What a trip to Timor-Leste costs
Seven nights, mid-range, two people sharing, priced line by line next to the same week in Bali and in Flores. On the ground Timor-Leste costs about a fifth more than Bali and about the same as Flores. The flight from Sydney is where the real gap is.
Seven nights, per person, two sharing, flight included, US dollars.
Seven nights, line by line
Per person, two people sharing a room, mid-range, US dollars. Timor-Leste is four nights in Dili and three on Atauro. Bali is Ubud and Amed. Flores is Labuan Bajo with a Komodo day and a run to Kelimutu.
| Line | 🇹🇱 Timor-Leste | 🇮🇩 Bali | 🇮🇩 Flores |
|---|---|---|---|
Stays Timor-Leste: 4 nights Dili at $93 shared, 3 nights Atauro at $60 full board. Bali $80 a night shared. Flores $90 a night shared. | $366 | $280 | $315 |
Food Timor-Leste: $30 a day in Dili, Atauro meals included. Bali $20 a day. Flores $15 a day. | $120 | $140 | $105 |
Getting around Timor-Leste: ferry $4-5 each way, airport taxi $10-$15, Dili taxis. Bali and Flores: scooter and transfers. | $60 | $60 | $40 |
A day tour Timor-Leste: a $120 private day tour, shared. Bali: a car and driver for the day, shared. Flores: a shared Komodo boat plus park and ranger fees ($81), and a car to Kelimutu over two days ($64). | $60 | $25 | $145 |
Diving Timor-Leste: two boat days at $90-120. Bali: two days at Amed or Tulamben, $50-85. Flores: one Komodo day at $120 plus the $17 daily park fee. | $190 | $140 | $137 |
Entry Timor-Leste visa on arrival $30 cash. Indonesia visa on arrival about $28, plus the $8 Bali levy. | $30 | $36 | $28 |
On the ground | $826 | $681 | $770 |
Flight from Sydney Kayak and momondo 12-month average return fares, AUD 1,424, 683 and 1,166, read on 3 November 2026. | $925 | $445 | $760 |
Seven nights from Sydney | $1,750 | $1,125 | $1,530 |
Seven nights from Darwin Darwin to Dili averages AUD 707 return, nonstop, 75 minutes. | $1,285 |
Rounded to the nearest $5. Stays use the rates on this site; everything else is sourced below. A single traveller pays about $180 more on the Timor-Leste line, mostly the Dili room.
The flight is the gap
Return economy fares from the aggregators on 3 November 2026. The low is the cheapest date they showed; the average is their 12-month figure. Nothing here is a fare for a specific week, so treat it as the shape, not the price.
| Route | Lowest seen | 12-month average | Journey |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney to Dili | AUD 1,136 | AUD 1,424 | 1 stop via Darwin or Denpasar, 14-20 h |
| Sydney to Denpasar | AUD 331-486 | AUD 683 | nonstop, 6 h 25 m |
| Sydney to Labuan Bajo | AUD 801 | AUD 1,166 | 1 stop via Denpasar, 13 h at best |
| Darwin to Dili | AUD 583 | AUD 707 | nonstop, 75 minutes |
| Melbourne to Dili | AUD 1,310 | AUD 1,572 | 1-2 stops |
| Perth to Dili | AUD 1,010 | AUD 1,148 | 1-2 stops via Denpasar, Kuala Lumpur or Darwin |
| Denpasar to Dili | USD 217 one way | USD 445 return | nonstop, about 2 h, Citilink and Aero Dili |
Dili has no nonstop flight from Sydney, Melbourne or Perth. Every itinerary connects in Darwin or Denpasar, which is why the through fare is roughly twice Bali's and the day is twice as long. Darwin to Dili is the exception: 75 minutes, three airlines, and a return fare that averages less than Sydney to Bali.
Airlines at Dili airport: Qantas (Darwin, daily), Airnorth (Darwin, three times a week), Aero Dili (Darwin on Sunday and Tuesday, Denpasar, Kuala Lumpur weekly, Oecusse) and Citilink (Denpasar, daily). Aero Dili suspended Singapore and Fuzhou in April 2026. See getting to Timor-Leste for the routes in detail.
Day to day prices
Timor-Leste figures are the rates listed on this site plus its fact files. Bali and Flores figures are 2026 traveller-cost pages and operator rate cards, converted from rupiah.
| Item | 🇹🇱 Timor-Leste | 🇮🇩 Bali | 🇮🇩 Flores |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homestay or hostel bed | $15-20 on Atauro, meals included; Dili hostel $12-14 | $10-25 | $4-8 dorm, $11-22 room |
| Mid-range room | Dili from $55-135, median $93; Atauro lodges $88-120 | $60-140 | $44-150 |
| Top end | Dili $135-245 | 4-star average $87-93 | $149-207 |
| A meal | $2-4 local, $10-20 at a cafe | $2 warung, $6-20 cafe | $1-2 warung, $3-8 tourist restaurant |
| A beer | $1.50-3 | $2-2.60 | $2.20-3.90 |
| Car with driver, per day | $80-150 | $35-60 | $39-67, fuel included |
| Self-drive 4WD, per day | $120-$140 | scooter $5 | scooter $5-7 |
| Airport to town | $10-$15 | $17-39 | $4-8 |
| Two-tank boat dive | $90-120; shore dives from $45-60 | $51-83 | $80-142, plus $17 a day park fee |
| Signature day trip | Day tours $80-130; whale day $350 | car and driver $35-60 | Komodo shared boat $40-80 plus $14 entry and $7-11 ranger |
| Entry | $30 visa on arrival | $28 visa plus $8 levy | $28 visa |
Where Timor-Leste costs less
- Atauro at full board. Barry's Place is $60 a person with three meals; Beloi homestays are $15-20 with meals. Flores and Bali have no equivalent at that price with food included.
- The public ferry to Atauro is $4-$5 each way. A mikrolet in Dili is 25 cents. The airport taxi is $10-$15, against $17-39 into Ubud.
- No park fees and no visitor caps. Komodo charges $14 entry plus a ranger fee every day, caps visitors at 1,000 a day and date-locks each ticket. Atauro charges a $2 village fee at most sites.
- Local food. A plate of rice and fish where Dili eats is $2-4, about what a warung charges in Flores.
Where it costs more
- The flight from the east coast. Sydney to Dili averages twice Sydney to Denpasar and takes a stop and most of a day. From Darwin it is cheaper and shorter than Darwin to Bali from Sydney.
- A car with driver. $80-150 a day in Timor-Leste against $35-60 in Bali and $39-67 in Flores. Roads, fuel at $40 a touring day and a small hire fleet explain most of it. Sharing the car or booking a day tour halves it.
- Boat diving. Two tanks from Dili or Atauro run $90-120, against $51-83 at Amed. Komodo is level once its park fee is added. Shore dives in Dili and Atauro start at $45-60.
- Mid-range hotels in Dili. The median from-rate of the 17 priced Dili stays on this site is $93, and the top end starts around $135. Bali has far more rooms competing at $60-80.
How to bring the week down
- 1Fly through Darwin. Qantas daily, Airnorth three times a week and Aero Dili on Sunday and Tuesday. Sydney to Darwin on a sale fare plus Darwin to Dili often beats the through fare.
- 2Spend the middle of the week on Atauro at full board. Three nights with meals, snorkelling off the beach and the ferry both ways is under $250 a person.
- 3Share the car. A $120 day tour split between two people is $60 each; four people in a car with driver is $25-40 each.
- 4Dive from shore in Dili and Atauro ($45-60) and save the boat for one day.
- 5Pay stays and tours on this site before you fly. Many ATMs refuse Mastercard and most places outside Dili take cash only, so the less you need to carry the better.
Sources and method
- Rezerva listings on 3 November 2026: 42 stays with a nightly rate and 55 activities with a price. Dili median from-rate $93 across 17 priced stays.
- Airfares: Kayak and momondo (.com.au) 12-month average and lowest return fares read on 3 November 2026. None is a booked fare for a specific month; re-check before you buy.
- Atauro full board: Barry's Place rate card, valid from 1 January 2026.
- Bali: Numbeo Denpasar (31 October 2026), Wego and Radical Storage trip-cost pages (June and September 2026), Amed and Tulamben dive-shop rate cards.
- Flores: Komodo operator price guides (March to May 2026), Komodo National Park fee pages (PP 36/2024, checked September 2026), a Flores budget page dated April 2026.
- Timor-Leste public figures: Numbeo Dili (October 2026, 12 contributors), traveller budget guides dated 2026, and this site's fact files for the ferry, airport taxi and self-drive rates.
Australian dollars converted at 0.65, rupiah at 18,000 to the dollar. Prices checked 3 November 2026; next check February 2027, after the peak-season fares settle. Spotted a rate that has moved? Tell us.