🇹🇱 Timor-Leste · Construction cost guide · Updated 2026
How much does it cost to build a two-storey house in Timor-Leste?
Building a two-storey house in Timor-Leste typically costs $206,800 to $384,560 in construction cost — roughly $470–$874 per square metre over 440 m² of floor area. That excludes land, professional fees and statutory charges.
Timor-Leste is one of the lower-cost construction markets in the world — it ranks 137 of 200 countries on our construction cost index, at about 32% of United States build costs. This page prices a two-storey house — two floors over a strip foundation, suspended reinforced-concrete first floor, internal staircase — at 440 m² of gross floor area, then breaks the cost down element by element so you can see where the money actually goes. Costs are quoted in USD for comparability; the local currency in Timor-Leste is USD ($), 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 two-storey house in Timor-Leste at 440 m² of gross floor area over 2 storeys, specified as two floors over a strip foundation, suspended reinforced-concrete first floor, internal staircase. 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 | $148,896 – $276,883 |
| Standard finish | $206,800 – $384,560 |
| Premium finish | $299,860 – $557,612 |
Where the money goes
Elemental split of construction cost for a two-storey house of this type. Percentages are concept-stage cost-planning proportions; the ranges below apply them to the totals above.
| Element | Share | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
Substructure & foundations Excavation, strip footings, hardcore, blinding, DPC and ground slab. | 15% | $31,020 – $57,684 |
Walling & superstructure Masonry, lintels, ring beam and any suspended floor. | 22% | $45,496 – $84,603 |
Roofing Trusses or rafters, covering, ceilings, fascia and rainwater goods. | 14% | $28,952 – $53,838 |
Internal finishes Plaster, screed, floor and wall tiling, ceilings and painting. | 18% | $37,224 – $69,221 |
Joinery & fittings Doors, windows, cupboards, worktops and ironmongery. | 9% | $18,612 – $34,610 |
Services (plumbing & electrical) Wiring, distribution board, fittings, water reticulation, sanitaryware and drainage. | 14% | $28,952 – $53,838 |
External works & preliminaries Site setup, supervision, paths, boundary works and connections. | 8% | $16,544 – $30,765 |
Get the real number for your own plans
A benchmark tells you the ballpark. Upload your dimensioned drawings and get an itemised, source-cited bill of quantities priced in USD ($), measured to the Mapa de Quantidades standard Timor-Leste professionals use.
Price my Timor-Leste projectBuilding two-storey houses in Timor-Leste — frequently asked
How much does it cost to build a two-storey house in Timor-Leste?
+
Building a two-storey house in Timor-Leste typically costs $206,800 to $384,560 in construction cost — roughly $470–$874 per square metre over 440 m² of floor area. That excludes land, professional fees and statutory charges. At a basic specification the same building lands nearer $148,896–$276,883; at a premium specification, $299,860–$557,612.
What is the cost per square metre in Timor-Leste?
+
About $470–$874 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?
+
Walling & superstructure — about 22% of construction cost, or $45,496–$84,603 on this build. Masonry, lintels, ring beam and any suspended floor.
Does this include land, fees and furniture?
+
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?
+
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?
+
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.