Cost of Living Comparison Between Timor-Leste and United Kingdom Cost of Living Comparison Between Timor-Leste and United Kingdom

Name: United Kingdom
Address: GB

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,553 in Timor-Leste versus $2,412 in United Kingdom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,403 in Timor-Leste versus $3,533 in United Kingdom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,252 in Timor-Leste versus $4,653 in United Kingdom.

Living in Timor-Leste costs about 36% less than in United Kingdom on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Timor-Leste 13% above, United Kingdom 76% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Timor-Leste: monthly costs span $1,553 to $1,553, compared to $1,118–$4,221 in United Kingdom. City choice carries more weight in Timor-Leste.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.96 $4.96

$21.35 £15.76

-76.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.07 $42.07

$87.2 £64.4

-51.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 $7.88

$10.72 £7.92

-26.49%

Cappuccino

$4.20 $4.20

$4.79 £3.53

-12.32%

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

$1.64 $1.64

$2.57 £1.90

-36.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.82 £1.35

30.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 $2.49

$6.61 £4.88

-62.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 $4.63

$6.90 £5.09

-32.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.68 £1.24

36.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.76 £1.30

40.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 $0.94

$2.28 £1.68

-58.77%

Eggs

$2.69 $2.69

$4.09 £3.02

-34.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$9.88 £7.30

-79.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 $9.32

$9.44 £6.97

-1.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 $15.87

$14.89 £11.00

6.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 $3.42

$2.97 £2.20

15.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.69 £1.25

6.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.80 £2.07

-9.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$3.48 £2.57

-33.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.77 £1.31

-32.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.66 £1.23

-28.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.22 £0.90

-29.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.71 £1.26

-40.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 $2.97

$23.99 £17.71

-87.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.11 $12.11

$11.05 £8.16

9.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$3.07 £2.27

-28.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$3.36 £2.48

-14.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 $0.26

$3.34 £2.46

-92.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.18 $43.18

$103 £76.3

-58.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 $3.42

$5.30 £3.91

-35.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.56 $3.56

$2.16 £1.59

64.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.35 $20.35

$27.14 £20.03

-25.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.95 £1.44

-23.59%

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

$19.6K $19.6K

$39.5K £29.1K

-50.39%

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

$18.4K $18.4K

$40.8K £30.2K

-54.86%

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

$149 $149

$326 £241

-54.32%

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

$27.28 $27.28

$18.25 £13.47

49.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.65 £31.49

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.32 $49.32

$46.53 £34.35

6.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.19 £13.43

Cinema Ticket

$6.03 $6.03

$13.50 £9.96

-55.33%

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

$1,500 $1,500

$1,734 £1,280

-13.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K $16.0K

$23.3K £17.2K

-31.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 $59.8

$91.6 £67.7

-34.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.47 $30.47

$46.91 £34.63

-35.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 $80.3

$106 £78.1

-24.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.2 $61.2

$101 £74.7

-39.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 $831

$1,365 £1,008

-39.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 $768

$1,108 £818

-30.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,761 $2,761

$2,209 £1,631

24.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,501 $1,501

$1,779 £1,313

-15.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,624 £4,151

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,390 £3,241

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,030 $5,030

$3,384 £2,498

48.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

5.32

0.94%

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

Last update for Timor-Leste: August 29, 2026

Last update for United Kingdom: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $824 in Timor-Leste, $1,296 in United Kingdom. Capital cities: $824 in Dili vs $3,001 in London.

National salary averages: $3,634 in Timor-Leste, $3,270 in United Kingdom. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 57% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 102% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 187% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 11% 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 United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,553 per month in Timor-Leste and $2,670 in United Kingdom, there's a 72% 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 United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom 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; United Kingdom may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.