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

Name: Timor-Leste
Address: TL

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in United Kingdom is roughly 55% more expensive than in Timor-Leste on average.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.35 £15.76

$4.96 $4.96

330.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.2 £64.4

$42.07 $42.07

107.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.72 £7.92

$7.88 $7.88

36.04%

Cappuccino

$4.79 £3.53

$4.20 $4.20

14.05%

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

$2.57 £1.90

$1.64 $1.64

56.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 £1.35

$2.38 $2.38

-23.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 £4.88

$2.49 $2.49

165.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 £5.09

$4.63 $4.63

49.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 £1.24

$2.30 $2.30

-26.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 £1.30

$2.47 $2.47

-28.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 £1.68

$0.94 $0.94

142.55%

Eggs

$4.09 £3.02

$2.69 $2.69

52.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.88 £7.30

$2.05 $2.05

381.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 £6.97

$9.32 $9.32

1.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.89 £11.00

$15.87 $15.87

-6.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 £2.20

$3.42 $3.42

-13.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 £1.25

$1.80 $1.80

-6.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 £2.07

$2.53 $2.53

10.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.48 £2.57

$2.31 $2.31

50.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 £1.31

$1.19 $1.19

48.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 £1.23

$1.19 $1.19

39.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 £0.90

$0.86 $0.86

41.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 £1.26

$1.02 $1.02

67.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.99 £17.71

$2.97 $2.97

707.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.05 £8.16

$12.11 $12.11

-8.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 £2.27

$2.20 $2.20

39.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 £2.48

$2.87 $2.87

17.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.34 £2.46

$0.26 $0.26

1184.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 £76.3

$43.18 $43.18

139.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 £3.91

$3.42 $3.42

54.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 £1.59

$3.56 $3.56

-39.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.14 £20.03

$20.35 $20.35

33.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.44

$1.49 $1.49

30.87%

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

$39.5K £29.1K

$19.6K $19.6K

101.57%

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

$40.8K £30.2K

$18.4K $18.4K

121.55%

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

$326 £241

$149 $149

118.93%

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

$18.25 £13.47

$27.28 $27.28

-33.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.65 £31.49

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.53 £34.35

$49.32 $49.32

-5.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.19 £13.43

Cinema Ticket

$13.50 £9.96

$6.03 $6.03

123.88%

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

$1,734 £1,280

$1,500 $1,500

15.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K £17.2K

$16.0K $16.0K

45.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.6 £67.7

$59.8 $59.8

53.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.91 £34.63

$30.47 $30.47

53.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 £78.1

$80.3 $80.3

31.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 £74.7

$61.2 $61.2

65.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,365 £1,008

$831 $831

64.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 £818

$768 $768

44.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,209 £1,631

$2,761 $2,761

-19.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,779 £1,313

$1,501 $1,501

18.54%

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)

$3,384 £2,498

$5,030 $5,030

-32.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

5.37

-0.93%

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

Last update for United Kingdom: August 31, 2026

Last update for Timor-Leste: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

National salary averages: $3,270 in United Kingdom, $3,634 in Timor-Leste. 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

United Kingdom vs Timor-Leste: 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.