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

Name: Brazil
Address: BR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,553 per month in Timor-Leste vs $839 in Brazil, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,403 per month in Timor-Leste vs $1,336 in Brazil, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,252 per month in Timor-Leste vs $1,832 in Brazil, rent included.

The cost of living in Timor-Leste is about 85% higher than in Brazil on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Timor-Leste sits 13% above the global median, while Brazil is 39% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Timor-Leste ($1,553–$1,553) than in Brazil ($584–$1,390), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.96 $4.96

$6.47 R$33.19

-23.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.07 $42.07

$33.23 R$170

26.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 $7.88

$7.84 R$40.19

0.51%

Cappuccino

$4.20 $4.20

$2.08 R$10.64

101.92%

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

$1.64 $1.64

$1.19 R$6.10

37.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$0.77 R$3.93

209.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.92 R$9.82

29.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 $4.63

$2.84 R$14.53

63.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.07 R$5.49

114.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.70 R$8.69

45.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.23 R$6.30

-23.58%

Eggs

$2.69 $2.69

$2.17 R$11.12

23.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$9.03 R$46.27

-77.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 $9.32

$4.08 R$20.89

128.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 $15.87

$8.27 R$42.40

91.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 $3.42

$2.22 R$11.40

54.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.38 R$7.09

30.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.19 R$6.08

112.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.57 R$8.03

47.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.15 R$5.91

3.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.05 R$5.40

13.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 $0.86

$0.84 R$4.30

2.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.79 R$4.05

29.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.38 R$12.22

24.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.11 $12.11

$7.55 R$38.67

60.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.28 R$6.56

71.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.39 R$12.27

20.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 $0.26

$0.94 R$4.84

-72.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.18 $43.18

$44.09 R$226

-2.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 $3.42

$1.26 R$6.46

171.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.56 $3.56

$0.99 R$5.07

259.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.35 $20.35

$7.75 R$39.71

162.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.19 R$6.10

25.21%

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

$19.6K $19.6K

$23.3K R$119.5K

-16.08%

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

$18.4K $18.4K

$31.8K R$163.2K

-42.10%

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

$149 $149

$79.9 R$409

86.55%

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

$27.28 $27.28

$12.78 R$65.5

113.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.61 R$106

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.32 $49.32

$24.72 R$127

99.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.94 R$133

Cinema Ticket

$6.03 $6.03

$6.74 R$34.55

-10.53%

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

$1,500 $1,500

$327 R$1,675

359.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K $16.0K

$8,584 R$44.0K

86.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 $59.8

$50.9 R$261

17.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.47 $30.47

$46.69 R$239

-34.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 $80.3

$87.1 R$446

-7.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.2 $61.2

$69.4 R$356

-11.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 $831

$380 R$1,949

118.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 $768

$239 R$1,225

221.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,761 $2,761

$724 R$3,713

281.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,501 $1,501

$483 R$2,473

211.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,825 R$9,356

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,239 R$6,353

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,030 $5,030

$519 R$2,658

869.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

11.16

-51.88%

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

Last update for Timor-Leste: August 29, 2026

Last update for Brazil: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $824 in Timor-Leste vs $339 in Brazil. For reference, capital cities sit at $824 in Dili and $500 in Brasilia.

Average salary: $3,634 in Timor-Leste vs $482 in Brazil. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 143% higher in Timor-Leste.

Dining out costs 40% more in Timor-Leste.

Public transport is 30% more expensive in Brazil.

Salaries are 654% 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

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

Brazil is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 57% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Timor-Leste, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Timor-Leste consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Brazil, contributing to the overall 57% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Brazil, but in Timor-Leste it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Brazil 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.