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: $1,803 in Timor-Leste versus $2,363 in United Kingdom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,617 in Timor-Leste versus $3,474 in United Kingdom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,431 in Timor-Leste versus $4,585 in United Kingdom.

Living in Timor-Leste costs about 24% less than in United Kingdom on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Timor-Leste 35% above, United Kingdom 76% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Timor-Leste: monthly costs span $1,803 to $1,803, compared to $1,678–$3,892 in United Kingdom. City choice carries more weight in Timor-Leste.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.08 $5.08

$20.41 £15.21

-75.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.11 $44.11

$87.0 £64.8

-49.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.10 $8.10

$10.13 £7.55

-20.04%

Cappuccino

$3.80 $3.80

$4.70 £3.50

-19.15%

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

$1.63 $1.63

$2.36 £1.76

-30.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.76 £1.31

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 $1.96

$6.66 £4.96

-70.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 $4.48

$6.43 £4.79

-30.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.70 £1.27

40.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.63 £1.22

54.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.29 £1.71

-13.54%

Eggs

$2.73 $2.73

$4.03 £3.00

-32.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$9.77 £7.28

-79.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 $9.61

$8.92 £6.64

7.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.11 $16.11

$14.31 £10.66

12.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$3.05 £2.27

18.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.61 £1.20

16.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.84 £2.11

-28.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$3.53 £2.63

-29.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.61 £1.20

27.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.57 £1.17

-18.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.17 £0.87

-15.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.56 £1.16

-37.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.76 $2.76

$20.03 £14.92

-86.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.78 $11.78

$10.90 £8.12

8.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.90 £2.16

-23.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$3.38 £2.52

-18.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 $0.24

$3.17 £2.36

-92.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.9 $56.9

$95.2 £71.0

-40.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 $3.56

$5.45 £4.06

-34.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.22 $3.22

$1.59 £1.19

102.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.71 $19.71

$27.31 £20.35

-27.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.99 £1.48

-24.62%

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

$21.7K $21.7K

$37.8K £28.1K

-42.45%

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

$19.6K $19.6K

$40.2K £29.9K

-51.09%

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

$149 $149

$323 £240

-53.76%

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

$30.35 $30.35

$17.22 £12.83

76.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 $50.5

$42.23 £31.46

19.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.5 $50.5

$46.03 £34.29

9.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.96 $2.96

$15.67 £11.67

-81.11%

Cinema Ticket

$5.39 $5.39

$13.48 £10.04

-60.01%

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

$1,713 £1,276

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K $15.8K

$20.8K £15.5K

-24.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 $61.0

$91.3 £68.0

-33.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.49 $29.49

$44.88 £33.43

-34.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.8 $80.8

$102 £76.0

-20.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.2 $60.2

$104 £77.5

-42.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 $1,095

$1,417 £1,055

-22.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$932 $932

$1,132 £843

-17.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,457 $3,457

$2,308 £1,719

49.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,649 $1,649

$1,839 £1,370

-10.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,727 £4,266

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,523 £3,370

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,921 $4,921

$3,333 £2,483

47.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

5.75

-6.61%

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

Last update for Timor-Leste: June 1, 2026

Last update for United Kingdom: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,096 in Timor-Leste, $1,265 in United Kingdom. Capital cities: $1,096 in Dili vs $3,019 in London.

National salary averages: $3,561 in Timor-Leste, $3,219 in United Kingdom. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 15% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 91% more in United Kingdom.

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

At $1,803 per month in Timor-Leste and $2,785 in United Kingdom, there's a 54% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Timor-Leste 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 United Kingdom beats 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 United Kingdom, 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. 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.