🇹🇱 Timor-Leste · Construction cost guide · Updated 2026
How much does it cost to build a church in Timor-Leste?
Building a church in Timor-Leste typically costs $272,000 to $544,000 in construction cost — roughly $544–$1,088 per square metre over 500 m² of floor area. That excludes land, professional fees and statutory charges.
Timor-Leste is one of the lower-cost construction markets in the world — it ranks 137 of 200 countries on our construction cost index, at about 32% of United States build costs. This page prices a church — single-volume hall seating roughly 400, long-span roof, stage, vestry and ablutions — at 500 m² of gross floor area, then breaks the cost down element by element so you can see where the money actually goes. Costs are quoted in USD for comparability; the local currency in Timor-Leste is USD ($), and a bill of quantities generated from your own drawings is priced in USD using the Mapa de Quantidades standard.
What is being priced
The figures on this page price a church in Timor-Leste at 500 m² of gross floor area over 1 storey, specified as single-volume hall seating roughly 400, long-span roof, stage, vestry and ablutions. Construction cost only — land, professional fees, statutory charges, utility connections and loose furniture are all excluded, and together commonly add another 15–30%.
Cost by specification level
| Specification | Construction cost (USD) |
|---|---|
| Basic / low-cost finish | $195,840 – $391,680 |
| Standard finish | $272,000 – $544,000 |
| Premium finish | $394,400 – $788,800 |
Where the money goes
Elemental split of construction cost for a church of this type. Percentages are concept-stage cost-planning proportions; the ranges below apply them to the totals above.
| Element | Share | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
Substructure Excavation, foundations and ground-floor slab. | 12% | $32,640 – $65,280 |
Structural frame & upper floors Columns, beams, suspended slabs, stairs and cores. | 24% | $65,280 – $130,560 |
Envelope — walls, windows & roof External walling, glazing, roof covering and waterproofing. | 19% | $51,680 – $103,360 |
Internal finishes & partitions Partitions, plaster, screeds, floor and ceiling finishes, painting. | 17% | $46,240 – $92,480 |
Services (MEP) Electrical, plumbing, drainage, HVAC and lifts — the biggest single risk on framed buildings. | 21% | $57,120 – $114,240 |
External works & preliminaries Site setup, supervision, paving, boundary and drainage outside the footprint. | 7% | $19,040 – $38,080 |
Get the real number for your own plans
A benchmark tells you the ballpark. Upload your dimensioned drawings and get an itemised, source-cited bill of quantities priced in USD ($), measured to the Mapa de Quantidades standard Timor-Leste professionals use.
Price my Timor-Leste projectBuilding churches in Timor-Leste — frequently asked
How much does it cost to build a church in Timor-Leste?
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Building a church in Timor-Leste typically costs $272,000 to $544,000 in construction cost — roughly $544–$1,088 per square metre over 500 m² of floor area. That excludes land, professional fees and statutory charges. At a basic specification the same building lands nearer $195,840–$391,680; at a premium specification, $394,400–$788,800.
What is the cost per square metre in Timor-Leste?
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About $544–$1,088 per m² for this building type at a standard finish. Per-m² rates rise with storey height (frame, cores and cranage) and with specification, and fall on simple single-storey plans.
What is the biggest cost item?
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Structural frame & upper floors — about 24% of construction cost, or $65,280–$130,560 on this build. Columns, beams, suspended slabs, stairs and cores.
Does this include land, fees and furniture?
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No. These are construction costs only — materials, labour, plant and site preliminaries. Land, statutory approvals, professional fees, connections, landscaping and loose furniture are all additional, and together commonly add 15–30% on top.
How do I get an accurate figure for my own plans in Timor-Leste?
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Benchmarks give you the ballpark; a measured bill of quantities gives you the number. Upload your dimensioned floor plans to Enormous Buildings and get an itemised, source-cited BoQ in USD in the Mapa de Quantidades format that Timor-Leste quantity surveyors and lenders expect — free to preview.
Why do build costs vary so much between countries?
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Three things dominate: labour cost, how much of the material basket is imported, and the code requirements the building must satisfy. Timor-Leste sits at index 32 against the United States at 100, which is why the figures above differ from what you'd see quoted for the same building elsewhere.