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: $1,553 in Timor-Leste versus $1,023 in Turkey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,403 in Timor-Leste versus $1,592 in Turkey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,252 in Timor-Leste versus $2,161 in Turkey.

Living in Timor-Leste is roughly 52% more expensive than in Turkey on average.

Timor-Leste (13% above) and Turkey (26% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Timor-Leste: monthly costs span $1,553 to $1,553, compared to $670–$1,744 in Turkey. City choice carries more weight in Timor-Leste.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.96 $4.96

$9.24 ₺448

-46.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.07 $42.07

$40.85 ₺1,979

2.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 $7.88

$8.87 ₺430

-11.16%

Cappuccino

$4.20 $4.20

$3.62 ₺175

16.02%

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

$1.64 $1.64

$1.54 ₺74.9

6.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$0.59 ₺28.43

303.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 $2.49

$3.64 ₺177

-31.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 $4.63

$4.68 ₺227

-1.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.04 ₺50.3

121.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.99 ₺48.16

149.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 $0.94

$2.26 ₺110

-58.41%

Eggs

$2.69 $2.69

$2.24 ₺109

20.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$9.45 ₺458

-78.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 $9.32

$4.71 ₺228

97.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 $15.87

$20.44 ₺990

-22.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 $3.42

$1.87 ₺90.8

82.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.01 ₺97.5

-10.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.10 ₺53.1

130.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.38 ₺67.0

67.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$0.59 ₺28.47

101.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$0.47 ₺22.64

153.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.04 ₺50.6

-17.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.65 ₺31.62

56.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.30 ₺112

29.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.11 $12.11

$12.22 ₺592

-0.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.29 ₺111

-3.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.89 ₺140

-0.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 $0.26

$0.87 ₺41.97

-70.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.18 $43.18

$41.91 ₺2,031

3.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 $3.42

$1.63 ₺79.1

109.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.56 $3.56

$0.86 ₺41.65

313.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.35 $20.35

$8.27 ₺401

146.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.27 ₺61.5

17.32%

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

$19.6K $19.6K

$43.7K ₺2.1M

-55.23%

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

$18.4K $18.4K

$42.4K ₺2.1M

-56.48%

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

$149 $149

$74.8 ₺3,624

99.25%

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

$27.28 $27.28

$10.46 ₺507

160.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.05 ₺778

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.32 $49.32

$54.2 ₺2,626

-8.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.16 ₺977

Cinema Ticket

$6.03 $6.03

$7.32 ₺355

-17.62%

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

$1,500 $1,500

$684 ₺33.1K

119.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K $16.0K

$15.8K ₺763.9K

1.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 $59.8

$56.1 ₺2,718

6.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.47 $30.47

$45.93 ₺2,226

-33.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 $80.3

$107 ₺5,166

-24.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.2 $61.2

$96.8 ₺4,689

-36.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 $831

$606 ₺29.4K

37.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 $768

$429 ₺20.8K

79.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,761 $2,761

$977 ₺47.4K

182.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,501 $1,501

$690 ₺33.4K

117.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,848 ₺89.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,145 ₺55.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,030 $5,030

$1,092 ₺52.9K

360.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

41.74

-87.13%

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

Last update for Timor-Leste: August 29, 2026

Last update for Turkey: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $824 in Timor-Leste, $460 in Turkey. Capital cities: $824 in Dili vs $739 in Ankara.

National salary averages: $3,634 in Timor-Leste, $1,063 in Turkey. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 79% higher in Timor-Leste.

Dining out costs 20% more in Timor-Leste.

Salaries are 242% 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 Turkey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,553 per month in Timor-Leste and $1,207 in Turkey, there's a 29% 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 Turkey: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 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: Turkey wins on affordability; Timor-Leste may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.