Last update: Oct 2026

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

Name: Timor-Leste
Address: TL

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.

132

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

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

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,727

/mo nomad

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

$1,598

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States 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 States and in Timor-Leste actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in the United States is roughly 71% more expensive than in Timor-Leste on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.73 $19.73

$5.11 $5.11

286.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$35.38 $35.38

128.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 $11.98

$6.57 $6.57

82.34%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$3.95 $3.95

41.52%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$1.80 $1.80

54.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.88 $2.88

-27.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 $5.98

$2.97 $2.97

101.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.92 $7.92

$3.89 $3.89

103.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.28 $2.28

-54.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.42 $2.42

54.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$0.97 $0.97

359.79%

Eggs

$4.34 $4.34

$2.64 $2.64

64.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.75 $12.75

$1.94 $1.94

557.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.27 $12.27

$9.62 $9.62

27.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.29 $17.29

$15.83 $15.83

9.22%

Apples (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$3.28 $3.28

61.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.86 $1.86

-10.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$2.49 $2.49

73.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 $5.03

$2.31 $2.31

117.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.20 $1.20

134.17%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.20 $1.20

154.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.86 $0.86

158.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.02 $1.02

130.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.92 $10.92

$3.03 $3.03

260.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$11.86 $11.86

25.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.29 $2.29

-8.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.81 $2.81

28.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$0.24 $0.24

925.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.7 $65.7

$42.44 $42.44

54.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$3.60 $3.60

-0.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$3.63 $3.63

-47.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.51 $29.51

$19.61 $19.61

50.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.42 $1.42

-28.17%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$20.1K $20.1K

40.78%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$18.0K $18.0K

44.62%

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

$221 $221

$147 $147

49.75%

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

$61.3 $61.3

$26.97 $26.97

127.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.3 $73.3

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.89 $44.89

$74.1 $74.1

-39.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.65 $22.65

Cinema Ticket

$15.16 $15.16

$6.06 $6.06

150.17%

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

$1,471 $1,471

$1,527 $1,527

-3.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K $25.0K

$15.9K $15.9K

56.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 $53.5

$61.1 $61.1

-12.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.76 $43.76

$29.83 $29.83

46.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 $92.0

$79.4 $79.4

15.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$59.1 $59.1

93.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,654 $1,654

$830 $830

99.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 $1,332

$745 $745

78.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,669 $2,669

$2,689 $2,689

-0.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,207 $2,207

$1,533 $1,533

44.01%

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)

$4,391 $4,391

$4,866 $4,866

-9.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

5.37

21.97%

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

Last update for the United States: October 18, 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 States

$1.3K 48.9%

Timor-Leste

$745 46.6% 44.1% $587

Groceries & Markets

United States

$413 15.1%

Timor-Leste

$274 17.2% 33.5% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Timor-Leste

$174 * 10.9% 50.9% $181

Eating Out

United States

$326 12%

Timor-Leste

$149 9.3% 54.2% $177

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Timor-Leste

$103 6.5% 24.4% $33

Getting Around

United States

$89 3.3%

Timor-Leste

$65 4.1% 26.5% $23

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$75 2.8%

Timor-Leste

$86 5.4% 14.6% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

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

National salary averages: $4,548 in the United States, $3,531 in Timor-Leste. 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

🇺🇸 United States

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

🕒 Local time

21:46 9:46 PM

10:46 10:46 AM

13 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

1,243,235

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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

From you

United States
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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 States vs Timor-Leste: 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.