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

Name: Italy
Address: IT

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,755 in Timor-Leste versus $1,718 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,648 in Timor-Leste versus $2,621 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Timor-Leste versus $3,524 in Italy.

Living in Timor-Leste is roughly 2% more expensive than in Italy on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Timor-Leste 31% above, Italy 29% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Timor-Leste: monthly costs span $1,755 to $1,755, compared to $1,176–$2,467 in Italy. City choice carries more weight in Timor-Leste.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.02 $5.02

$17.58 €15.40

-71.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.32 $44.32

$82.5 €72.2

-46.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.23 $8.23

$11.72 €10.26

-29.78%

Cappuccino

$3.82 $3.82

$1.92 €1.68

98.96%

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

$1.59 $1.59

$2.99 €2.62

-46.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.36 €1.19

5.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 $2.02

$5.76 €5.04

-64.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 $4.44

$5.22 €4.57

-14.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.69 €1.48

45.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.33 €2.04

6.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$3.05 €2.67

-35.74%

Eggs

$2.64 $2.64

$3.99 €3.49

-33.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$16.68 €14.61

-88.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 $9.61

$12.57 €11.01

-23.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.93 $15.93

$20.53 €17.98

-22.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 $3.56

$2.56 €2.24

39.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.20 €1.93

-15.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.68 €2.35

-26.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 $2.46

$3.37 €2.95

-27.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.04 €1.79

-3.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.88 €1.65

-32.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.47 €1.29

-30.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.54 €0.47

81.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.71 $2.71

$7.00 €6.13

-61.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.01 $12.01

$7.09 €6.21

69.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.80 €1.58

23.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.51 €2.20

14.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 $0.26

$1.96 €1.72

-86.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.6 $56.6

$41.58 €36.42

36.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 $3.57

$5.80 €5.08

-38.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.31 $3.31

$1.60 €1.40

106.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.38 $20.38

$35.07 €30.71

-41.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.13 €1.87

-30.05%

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

$21.4K $21.4K

$32.6K €28.5K

-34.42%

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

$19.8K $19.8K

$33.8K €29.6K

-41.44%

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

$148 $148

$225 €197

-34.30%

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

$29.53 $29.53

$13.14 €11.51

124.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.2 $50.2

$31.19 €27.31

61.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.12 $49.12

$57.2 €50.1

-14.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.05 $3.05

$25.85 €22.64

-88.20%

Cinema Ticket

$5.44 $5.44

$10.34 €9.05

-47.39%

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

$564 €494

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K $16.1K

$10.3K €9,057

55.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.6 $60.6

$91.9 €80.5

-34.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.67 $29.67

$40.54 €35.51

-26.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 $78.5

$98.2 €86.0

-20.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.4 $59.4

$132 €116

-55.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 $1,081

$855 €749

26.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$935 $935

$663 €581

40.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,434 $3,434

$1,522 €1,333

125.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,643 $1,643

$1,089 €954

50.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,747 €3,282

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,299 €2,013

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,850 $4,850

$1,897 €1,661

155.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

4.41

21.77%

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

Last update for Timor-Leste: July 13, 2026

Last update for Italy: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,117 in Timor-Leste, $742 in Italy. Capital cities: $1,117 in Dili vs $1,328 in Rome.

National salary averages: $3,612 in Timor-Leste, $1,912 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 51% higher in Timor-Leste.

Dining out costs 64% more in Italy.

Salaries are 89% 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 Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,822 per month in Italy and $1,755 in Timor-Leste, there's a 4% 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 Timor-Leste: 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 Italy is consistently higher than in Timor-Leste across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Timor-Leste, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in Italy 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: Timor-Leste wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.