Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Timor-Leste and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

For one person, living is cheaper in Timor-Leste: $1,598 a month against $2,539 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Timor-Leste
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Timor-Leste Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index

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🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

$1,598

/mo nomad

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,539

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Timor-Leste and in Australia

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

A single person spends $1,598 per month in Timor-Leste vs $2,539 in Australia, rent included.

Timor-Leste $1,598
Australia $2,539

A couple spends around $2,482 per month in Timor-Leste vs $3,716 in Australia, rent included.

Timor-Leste $2,482
Australia $3,716

A family of three spends $3,366 per month in Timor-Leste vs $4,892 in Australia, rent included.

Timor-Leste $3,366
Australia $4,892

The regional cost range is wider in Timor-Leste ($1,619–$1,619) than in Australia ($1,635–$3,245), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Timor-Leste is roughly 37% lower than in Australia on average.

Both Timor-Leste and Australia are pricier than the global median – Timor-Leste by 18%, Australia by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.11 $5.11

$17.35 A$24.97

-70.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.38 $35.38

$84.5 A$122

-58.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.57 $6.57

$10.98 A$15.79

-40.16%

Cappuccino

$3.95 $3.95

$3.84 A$5.53

2.86%

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

$1.80 $1.80

$2.89 A$4.16

-37.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.29 A$3.29

25.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 $2.97

$7.79 A$11.21

-61.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 $3.89

$8.42 A$12.12

-53.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.75 A$2.52

30.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.78 A$4.00

-12.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 $0.97

$2.31 A$3.33

-58.01%

Eggs

$2.64 $2.64

$4.89 A$7.04

-46.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$9.95 A$14.32

-80.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 $9.62

$9.06 A$13.03

6.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.83 $15.83

$14.92 A$21.46

6.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$3.65 A$5.25

-10.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$3.03 A$4.36

-38.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$3.24 A$4.66

-23.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$4.69 A$6.76

-50.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$2.85 A$4.11

-57.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$2.32 A$3.34

-48.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 $0.86

$2.43 A$3.50

-64.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.66 A$2.39

-38.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 $3.03

$38.47 A$55.4

-92.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 $11.86

$13.84 A$19.92

-14.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$4.87 A$7.01

-52.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$5.28 A$7.59

-46.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 $0.24

$2.71 A$3.90

-91.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.44 $42.44

$94.0 A$135

-54.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 $3.60

$3.57 A$5.14

0.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.63 $3.63

$1.63 A$2.35

122.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.61 $19.61

$40.04 A$57.6

-51.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.33 A$1.91

6.77%

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

$20.1K $20.1K

$29.1K A$41.9K

-30.98%

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

$18.0K $18.0K

$25.7K A$37.0K

-30.19%

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

$147 $147

$205 A$296

-28.20%

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

$26.97 $26.97

$28.24 A$40.63

-4.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 A$82.0

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.1 $74.1

$55.4 A$79.7

33.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.46 A$28.01

Cinema Ticket

$6.06 $6.06

$15.06 A$21.66

-59.76%

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

$1,527 $1,527

$2,097 A$3,017

-27.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K $15.9K

$18.0K A$26.0K

-11.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.1 $61.1

$78.0 A$112

-21.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.83 $29.83

$55.3 A$79.6

-46.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 $79.4

$112 A$161

-29.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.1 $59.1

$122 A$175

-51.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 $830

$1,559 A$2,244

-46.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$745 $745

$1,215 A$1,748

-38.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,689 $2,689

$2,435 A$3,504

10.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 $1,533

$1,924 A$2,769

-20.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,175 A$11.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,060 A$8,721

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$4,038 A$5,811

20.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

5.94

-9.60%

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

Last update for Timor-Leste: October 18, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Timor-Leste

$745 46.6%

Australia

$1.2K 47.8% 63% $469

Groceries & Markets

Timor-Leste

$274 17.2%

Australia

$372 14.7% 35.7% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Timor-Leste

$174 * 10.9%

Australia

$291 11.4% 66.6% $116

Eating Out

Timor-Leste

$149 9.3%

Australia

$294 11.6% 97.2% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Timor-Leste

$103 6.5%

Australia

$165 6.5% 60% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Timor-Leste

$86 5.4%

Australia

$85 3.4% 0.8% $0.7

Getting Around

Timor-Leste

$65 4.1%

Australia

$117 4.6% 78.9% $51

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

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $815 in Timor-Leste vs $1,364 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $815 in Dili and $1,719 in Canberra.

Average salary: $3,531 in Timor-Leste vs $3,853 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 67% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 64% more in Australia.

Public transport is 142% more expensive in Australia.

Good to know

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

🇦🇺 Australia

🕒 Local time

10:46 10:46 AM

12:46 12:46 PM

2 h ahead of Timor-Leste

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,243,235

26,473,055

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

AUD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Timor-Leste Australia 3,820 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Timor-Leste
Australia

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

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

Timor-Leste is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 59% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,364 versus $815 in Timor-Leste.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Timor-Leste, adding to the overall 59% price gap.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Timor-Leste, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Timor-Leste is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.