Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Timor-Leste and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Timor-Leste: $1,598 a month against $2,727 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Timor-Leste
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Timor-Leste Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

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🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

$1,598

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Timor-Leste and in the United States

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Timor-Leste and in the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,598 in Timor-Leste versus $2,727 in the United States.

Timor-Leste $1,598
United States $2,727

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,482 in Timor-Leste versus $4,009 in the United States.

Timor-Leste $2,482
United States $4,009

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,366 in Timor-Leste versus $5,291 in the United States.

Timor-Leste $3,366
United States $5,291

Internal cost variation is higher in Timor-Leste: monthly costs span $1,619 to $1,619, compared to $977–$5,215 in the United States. City choice carries more weight in Timor-Leste.

Living in Timor-Leste costs about 41% less than in the United States on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Timor-Leste 18% above, the United States 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.11 $5.11

$19.73 $19.73

-74.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.38 $35.38

$81.0 $81.0

-56.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.57 $6.57

$11.98 $11.98

-45.16%

Cappuccino

$3.95 $3.95

$5.59 $5.59

-29.34%

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

$1.80 $1.80

$2.78 $2.78

-35.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.10 $2.10

37.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 $2.97

$5.98 $5.98

-50.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 $3.89

$7.92 $7.92

-50.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.03 $1.03

121.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 $2.42

$3.75 $3.75

-35.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 $0.97

$4.46 $4.46

-78.25%

Eggs

$2.64 $2.64

$4.34 $4.34

-39.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$12.75 $12.75

-84.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 $9.62

$12.27 $12.27

-21.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.83 $15.83

$17.29 $17.29

-8.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$5.31 $5.31

-38.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.67 $1.67

11.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$4.32 $4.32

-42.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$5.03 $5.03

-54.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$2.81 $2.81

-57.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$3.05 $3.05

-60.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 $0.86

$2.22 $2.22

-61.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.35 $2.35

-56.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 $3.03

$10.92 $10.92

-72.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 $11.86

$14.87 $14.87

-20.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.10 $2.10

9.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.62 $3.62

-22.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 $0.24

$2.46 $2.46

-90.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.44 $42.44

$65.7 $65.7

-35.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 $3.60

$3.58 $3.58

0.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.63 $3.63

$1.90 $1.90

91.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.61 $19.61

$29.51 $29.51

-33.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.02 $1.02

39.22%

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

$20.1K $20.1K

$28.3K $28.3K

-28.97%

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

$18.0K $18.0K

$26.0K $26.0K

-30.86%

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

$147 $147

$221 $221

-33.22%

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

$26.97 $26.97

$61.3 $61.3

-55.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.3 $73.3

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.1 $74.1

$44.89 $44.89

65.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.65 $22.65

Cinema Ticket

$6.06 $6.06

$15.16 $15.16

-60.03%

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

$1,527 $1,527

$1,471 $1,471

3.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K $15.9K

$25.0K $25.0K

-36.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.1 $61.1

$53.5 $53.5

14.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.83 $29.83

$43.76 $43.76

-31.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 $79.4

$92.0 $92.0

-13.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.1 $59.1

$114 $114

-48.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 $830

$1,654 $1,654

-49.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$745 $745

$1,332 $1,332

-44.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,689 $2,689

$2,669 $2,669

0.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 $1,533

$2,207 $2,207

-30.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,054 $3,054

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,522 $2,522

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$4,391 $4,391

10.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

6.55

-18.02%

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

Last update for Timor-Leste: October 18, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Timor-Leste

$745 46.6%

United States

$1.3K 48.9% 78.8% $587

Groceries & Markets

Timor-Leste

$274 17.2%

United States

$413 15.1% 50.4% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Timor-Leste

$174 * 10.9%

United States

$355 13% 104% $181

Eating Out

Timor-Leste

$149 9.3%

United States

$326 12% 119% $177

Clothing & Footwear

Timor-Leste

$103 6.5%

United States

$137 5% 32.3% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Timor-Leste

$86 5.4%

United States

$75 2.8% 12.8% $11

Getting Around

Timor-Leste

$65 4.1%

United States

$89 3.3% 36% $23

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $815 in Timor-Leste, $1,612 in the United States. Capital cities: $815 in Dili vs $2,743 in Washington, DC.

National salary averages: $3,531 in Timor-Leste, $4,548 in the United States. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 98% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 50% more in the United States.

Public transport is 15% more expensive in Timor-Leste.

Salaries are 29% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Timor-Leste.

Good to know

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

10:07 10:07 AM

21:07 9:07 PM

13 h behind Timor-Leste

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,243,235

340,110,988

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Timor-Leste United States 15,540 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Timor-Leste
United States

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,598 per month in Timor-Leste and $2,727 in the United States, there's a 71% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,612 in the United States and $815 in Timor-Leste. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Timor-Leste, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in the United States 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; the United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.