Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Dili

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.

137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Dili
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Dili Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Dili

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

$1,574

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Dili

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

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

Melbourne $2,852
Dili $1,574

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

Melbourne $4,297
Dili $2,466

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

Melbourne $5,742
Dili $3,359

Melbourne costs about 81% more than Dili, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.75 A$25.49

$5.13 $5.13

246.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.8 A$122

$42.43 $42.43

99.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 A$17.46

$7.91 $7.91

53.73%

Cappuccino

$3.93 A$5.64

$4.18 $4.18

-5.98%

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

$3.14 A$4.51

$1.63 $1.63

92.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 A$3.49

$2.76 $2.76

-11.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.90 A$14.22

$2.57 $2.57

285.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.29 A$11.91

$4.46 $4.46

85.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.22

$2.37 $2.37

-34.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 A$4.32

$2.52 $2.52

19.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 A$4.14

$0.96 $0.96

200.00%

Eggs

$5.44 A$7.82

$2.68 $2.68

102.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.59 A$15.22

$2.05 $2.05

416.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 A$13.81

$9.41 $9.41

2.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.99 A$21.54

$15.78 $15.78

-5.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 A$5.96

$3.29 $3.29

26.14%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.38

$1.85 $1.85

64.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.74

$2.49 $2.49

32.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.83

$2.26 $2.26

110.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.36

$1.24 $1.24

145.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.66

$1.15 $1.15

121.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.56

$0.85 $0.85

191.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.98 $0.98

66.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.3

$3.08 $3.08

1330.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.43 A$17.85

$11.95 $11.95

4.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.65

$2.19 $2.19

143.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.41

$2.89 $2.89

78.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.52

$0.24 $0.24

1500.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$203

$29.78 $29.78

375.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.40 A$6.32

$3.52 $3.52

25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 A$2.01

$3.58 $3.58

-60.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.83 A$42.84

$19.75 $19.75

51.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.09

$1.44 $1.44

1.39%

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

$28.1K A$40.4K

$18.0K $18.0K

56.52%

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

$25.9K A$37.3K

$16.7K $16.7K

55.15%

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

$233 A$334

$152 $152

53.31%

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

$27.28 A$39.19

$27.49 $27.49

-0.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 A$81.9

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 A$75.7

$49.46 $49.46

6.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.62 A$32.49

Cinema Ticket

$17.10 A$24.57

$6.17 $6.17

177.15%

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

$2,373 A$3,409

$1,477 $1,477

60.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.5K A$43.8K

$16.1K $16.1K

89.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.2 A$112

$61.0 $61.0

28.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 A$72.5

$30.46 $30.46

65.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$173

$79.3 $79.3

52.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$191

$60.3 $60.3

121.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 A$2,460

$831 $831

106.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 A$2,014

$759 $759

84.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,339 A$4,796

$2,739 $2,739

21.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,529 A$3,632

$1,504 $1,504

68.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,018 A$10.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,767 A$9,721

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,228 A$6,074

$3,656 $3,656

15.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.37

9.87%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Last update for Dili: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Dili

$759 47.9% 45.8% $643

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$385 13.5%

Dili

$275 17.3% 28.7% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.1%

Dili

$179 * 11.3% 43.5% $138

Eating Out

Melbourne

$314 11%

Dili

$154 9.7% 50.8% $160

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Dili

$104 6.6% 39.6% $68

Getting Around

Melbourne

$168 5.9%

Dili

$52 3.3% 69% $116

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$87 3.1%

Dili

$62 3.9% 28.9% $25

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,713 in Melbourne versus $831 in Dili. 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 $85.0 in Melbourne versus $42.00 in Dili. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $275 – making Dili the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇹🇱 Dili

🕒 Local time

18:28 6:28 PM

16:28 4:28 PM

2 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

222,323 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

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

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Dili 3,790 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Dili

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

Melbourne vs Dili: 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 $4,277 per month in Melbourne and $2,361 in Dili. 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 $85.0 in Melbourne and $42.00 in Dili. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,852 in Melbourne and $1,574 in Dili. 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.