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

Name: India
Address: IN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,553 in Timor-Leste versus $365 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,403 in Timor-Leste versus $579 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,252 in Timor-Leste versus $792 in India.

Living in Timor-Leste is roughly 325% more expensive than in India on average.

Timor-Leste (13% above) and India (73% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Timor-Leste: monthly costs span $1,553 to $1,553, compared to $231–$827 in India. City choice carries more weight in Timor-Leste.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.96 $4.96

$2.06 ₹195

140.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.07 $42.07

$10.63 ₹1,004

295.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 $7.88

$3.70 ₹350

112.97%

Cappuccino

$4.20 $4.20

$1.74 ₹164

141.38%

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

$1.64 $1.64

$0.37 ₹35.14

343.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$0.17 ₹16.26

1300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.93 ₹182

29.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 $4.63

$3.06 ₹289

51.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 $2.30

$0.62 ₹58.6

270.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.49 ₹46.45

404.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.63 ₹59.8

49.21%

Eggs

$2.69 $2.69

$0.94 ₹88.5

186.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$4.67 ₹441

-56.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 $9.32

$2.88 ₹272

223.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 $15.87

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 $3.42

$1.91 ₹180

79.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$0.64 ₹60.6

181.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$0.98 ₹92.8

158.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$0.51 ₹47.90

352.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$0.34 ₹31.92

250.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$0.42 ₹39.68

183.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 $0.86

$0.48 ₹45.44

79.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.29 ₹27.27

251.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 $2.97

$4.91 ₹464

-39.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.11 $12.11

$7.27 ₹687

66.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.65 ₹156

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.66 ₹251

7.89%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.22 ₹493

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 $0.26

$0.27 ₹25.67

-3.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.18 $43.18

$8.45 ₹798

411.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 $3.42

$0.96 ₹90.9

256.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.56 $3.56

$0.27 ₹25.74

1218.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.35 $20.35

$1.60 ₹151

1171.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.12 ₹106

33.04%

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

$19.6K $19.6K

$12.7K ₹1.2M

53.82%

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

$18.4K $18.4K

$20.4K ₹1.9M

-9.59%

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

$149 $149

$37.48 ₹3,541

297.55%

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

$27.28 $27.28

$3.50 ₹331

679.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.16 ₹676

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.32 $49.32

$14.79 ₹1,398

233.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.08 ₹669

Cinema Ticket

$6.03 $6.03

$3.06 ₹289

97.06%

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

$1,500 $1,500

$57.0 ₹5,381

2533.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K $16.0K

$1,679 ₹158.6K

852.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 $59.8

$22.56 ₹2,131

165.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.47 $30.47

$24.04 ₹2,271

26.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 $80.3

$40.60 ₹3,836

97.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.2 $61.2

$30.39 ₹2,871

101.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 $831

$145 ₹13.7K

472.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 $768

$91.4 ₹8,630

741.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,761 $2,761

$335 ₹31.6K

725.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,501 $1,501

$209 ₹19.8K

617.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,233 ₹116.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$626 ₹59.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,030 $5,030

$443 ₹41.9K

1035.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

8.94

-39.93%

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

Last update for Timor-Leste: August 29, 2026

Last update for India: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $824 in Timor-Leste, $120 in India. Capital cities: $824 in Dili vs $272 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $3,634 in Timor-Leste, $408 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 587% higher in Timor-Leste.

Dining out costs 320% more in Timor-Leste.

Public transport is 329% more expensive in Timor-Leste.

Salaries are 791% 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 India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $529 per month in India and $1,553 in Timor-Leste, there's a 194% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in India: 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 is consistently higher than in India across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In India, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in Timor-Leste it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: India wins on affordability; Timor-Leste may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.