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: $1,803 in Timor-Leste versus $1,717 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,617 in Timor-Leste versus $2,624 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,431 in Timor-Leste versus $3,530 in Italy.

Living in Timor-Leste is roughly 5% more expensive than Italy on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Timor-Leste 35% above, Italy 28% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Timor-Leste: monthly costs span $1,803 to $1,803, compared to $1,170–$2,508 in Italy. City choice carries more weight in Timor-Leste.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.08 $5.08

$17.44 €15.01

-70.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.11 $44.11

$79.5 €68.4

-44.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.10 $8.10

$11.76 €10.12

-31.12%

Cappuccino

$3.80 $3.80

$2.00 €1.72

90.00%

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

$1.63 $1.63

$3.00 €2.59

-45.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.35 €1.16

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 $1.96

$5.94 €5.11

-67.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 $4.48

$5.36 €4.61

-16.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.64 €1.41

45.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.41 €2.08

4.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.99 €2.58

-33.78%

Eggs

$2.73 $2.73

$3.96 €3.41

-31.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$16.84 €14.50

-88.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 $9.61

$12.43 €10.70

-22.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.11 $16.11

$20.29 €17.47

-20.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$2.47 €2.13

45.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 $1.88

$2.15 €1.85

-12.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.65 €2.28

-23.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$3.40 €2.92

-27.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.92 €1.65

6.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.81 €1.56

-29.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.55 €1.33

-36.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

$0.54 €0.47

79.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.76 $2.76

$6.79 €5.85

-59.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.78 $11.78

$7.18 €6.18

64.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.80 €1.55

22.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.42 €2.08

14.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 $0.24

$2.00 €1.72

-88.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.9 $56.9

$42.35 €36.45

34.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 $3.56

$5.94 €5.12

-40.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.22 $3.22

$1.51 €1.30

113.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.71 $19.71

$34.04 €29.31

-42.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 $1.50

$2.05 €1.77

-26.83%

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

$21.7K $21.7K

$32.8K €28.3K

-33.82%

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

$19.6K $19.6K

$33.7K €29.0K

-41.67%

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

$149 $149

$225 €194

-33.83%

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

$30.35 $30.35

$13.25 €11.41

129.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 $50.5

$30.95 €26.64

63.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.5 $50.5

$55.7 €47.99

-9.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.96 $2.96

$25.15 €21.65

-88.23%

Cinema Ticket

$5.39 $5.39

$10.25 €8.82

-47.41%

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

$576 €496

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K $15.8K

$10.5K €9,005

51.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 $61.0

$91.8 €79.1

-33.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.49 $29.49

$40.72 €35.05

-27.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.8 $80.8

$98.0 €84.4

-17.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.2 $60.2

$131 €113

-53.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 $1,095

$860 €740

27.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$932 $932

$667 €574

39.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,457 $3,457

$1,475 €1,270

134.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,649 $1,649

$1,087 €936

51.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,850 €3,315

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,359 €2,030

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,921 $4,921

$1,933 €1,664

154.54%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Italy: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,096 in Timor-Leste, $743 in Italy. Capital cities: $1,096 in Dili vs $1,325 in Rome.

National salary averages: $3,561 in Timor-Leste, $1,949 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 48% higher in Timor-Leste.

Dining out costs 68% more in Italy.

Salaries are 83% 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 Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,839 per month in Italy and $1,803 in Timor-Leste, there's a 2% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Timor-Leste 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 Italy beats 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 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. Timor-Leste wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.