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

Name: Spain
Address: ES

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,755 in Timor-Leste versus $1,642 in Spain.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,648 in Timor-Leste versus $2,393 in Spain.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Timor-Leste versus $3,144 in Spain.

Living in Timor-Leste is roughly 7% more expensive than in Spain on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Timor-Leste 31% above, Spain 23% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Timor-Leste: monthly costs span $1,755 to $1,755, compared to $1,125–$3,182 in Spain. City choice carries more weight in Timor-Leste.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.02 $5.02

$16.46 €14.42

-69.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.32 $44.32

$58.1 €50.9

-23.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.23 $8.23

$10.59 €9.27

-22.29%

Cappuccino

$3.82 $3.82

$2.30 €2.01

66.09%

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

$1.59 $1.59

$2.59 €2.27

-38.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.88 €1.65

-23.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.41 €2.98

-40.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 $4.44

$3.97 €3.47

11.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.18 €1.03

108.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.54 €1.35

60.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.59 €1.40

23.27%

Eggs

$2.64 $2.64

$3.05 €2.67

-13.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$14.38 €12.59

-86.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 $9.61

$8.46 €7.40

13.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.93 $15.93

$15.94 €13.96

-0.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 $3.56

$2.54 €2.22

40.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.08 €1.82

-10.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.02 €1.77

-2.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.66 €2.33

-7.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.82 €1.59

8.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.88 €1.65

-32.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.35 €1.18

-24.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.75 €0.66

30.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.71 $2.71

$6.35 €5.56

-57.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.01 $12.01

$5.75 €5.04

108.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.30 €1.14

70.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.11 €1.85

36.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 $0.26

$1.72 €1.50

-84.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.6 $56.6

$35.11 €30.75

61.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 $3.57

$4.56 €4.00

-21.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.31 $3.31

$1.30 €1.14

154.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.38 $20.38

$26.70 €23.39

-23.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.81 €1.58

-17.68%

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

$21.4K $21.4K

$39.2K €34.4K

-45.58%

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

$19.8K $19.8K

$30.6K €26.8K

-35.37%

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

$148 $148

$153 €134

-3.10%

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

$29.53 $29.53

$20.36 €17.84

45.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.2 $50.2

$34.00 €29.78

47.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.12 $49.12

$48.13 €42.15

2.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.05 $3.05

$16.14 €14.13

-81.10%

Cinema Ticket

$5.44 $5.44

$9.37 €8.21

-41.94%

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

$520 €455

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K $16.1K

$10.2K €8,909

57.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.6 $60.6

$85.9 €75.3

-29.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.67 $29.67

$36.75 €32.18

-19.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 $78.5

$91.7 €80.3

-14.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.4 $59.4

$108 €94.9

-45.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 $1,081

$1,043 €913

3.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$935 $935

$834 €730

12.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,434 $3,434

$1,674 €1,466

105.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,643 $1,643

$1,223 €1,071

34.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 €3,642

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,629 €2,303

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,850 $4,850

$1,965 €1,721

146.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

3.51

52.99%

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

Last update for Timor-Leste: July 13, 2026

Last update for Spain: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,117 in Timor-Leste, $897 in Spain. Capital cities: $1,117 in Dili vs $1,607 in Madrid.

National salary averages: $3,612 in Timor-Leste, $1,989 in Spain. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 25% higher in Timor-Leste.

Dining out costs 18% more in Spain.

Salaries are 82% 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 Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,154 per month in Spain and $1,755 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 Spain 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 Spain 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; Spain may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.