Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Timor-Leste instead of Macau, you would:

Health

live 15.4 years less

In Macau, the average life expectancy is 83 years (81 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024. In Timor-Leste, that number is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

be 32.3% less likely to be unemployed

In Macau, 2.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Timor-Leste, that number is 1.6% as of 2025.

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make 98.2% less money

Macau has a GDP per capita of $75,902 as of 2025, while in Timor-Leste, the GDP per capita is $1,341 as of 2025.

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Life

have 4.1 times more children

In Macau, there are approximately 5.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Timor-Leste, there are 21.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 28.5% less likely to be literate

In Macau, the literacy rate is 97.1% as of 2021. In Timor-Leste, it is 69.4% as of 2022.

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be 7.5 times more likely to die during infancy

In Macau, approximately 4.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Timor-Leste, on the other hand, 34.6 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 54.6% less likely to have internet access

In Macau, approximately 89.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Timor-Leste, about 40.8% do as of 2022.

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be 12.7% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Macau, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Timor-Leste, 87% of people do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 49.7% more on education

Macau spends 3.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Timor-Leste spends 5.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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Geography

see 17.2 times more coastline

Macau has a total of 41 km of coastline. In Timor-Leste, that number is 706 km.

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Infrastructure

find 100.0% less home broadband

Macau has 29.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Timor-Leste has 0.0 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 80.2% less CO2

Macau emits 2.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Timor-Leste emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), The World Factbook (2021–2022), United Nations SDG Indicators (2022). How we calculate this

Compare further: Macau vs. Timor-Leste

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Timor-Leste is 19.9% cheaper than Macau overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Macau is about 527 times smaller than Timor-Leste.
→
Moving from Macau to Timor-Leste · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

Timor-Leste: At a glance

Timor-Leste is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 14,874 sq km. The Portuguese began to trade with the island of Timor in the early 16th century and colonized it in mid-century. Skirmishing with the Dutch in the region eventually resulted in an 1859 treaty in which Portugal ceded the western portion of the island. Imperial Japan occupied Portuguese Timor from 1942 to 1945, but Portugal resumed colonial authority after the Japanese defeat in World War II. East Timor declared itself independent from Portugal on 28 November 1975 and was invaded and occupied by Indonesian forces nine days later. It was incorporated into Indonesia in July 1976 as the province of Timor Timur (East Timor). An unsuccessful campaign of pacification followed over the next two decades, during which an estimated 100,000 to 250,000 individuals lost their lives. On 30 August 1999, in a UN-supervised popular referendum, an overwhelming majority of the people of Timor-Leste voted for independence from Indonesia. However, in the next three weeks, anti-independence Timorese militias - organized and supported by the Indonesian military - commenced a large-scale, scorched-earth campaign of retribution. The militias killed approximately 1,400 Timorese and forcibly pushed 300,000 people into western Timor as refugees. Most of the country's infrastructure, including homes, irrigation systems, water supply systems, and schools, and nearly 100% of the country's electrical grid were destroyed. On 20 September 1999, Australian-led peacekeeping troops deployed to the country and brought the violence to an end. On 20 May 2002, Timor-Leste was internationally recognized as an independent state. In 2006, internal tensions threatened the new nation's security when a military strike led to violence and a breakdown of law and order. At Dili's request, an Australian-led International Stabilization Force (ISF) deployed to Timor-Leste, and the UN Security Council established the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT), which included an authorized police presence of over 1,600 personnel. The ISF and UNMIT restored stability, allowing for presidential and parliamentary elections in 2007 in a largely peaceful atmosphere. In February 2008, a rebel group staged an unsuccessful attack against the president and prime minister. The ringleader was killed in the attack, and most of the rebels surrendered in April 2008. Since the attack, the government has enjoyed one of its longest periods of post-independence stability, including successful 2012 elections for both the parliament and president. In late 2012, the UN Security Council voted to end its peacekeeping mission in Timor-Leste and both the ISF and UNMIT departed the country by the end of the year.
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