Last update: Oct 2026

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

Name: Timor-Leste
Address: TL

For one person, living is cheaper in Timor-Leste: $1,598 a month against $2,478 in the United Kingdom, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in the United Kingdom
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United Kingdom Living Index
78

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

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🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,478

/mo nomad

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

$1,598

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,478 in the United Kingdom versus $1,598 in Timor-Leste.

United Kingdom $2,478
Timor-Leste $1,598

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,608 in the United Kingdom versus $2,482 in Timor-Leste.

United Kingdom $3,608
Timor-Leste $2,482

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,739 in the United Kingdom versus $3,366 in Timor-Leste.

United Kingdom $4,739
Timor-Leste $3,366

Internal cost variation is higher in the United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,143 to $4,049, compared to $1,619–$1,619 in Timor-Leste. City choice carries more weight in the United Kingdom.

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

Both countries sit above the global median: the United Kingdom 83% above, Timor-Leste 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.61 £16.21

$5.11 $5.11

322.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.7 £65.8

$35.38 $35.38

147.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 £8.12

$6.57 $6.57

64.69%

Cappuccino

$4.77 £3.58

$3.95 $3.95

20.76%

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

$2.64 £1.98

$1.80 $1.80

46.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 £1.41

$2.88 $2.88

-34.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.59 £4.94

$2.97 $2.97

121.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.56 £4.92

$3.89 $3.89

68.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 £1.23

$2.28 $2.28

-28.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 £1.23

$2.42 $2.42

-31.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 £1.68

$0.97 $0.97

129.90%

Eggs

$4.06 £3.05

$2.64 $2.64

53.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.64 £7.23

$1.94 $1.94

396.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.14 £6.86

$9.62 $9.62

-4.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.77 £11.08

$15.83 $15.83

-6.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 £2.19

$3.28 $3.28

-10.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 £1.24

$1.86 $1.86

-11.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 £2.10

$2.49 $2.49

12.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 £2.49

$2.31 $2.31

43.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 £1.36

$1.20 $1.20

50.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 £1.17

$1.20 $1.20

30.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 £0.93

$0.86 $0.86

44.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 £1.25

$1.02 $1.02

62.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.79 £17.85

$3.03 $3.03

685.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 £7.85

$11.86 $11.86

-11.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 £2.21

$2.29 $2.29

28.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 £2.54

$2.81 $2.81

20.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.51 £2.63

$0.24 $0.24

1362.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 £78.3

$42.44 $42.44

145.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 £4.06

$3.60 $3.60

50.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 £1.80

$3.63 $3.63

-33.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.06 £20.30

$19.61 $19.61

37.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.47

$1.42 $1.42

38.03%

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

$38.7K £29.0K

$20.1K $20.1K

92.46%

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

$41.2K £30.9K

$18.0K $18.0K

129.71%

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

$323 £242

$147 $147

119.06%

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

$18.55 £13.92

$26.97 $26.97

-31.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.14 £31.61

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.76 £35.08

$74.1 $74.1

-36.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.95 £13.47

Cinema Ticket

$13.85 £10.39

$6.06 $6.06

128.55%

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

$1,725 £1,294

$1,527 $1,527

12.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.6K £16.9K

$15.9K $15.9K

41.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.8 £69.6

$61.1 $61.1

51.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.58 £34.94

$29.83 $29.83

56.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 £76.5

$79.4 $79.4

28.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 £76.6

$59.1 $59.1

72.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 £1,011

$830 $830

62.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 £824

$745 $745

47.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,160 £1,620

$2,689 $2,689

-19.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 £1,309

$1,533 $1,533

13.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,578 £4,184

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 £3,315

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,358 £2,519

$4,866 $4,866

-30.99%

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 the United Kingdom: October 20, 2026

Last update for Timor-Leste: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United Kingdom

$1.1K 44.3%

Timor-Leste

$745 46.6% 32.1% $353

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United Kingdom

$384 15.5%

Timor-Leste

$174 * 10.9% 54.5% $209

Eating Out

United Kingdom

$327 13.2%

Timor-Leste

$149 9.3% 54.3% $177

Groceries & Markets

United Kingdom

$305 12.3%

Timor-Leste

$274 17.2% 10.1% $31

Clothing & Footwear

United Kingdom

$155 6.2%

Timor-Leste

$103 6.5% 33.2% $51

Getting Around

United Kingdom

$136 5.5%

Timor-Leste

$65 4.1% 52% $71

Sport & Entertainment

United Kingdom

$74 3%

Timor-Leste

$86 5.4% 15.8% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,265 in the United Kingdom, $815 in Timor-Leste. Capital cities: $2,852 in London vs $815 in Dili.

National salary averages: $3,250 in the United Kingdom, $3,531 in Timor-Leste. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 55% higher in the United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 66% more in the United Kingdom.

Public transport is 184% more expensive in the United Kingdom.

Good to know

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

🕒 Local time

02:26 2:26 AM

11:26 11:26 AM

9 h ahead of the United Kingdom

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,326,569

1,243,235

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

British Pound exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to GBP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

United Kingdom Timor-Leste 13,170 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

United Kingdom
Timor-Leste

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

United Kingdom vs Timor-Leste: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,598 per month in Timor-Leste and $2,478 in the United Kingdom, there's a 55% 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 cheaper in Timor-Leste: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,265 in the United Kingdom 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 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; the United Kingdom may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.