Dili at a glance
- Essentials in Dili run $1,219 a month.
- The average net salary of $3,600 covers that 3.0×.
- 98.8 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at municipality level.
- PM2.5 averages 5.3 µg/m³ a year, 1× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $1,219 |
|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $754 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $829 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $146 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $139 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $150 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $30 |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $3,600 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $1,507 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $2,732 |
Single person, USD. Data updated September 8, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Dili, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $5.00 |
|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $42.50 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $8.00 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $4.12 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $2.50 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $4.50 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $1.67 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $2.31 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $2.33 |
|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $2.48 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $0.93 |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.70 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $2.00 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $9.50 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $3.33 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.83 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $2.33 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.22 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.17 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $1.00 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.25 |
|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $30.00 |
| Taxi start | $3.50 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $3.65 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.46 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $150.00 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $27.50 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $50.00 |
|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $6.00 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Dili has 98.8 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (municipality level). That is the highest of the 3 Timor-Leste cities we track. Timor-Leste's national figure is 100.5, so Dili runs 2 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Dili ranks against every city we track
Dili sits ahead of 99% of the 974 cities we track on salary against local costs. On clean air it is ahead of 94% of 1069. Its weakest measure is city-centre rent, ahead of only 30% of 1009.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Dili sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Dili on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Dili beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Dili in the research deskOr unlock the Timor-Leste deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Bahnfrend, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Data updated