Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Timor-Leste and Germany

For one person, living is cheaper in Timor-Leste: $1,598 a month against $2,065 in Germany, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste
$1,598
/mo nomad
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,065
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Germany actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,598 in Timor-Leste versus $2,065 in Germany.

  • Timor-Leste $1,598
  • Germany $2,065

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,482 in Timor-Leste versus $3,136 in Germany.

  • Timor-Leste $2,482
  • Germany $3,136

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,366 in Timor-Leste versus $4,208 in Germany.

  • Timor-Leste $3,366
  • Germany $4,208

Internal cost variation is higher in Timor-Leste: monthly costs span $1,619 to $1,619, compared to $1,345–$2,663 in Germany. City choice carries more weight in Timor-Leste.

Living in Timor-Leste costs about 23% less than in Germany on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Timor-Leste 18% above, Germany 52% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Timor-Leste
Germany
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.11 $5.11
$16.61 €14.77
-69.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.38 $35.38
$72.4 €64.4
-51.15%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.57 $6.57
$12.15 €10.81
-45.93%
Cappuccino
$3.95 $3.95
$3.96 €3.52
-0.25%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 $1.80
$3.45 €3.07
-47.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 $2.88
$3.06 €2.72
-5.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.97 $2.97
$5.19 €4.62
-42.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.89 $3.89
$4.59 €4.08
-15.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Timor-Leste
Germany
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.28 $2.28
$1.27 €1.13
79.53%
White Bread (500g)
$2.42 $2.42
$2.13 €1.90
13.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.97 $0.97
$3.56 €3.17
-72.75%
Eggs
$2.64 $2.64
$3.79 €3.37
-30.34%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$1.94 $1.94
$14.65 €13.03
-86.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.62 $9.62
$11.78 €10.48
-18.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.83 $15.83
$20.78 €18.48
-23.82%
Apples (1kg)
$3.28 $3.28
$3.17 €2.82
3.47%
Banana (1kg)
$1.86 $1.86
$1.98 €1.76
-6.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 $2.49
$2.21 €1.96
12.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 $2.31
$4.28 €3.81
-46.03%
Potato (1kg)
$1.20 $1.20
$1.45 €1.29
-17.24%
Onion (1kg)
$1.20 $1.20
$1.49 €1.33
-19.46%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.86 $0.86
$1.67 €1.49
-48.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.02 $1.02
$1.07 €0.95
-4.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.03 $3.03
$9.90 €8.81
-69.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.86 $11.86
$6.56 €5.83
80.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.29 $2.29
$1.09 €0.97
110.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 $2.81
$1.60 €1.43
75.63%
🚌 Getting Around
Timor-Leste
Germany
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 $0.24
$3.84 €3.42
-93.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$42.44 $42.44
$70.9 €63.1
-40.13%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.60 $3.60
$5.52 €4.91
-34.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.63 $3.63
$2.74 €2.44
32.48%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.61 $19.61
$38.54 €34.28
-49.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.42 $1.42
$2.11 €1.87
-32.70%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.1K $20.1K
$33.0K €29.3K
-39.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.0K $18.0K
$38.7K €34.4K
-53.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Timor-Leste
Germany
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$147 $147
$338 €301
-56.40%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.97 $26.97
$24.76 €22.02
8.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
-
$47.37 €42.13
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Timor-Leste
Germany
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$74.1 $74.1
$41.14 €36.59
80.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$27.41 €24.38
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.06 $6.06
$14.31 €12.73
-57.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Timor-Leste
Germany
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,527 $1,527
$573 €510
166.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.9K $15.9K
$17.6K €15.6K
-9.29%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Timor-Leste
Germany
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.1 $61.1
$89.1 €79.3
-31.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.83 $29.83
$42.77 €38.04
-30.25%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.4 $79.4
$99.5 €88.5
-20.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$59.1 $59.1
$132 €117
-55.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Timor-Leste
Germany
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$830 $830
$896 €797
-7.38%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$745 $745
$703 €625
6.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,689 $2,689
$1,675 €1,490
60.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,533 $1,533
$1,314 €1,169
16.62%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$6,163 €5,482
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$4,027 €3,582
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Timor-Leste
Germany
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,866 $4,866
$3,219 €2,864
51.14%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.37
3.96
35.61%

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

Last update for Timor-Leste: October 18, 2026

Last update for Germany: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Timor-Leste
$745
Germany
$703 5.7% $42
Groceries & Markets
Timor-Leste
$274
Germany
$335 22.1% $61
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Timor-Leste
$174 *
Germany
$410 135% $236
Eating Out
Timor-Leste
$149
Germany
$278 86.3% $129
Clothing & Footwear
Timor-Leste
$103
Germany
$163 58.3% $60
Sport & Entertainment
Timor-Leste
$86
Germany
$70 19.1% $16
Getting Around
Timor-Leste
$65
Germany
$105 61.9% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $815 in Timor-Leste, $800 in Germany. Capital cities: $815 in Dili vs $1,398 in Berlin.

National salary averages: $3,531 in Timor-Leste, $3,119 in Germany. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 42% more in Germany.

Public transport is 113% more expensive in Germany.

Salaries are 13% higher in Timor-Leste, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Timor-Leste.

Good to know
🇹🇱 Timor-Leste
🇩🇪 Germany
🕒 Local time
10:45 10:45 AM
02:45 2:45 AM
8 h behind Timor-Leste
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,243,235
84,358,845
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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

Euro exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Timor-Leste Germany 12,250 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Timor-Leste
  • Germany

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 Germany: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: Germany or Timor-Leste?
At $2,065 per month in Germany and $1,598 in Timor-Leste, there's a 29% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: Germany or Timor-Leste?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in Timor-Leste: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
How far does $2,500 go in Germany compared to Timor-Leste?
In Timor-Leste, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in Germany it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
How do I choose between living in Germany and in Timor-Leste?
It depends on what you're after: Timor-Leste wins on affordability; Germany may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

Timor-Leste vs other spots: cost of living compared

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