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: $1,553 in Timor-Leste versus $1,688 in Spain.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,403 in Timor-Leste versus $2,494 in Spain.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,252 in Timor-Leste versus $3,299 in Spain.

Living in Timor-Leste costs about 8% less than in Spain on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Timor-Leste 13% above, Spain 23% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Timor-Leste: monthly costs span $1,553 to $1,553, compared to $980–$2,739 in Spain. City choice carries more weight in Timor-Leste.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.96 $4.96

$17.19 €14.78

-71.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.07 $42.07

$57.3 €49.25

-26.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 $7.88

$11.55 €9.93

-31.77%

Cappuccino

$4.20 $4.20

$2.43 €2.09

72.84%

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

$1.64 $1.64

$2.61 €2.25

-37.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.87 €1.60

27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 $2.49

$3.48 €2.99

-28.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 $4.63

$3.97 €3.41

16.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.26 €1.09

82.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.52 €1.31

62.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.66 €1.43

-43.37%

Eggs

$2.69 $2.69

$3.43 €2.95

-21.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$14.76 €12.69

-86.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 $9.32

$8.78 €7.55

6.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 $15.87

$16.77 €14.41

-5.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 $3.42

$2.61 €2.25

31.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.12 €1.82

-15.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.13 €1.83

18.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$2.67 €2.30

-13.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.91 €1.64

-37.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$2.01 €1.73

-40.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.35 €1.16

-36.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.80 €0.69

27.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 $2.97

$6.61 €5.68

-55.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.11 $12.11

$5.65 €4.86

114.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.31 €1.12

67.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.14 €1.84

34.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 $0.26

$1.70 €1.46

-84.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.18 $43.18

$35.28 €30.33

22.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 $3.42

$4.58 €3.94

-25.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.56 $3.56

$1.53 €1.32

132.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.35 $20.35

$25.69 €22.08

-20.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.79 €1.54

-16.76%

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

$19.6K $19.6K

$37.2K €32.0K

-47.37%

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

$18.4K $18.4K

$30.9K €26.6K

-40.39%

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

$149 $149

$151 €130

-1.33%

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

$27.28 $27.28

$17.98 €15.46

51.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.12 €28.48

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.32 $49.32

$46.74 €40.18

5.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.95 €13.71

Cinema Ticket

$6.03 $6.03

$10.10 €8.68

-40.30%

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

$1,500 $1,500

$561 €482

167.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K $16.0K

$11.1K €9,532

44.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 $59.8

$86.8 €74.6

-31.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.47 $30.47

$37.58 €32.31

-18.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 $80.3

$91.5 €78.7

-12.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.2 $61.2

$109 €93.8

-43.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 $831

$1,046 €899

-20.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 $768

$825 €710

-6.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,761 $2,761

$1,637 €1,407

68.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,501 $1,501

$1,267 €1,089

18.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,290 €3,689

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,675 €2,300

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,030 $5,030

$2,046 €1,759

145.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

3.29

63.22%

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

Last update for Timor-Leste: August 29, 2026

Last update for Spain: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $824 in Timor-Leste, $927 in Spain. Capital cities: $824 in Dili vs $1,583 in Madrid.

National salary averages: $3,634 in Timor-Leste, $2,039 in Spain. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 13% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 40% more in Spain.

Salaries are 78% 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 $1,860 per month in Spain and $1,553 in Timor-Leste, there's a 20% 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, $1,500 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.