.09%

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

$568 €488

$1,500 $1,500

-62.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K €10.5K

$16.0K $16.0K

-23.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.7 €80.5

$59.8 $59.8

56.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.71 €35.01

$30.47 $30.47

33.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €90.2

$80.3 $80.3

30.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €120

$61.2 $61.2

127.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$857 €737

$831 $831

3.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$657 €565

$768 $768

-14.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,476 €1,269

$2,761 $2,761

-46.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 €939

$1,501 $1,501

-27.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,786 €3,255

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 €2,005

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,928 €1,658

$5,030 $5,030

-61.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.57

5.37

-33.52%

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

Last update for Italy: August 31, 2026

Last update for Timor-Leste: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $758 in Italy, $824 in Timor-Leste. Capital cities: $1,244 in Rome vs $824 in Dili.

National salary averages: $1,967 in Italy, $3,634 in Timor-Leste. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 9% higher in Timor-Leste.

Dining out costs 81% more in Italy.

Public transport is 43% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 85% higher in Timor-Leste, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Timor-Leste.

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

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

At $1,907 per month in Italy and $1,553 in Timor-Leste, there's a 23% 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 simply cheaper in Timor-Leste: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Italy is consistently higher than in Timor-Leste across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Timor-Leste, $1,500 covers most cities easily; in Italy 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: Timor-Leste wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.