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

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,803 in Timor-Leste versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,617 in Timor-Leste versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,431 in Timor-Leste versus $1,551 in China.

Living in Timor-Leste is roughly 153% more expensive than China on average.

Timor-Leste (35% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Timor-Leste: monthly costs span $1,803 to $1,803, compared to $520–$1,209 in China. City choice carries more weight in Timor-Leste.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.08 $5.08

$2.81 ¥19.01

80.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.11 $44.11

$23.30 ¥158

89.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.10 $8.10

$5.01 ¥33.93

61.68%

Cappuccino

$3.80 $3.80

$3.01 ¥20.42

26.25%

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

$1.63 $1.63

$0.45 ¥3.03

262.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 $1.44

$0.29 ¥1.97

396.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.95 ¥6.42

106.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 $4.48

$2.05 ¥13.90

118.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.76 ¥11.89

35.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.62 ¥11.00

55.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.95 ¥6.46

108.42%

Eggs

$2.73 $2.73

$1.56 ¥10.57

75.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$13.06 ¥88.4

-84.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 $9.61

$3.28 ¥22.21

192.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.11 $16.11

$10.65 ¥72.1

51.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.78 ¥12.05

102.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.24 ¥8.43

51.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.50 ¥10.13

36.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.15 ¥7.80

115.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.75 ¥5.08

173.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.86 ¥5.82

48.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.62 ¥4.17

59.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

$0.56 ¥3.82

73.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.51 ¥23.80

-21.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.78 $11.78

$11.66 ¥79.0

1.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$0.80 ¥5.41

176.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.66 ¥11.26

66.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 $0.24

$0.43 ¥2.93

-44.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.9 $56.9

$20.86 ¥141

172.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 $3.56

$1.37 ¥9.28

159.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.22 $3.22

$0.35 ¥2.39

820.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.71 $19.71

$6.63 ¥44.90

197.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.14 ¥7.71

31.58%

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

$21.7K $21.7K

$19.2K ¥129.9K

13.30%

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

$19.6K $19.6K

$16.8K ¥113.5K

17.18%

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

$149 $149

$51.2 ¥347

191.48%

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

$30.35 $30.35

$10.16 ¥68.8

198.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 $50.5

$11.51 ¥78.0

338.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.5 $50.5

$40.53 ¥275

24.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.96 $2.96

$15.05 ¥102

-80.33%

Cinema Ticket

$5.39 $5.39

$6.10 ¥41.33

-11.64%

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

$402 ¥2,724

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K $15.8K

$17.7K ¥119.7K

-10.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 $61.0

$45.57 ¥309

33.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.49 $29.49

$33.26 ¥225

-11.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.8 $80.8

$72.6 ¥492

11.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.2 $60.2

$74.5 ¥504

-19.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 $1,095

$429 ¥2,908

154.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$932 $932

$257 ¥1,742

262.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,457 $3,457

$895 ¥6,065

286.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,649 $1,649

$541 ¥3,667

204.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,015 ¥34.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,469 ¥16.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,921 $4,921

$1,055 ¥7,143

366.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

4.06

32.27%

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

Last update for Timor-Leste: June 1, 2026

Last update for China: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,096 in Timor-Leste, $286 in China. Capital cities: $1,096 in Dili vs $916 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $3,561 in Timor-Leste, $861 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 283% higher in Timor-Leste.

Dining out costs 110% more in Timor-Leste.

Salaries are 314% 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

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

At $865 per month in China and $1,803 in Timor-Leste, there's a 109% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China 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 Timor-Leste beats China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In Timor-Leste, 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. China wins on affordability; Timor-Leste may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.