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: $1,553 in Timor-Leste versus $1,792 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,403 in Timor-Leste versus $2,735 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,252 in Timor-Leste versus $3,678 in Italy.

Living in Timor-Leste costs about 13% less than in Italy on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Timor-Leste 13% above, Italy 30% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Timor-Leste: monthly costs span $1,553 to $1,553, compared to $1,168–$2,645 in Italy. City choice carries more weight in Timor-Leste.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.96 $4.96

$21.31 €18.32

-76.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.07 $42.07

$81.6 €70.1

-48.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 $7.88

$11.64 €10.01

-32.30%

Cappuccino

$4.20 $4.20

$2.02 €1.74

107.92%

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

$1.64 $1.64

$3.15 €2.71

-47.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.45 €1.25

64.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 $2.49

$5.69 €4.90

-56.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 $4.63

$5.94 €5.11

-22.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.69 €1.45

36.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.48 €2.13

-0.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 $0.94

$2.97 €2.55

-68.35%

Eggs

$2.69 $2.69

$4.32 €3.72

-37.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$17.42 €14.98

-88.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 $9.32

$12.79 €11.00

-27.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 $15.87

$21.28 €18.30

-25.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 $3.42

$2.64 €2.27

29.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.21 €1.90

-18.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.79 €2.40

-9.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$3.37 €2.90

-31.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$2.10 €1.80

-43.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.97 €1.69

-39.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.60 €1.38

-46.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.57 €0.49

78.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 $2.97

$7.13 €6.13

-58.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.11 $12.11

$7.59 €6.52

59.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.85 €1.59

18.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.50 €2.15

14.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 $0.26

$2.00 €1.72

-87.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.18 $43.18

$45.09 €38.77

-4.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 $3.42

$5.80 €4.98

-41.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.56 $3.56

$1.79 €1.54

98.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.35 $20.35

$34.95 €30.05

-41.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.13 €1.83

-30.05%

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

$19.6K $19.6K

$37.4K €32.1K

-47.61%

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

$18.4K $18.4K

$36.3K €31.2K

-49.24%

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

$149 $149

$239 €205

-37.56%

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

$27.28 $27.28

$12.14 €10.44

124.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.42 €27.02

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.32 $49.32

$54.9 €47.22

-10.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.84 €21.36

Cinema Ticket

$6.03 $6.03

$10.92 €9.39

-44.78%

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

$1,500 $1,500

$568 €488

164.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K $16.0K

$12.2K €10.5K

30.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 $59.8

$93.7 €80.5

-36.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.47 $30.47

$40.71 €35.01

-25.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 $80.3

$105 €90.2

-23.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.2 $61.2

$139 €120

-56.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 $831

$857 €737

-3.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 $768

$657 €565

16.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,761 $2,761

$1,476 €1,269

87.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,501 $1,501

$1,093 €939

37.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,786 €3,255

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 €2,005

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,030 $5,030

$1,928 €1,658

160.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

3.57

50.42%

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

Last update for Timor-Leste: August 29, 2026

Last update for Italy: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $824 in Timor-Leste, $758 in Italy. Capital cities: $824 in Dili vs $1,244 in Rome.

National salary averages: $3,634 in Timor-Leste, $1,967 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 9% higher in Timor-Leste.

Dining out costs 81% more in Italy.

Public transport is 43% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 85% 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 $1,907 per month in Italy and $1,553 in Timor-Leste, there's a 23% 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, $1,500 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.