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: $1,755 in Timor-Leste versus $2,363 in United Kingdom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,648 in Timor-Leste versus $3,471 in United Kingdom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Timor-Leste versus $4,579 in United Kingdom.

Living in Timor-Leste costs about 26% less than in United Kingdom on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Timor-Leste 31% above, United Kingdom 77% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Timor-Leste: monthly costs span $1,755 to $1,755, compared to $1,670–$3,916 in United Kingdom. City choice carries more weight in Timor-Leste.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.02 $5.02

$20.23 £15.06

-75.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.32 $44.32

$88.3 £65.7

-49.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.23 $8.23

$10.35 £7.71

-20.48%

Cappuccino

$3.82 $3.82

$4.77 £3.55

-19.92%

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

$1.59 $1.59

$2.44 £1.82

-34.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.73 £1.29

-17.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 $2.02

$6.85 £5.10

-70.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 $4.44

$6.52 £4.85

-31.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.66 £1.23

48.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.71 £1.27

44.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.21 £1.64

-11.31%

Eggs

$2.64 $2.64

$4.09 £3.05

-35.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$9.52 £7.09

-79.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 $9.61

$9.02 £6.72

6.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.93 $15.93

$14.18 £10.55

12.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 $3.56

$2.96 £2.20

20.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.68 £1.25

10.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.84 £2.11

-30.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 $2.46

$3.41 £2.54

-27.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.69 £1.26

16.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.58 £1.17

-19.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.12 £0.84

-8.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.53 £1.14

-35.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.71 $2.71

$20.16 £15.01

-86.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.01 $12.01

$10.47 £7.80

14.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.87 £2.14

-22.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.30 £2.45

-12.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 $0.26

$3.33 £2.48

-92.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.6 $56.6

$96.3 £71.7

-41.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 $3.57

$5.53 £4.12

-35.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.31 $3.31

$1.60 £1.19

106.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.38 $20.38

$27.51 £20.48

-25.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.90 £1.41

-21.58%

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

$21.4K $21.4K

$38.1K £28.4K

-43.92%

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

$19.8K $19.8K

$41.0K £30.5K

-51.73%

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

$148 $148

$326 £243

-54.67%

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

$29.53 $29.53

$17.18 £12.79

71.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.2 $50.2

$42.96 £31.99

16.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.12 $49.12

$45.94 £34.20

6.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.05 $3.05

$15.87 £11.82

-80.78%

Cinema Ticket

$5.44 $5.44

$13.80 £10.27

-60.58%

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

$1,723 £1,283

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K $16.1K

$20.9K £15.5K

-23.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.6 $60.6

$90.3 £67.2

-32.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.67 $29.67

$44.39 £33.05

-33.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 $78.5

$103 £76.8

-23.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.4 $59.4

$103 £76.4

-42.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 $1,081

$1,419 £1,056

-23.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$935 $935

$1,143 £851

-18.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,434 $3,434

$2,298 £1,711

49.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,643 $1,643

$1,873 £1,394

-12.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,728 £4,264

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,339 £3,231

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,850 $4,850

$3,264 £2,430

48.58%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for United Kingdom: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,117 in Timor-Leste, $1,266 in United Kingdom. Capital cities: $1,117 in Dili vs $2,937 in London.

National salary averages: $3,612 in Timor-Leste, $3,192 in United Kingdom. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 13% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 87% more in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 13% 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 $1,755 per month in Timor-Leste and $2,793 in United Kingdom, there's a 59% 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, $2,500 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.