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: $1,717 in Italy versus $1,803 in Timor-Leste.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,624 in Italy versus $2,617 in Timor-Leste.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,530 in Italy versus $3,431 in Timor-Leste.

Living in Italy costs about 5% less than in Timor-Leste on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Italy 28% above, Timor-Leste 35% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,170 to $2,508, compared to $1,803–$1,803 in Timor-Leste. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.44 €15.01

$5.08 $5.08

243.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 €68.4

$44.11 $44.11

80.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 €10.12

$8.10 $8.10

45.19%

Cappuccino

$2.00 €1.72

$3.80 $3.80

-47.37%

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

$3.00 €2.59

$1.63 $1.63

84.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.44 $1.44

-6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 €5.11

$1.96 $1.96

203.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 €4.61

$4.48 $4.48

19.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.39 $2.39

-31.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.08

$2.52 $2.52

-4.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.58

$1.98 $1.98

51.01%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.41

$2.73 $2.73

45.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.84 €14.50

$2.02 $2.02

733.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.43 €10.70

$9.61 $9.61

29.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.29 €17.47

$16.11 $16.11

25.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$3.60 $3.60

-31.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.88 $1.88

14.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$2.04 $2.04

29.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.92

$2.48 $2.48

37.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.05 $2.05

-6.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.28 $1.28

41.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.99 $0.99

56.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.47

$0.97 $0.97

-44.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$2.76 $2.76

146.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 €6.18

$11.78 $11.78

-39.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.55

$2.21 $2.21

-18.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 €2.08

$2.77 $2.77

-12.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.24 $0.24

733.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.35 €36.45

$56.9 $56.9

-25.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 €5.12

$3.56 $3.56

66.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$3.22 $3.22

-53.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.04 €29.31

$19.71 $19.71

72.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.50 $1.50

36.67%

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

$32.8K €28.3K

$21.7K $21.7K

51.11%

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

$33.7K €29.0K

$19.6K $19.6K

71.44%

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

$225 €194

$149 $149

51.13%

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

$13.25 €11.41

$30.35 $30.35

-56.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.95 €26.64

$50.5 $50.5

-38.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 €47.99

$50.5 $50.5

10.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.15 €21.65

$2.96 $2.96

749.66%

Cinema Ticket

$10.25 €8.82

$5.39 $5.39

90.17%

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

$576 €496

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €9,005

$15.8K $15.8K

-33.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.8 €79.1

$61.0 $61.0

50.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.72 €35.05

$29.49 $29.49

38.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 €84.4

$80.8 $80.8

21.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €113

$60.2 $60.2

117.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 €740

$1,095 $1,095

-21.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 €574

$932 $932

-28.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 €1,270

$3,457 $3,457

-57.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 €936

$1,649 $1,649

-34.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,850 €3,315

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,359 €2,030

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,933 €1,664

$4,921 $4,921

-60.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.41

5.37

-17.88%

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

Last update for Italy: May 31, 2026

Last update for Timor-Leste: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $743 in Italy, $1,096 in Timor-Leste. Capital cities: $1,325 in Rome vs $1,096 in Dili.

National salary averages: $1,949 in Italy, $3,561 in Timor-Leste. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 48% higher in Timor-Leste.

Dining out costs 68% more in Italy.

Salaries are 83% higher in Timor-Leste, giving Timor-Leste stronger purchasing power.

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 $1,839 per month in Italy and $1,803 in Timor-Leste, there's a 2% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Timor-Leste is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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, $2,500 covers most cities easily. In Italy, it works in regional areas but 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.