Cost of living comparison
compared to
Timor-Leste vs. South Africa Cost of Living Summary
Timor-Leste is 33.5% more expensive than South Africa overall.
- Restaurants
-
pay 4.9% less in Timor-Leste
- Groceries
-
pay 18.0% more in Timor-Leste
- Transportation
-
pay 20.7% less in Timor-Leste
- Housing
-
pay 81.9% more in Timor-Leste
- Childcare
-
pay 4.9 times more in Timor-Leste
- Entertainment and Sports
-
pay 22.4% more in Timor-Leste
- Clothing
-
pay 13.6% less in Timor-Leste
The cost of childcare, housing, entertainment and sports, and groceries in Timor-Leste are more expensive than in South Africa. Expenses including transportation, clothing, and restaurants are lower in Timor-Leste. Notably, childcare and housing are significantly more expensive in Timor-Leste.
Timor-Leste vs. South Africa Cost Breakdown
If you lived in Timor-Leste instead of South Africa, you would:
pay 4.9% less for restaurants
|
South Africa
|
Timor-Leste
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant |
$10.21
ZAR168.45
|
$5.00
|
|
|
Fast food combo meal
McDonalds, or similar
|
$5.91
ZAR97.49
|
$8.00
|
|
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) |
$1.08
ZAR17.88
|
$1.67
|
|
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) |
$0.84
ZAR13.78
|
$2.83
|
|
South Africa vs. Timor-Leste - Cost of restaurants
pay 18.0% more for groceries
|
South Africa
|
Timor-Leste
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Bread
1 loaf
|
$1.07
ZAR17.59
|
$2.48
|
|
| Local cheese (8 oz) |
$4.08
ZAR67.33
|
$1.00
|
|
| Milk (1 gallon) |
$4.58
ZAR75.49
|
$8.80
|
|
|
Eggs
1 dozen
|
$2.56
ZAR42.28
|
$2.70
|
|
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) |
$2.31
ZAR38.16
|
$4.31
|
|
| Apples (1 lb) |
$0.81
ZAR13.40
|
$1.51
|
|
| Bananas (1 lb) |
$0.74
ZAR12.13
|
$0.83
|
|
| Oranges (1 lb) |
$0.79
ZAR12.95
|
$1.13
|
|
| Tomatoes (1 lb) |
$0.77
ZAR12.71
|
$1.06
|
|
| Potatoes (1 lb) |
$0.64
ZAR10.62
|
$0.55
|
|
| Onions (1 lb) |
$0.66
ZAR10.85
|
$0.53
|
|
South Africa vs. Timor-Leste - Cost of groceries
pay 20.7% less for transportation
|
South Africa
|
Timor-Leste
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
$5.49
ZAR90.53
|
$5.34
|
|
| Monthly public transit pass |
$65.15
ZAR1,074.55
|
$30.00
|
|
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) |
$32,517.32
ZAR536K
|
$18,000.00
|
|
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) |
$7.35
ZAR121.20
|
$32.70
|
|
South Africa vs. Timor-Leste - Cost of transportation
pay 81.9% more for housing
|
South Africa
|
Timor-Leste
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Internet connection
50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl
|
$38.93
ZAR642.17
|
?? | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area |
$421.37
ZAR6,950.09
|
$828.75
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center |
$369.24
ZAR6,090.32
|
$753.75
|
|
|
Utilities for two
(700 sq ft apartment)
including electric, gas, water, heating
|
$105.57
ZAR1,741.24
|
$114.71
|
|
South Africa vs. Timor-Leste - Cost of housing
pay 4.9 times more for childcare
|
South Africa
|
Timor-Leste
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly |
$199.53
ZAR3,291.11
|
$1,500.00
|
|
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters |
$4,917.78
ZAR81,113.80
|
$16,000.00
|
|
South Africa vs. Timor-Leste - Cost of childcare
pay 22.4% more for entertainment and sports
|
South Africa
|
Timor-Leste
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) |
$2.25
ZAR37.13
|
$2.50
|
|
| Cappuccino in mid-range area |
$2.25
ZAR37.18
|
$4.12
|
|
|
Pack of cigarettes
Marlboro or similar
|
$3.16
ZAR52.13
|
$3.00
|
|
| Monthly membership at local gym |
$31.59
ZAR521.05
|
$50.00
|
|
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema |
$7.32
ZAR120.70
|
$6.00
|
|
South Africa vs. Timor-Leste - Cost of entertainment and sports
pay 13.6% less for clothing
|
South Africa
|
Timor-Leste
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Regular jeans
Levi's brand
|
$52.66
ZAR868.55
|
$60.00
|
|
|
Regular dress
from H&M or similar store
|
$34.13
ZAR562.92
|
$30.00
|
|
|
Running shoes
Nike or Adidas
|
$99.75
ZAR1,645.29
|
$80.00
|
|
| Men's business shoes (leather) |
$86.61
ZAR1,428.49
|
$60.00
|
|
South Africa vs. Timor-Leste - Cost of clothing
We average the price of thousands of data points entered by users across the world. Sources: MyLifeElsewhere's cost-of-living dataset (prices updated October 2026). How we calculate this
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Compare further: South Africa vs. Timor-Leste
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Moving from South Africa to Timor-Leste · Cost, visas & climate
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