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

Name: Turkey
Address: TR

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,803 in Timor-Leste versus $1,081 in Turkey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,617 in Timor-Leste versus $1,676 in Turkey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,431 in Timor-Leste versus $2,271 in Turkey.

Living in Timor-Leste is roughly 67% more expensive than Turkey on average.

Timor-Leste (35% above) and Turkey (19% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Timor-Leste: monthly costs span $1,803 to $1,803, compared to $866–$1,732 in Turkey. City choice carries more weight in Timor-Leste.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.08 $5.08

$8.92 ₺411

-43.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.11 $44.11

$38.84 ₺1,788

13.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.10 $8.10

$7.80 ₺359

3.85%

Cappuccino

$3.80 $3.80

$3.18 ₺146

19.50%

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

$1.63 $1.63

$1.26 ₺58.2

29.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 $1.44

$0.49 ₺22.64

193.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 $1.96

$3.63 ₺167

-46.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 $4.48

$4.65 ₺214

-3.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 $2.39

$0.99 ₺45.76

141.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 $2.52

$0.79 ₺36.52

218.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.13 ₺97.9

-7.04%

Eggs

$2.73 $2.73

$2.32 ₺107

17.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$9.78 ₺450

-79.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 $9.61

$5.70 ₺263

68.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.11 $16.11

$19.78 ₺911

-18.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.34 ₺61.7

168.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 $1.88

$2.19 ₺101

-14.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.18 ₺54.5

72.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.46 ₺67.3

69.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.76 ₺34.94

169.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.61 ₺28.22

109.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.00 ₺45.96

-1.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

$0.51 ₺23.36

90.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.21 ₺102

24.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.78 $11.78

$10.87 ₺500

8.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.15 ₺98.9

2.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.82 ₺130

-1.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 $0.24

$0.70 ₺32.33

-65.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.9 $56.9

$44.97 ₺2,071

26.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 $3.56

$1.06 ₺48.66

235.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.22 $3.22

$0.66 ₺30.30

387.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.71 $19.71

$7.61 ₺350

159.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.19 ₺54.7

26.05%

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

$21.7K $21.7K

$43.2K ₺2.0M

-49.67%

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

$19.6K $19.6K

$43.4K ₺2.0M

-54.75%

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

$149 $149

$69.3 ₺3,192

115.13%

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

$30.35 $30.35

$10.88 ₺501

178.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 $50.5

$14.03 ₺646

260.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.5 $50.5

$49.89 ₺2,297

1.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.96 $2.96

$18.02 ₺830

-83.57%

Cinema Ticket

$5.39 $5.39

$6.53 ₺301

-17.46%

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

$626 ₺28.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K $15.8K

$13.0K ₺597.4K

21.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 $61.0

$53.3 ₺2,453

14.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.49 $29.49

$43.13 ₺1,986

-31.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.8 $80.8

$108 ₺4,958

-24.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.2 $60.2

$95.7 ₺4,409

-37.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 $1,095

$627 ₺28.9K

74.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$932 $932

$454 ₺20.9K

105.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,457 $3,457

$1,175 ₺54.1K

194.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,649 $1,649

$726 ₺33.4K

127.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,741 ₺80.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,078 ₺49.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,921 $4,921

$1,056 ₺48.6K

365.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

42.38

-87.33%

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

Last update for Timor-Leste: June 1, 2026

Last update for Turkey: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,096 in Timor-Leste, $528 in Turkey. Capital cities: $1,096 in Dili vs $741 in Ankara.

National salary averages: $3,561 in Timor-Leste, $1,056 in Turkey. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 108% higher in Timor-Leste.

Dining out costs 47% more in Timor-Leste.

Salaries are 237% 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 Turkey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,803 per month in Timor-Leste and $1,299 in Turkey, there's a 39% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Turkey 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 Timor-Leste beats Turkey across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Turkey, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In Timor-Leste, 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. Turkey wins on affordability; Timor-Leste may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.