Dili, East Timor Report of what it's like to live there - 04/25/25
Personal Experiences from Dili, East Timor
Background:
1. Was this post your first expatriate experience? If not, what other cities have you lived in as an expat?
No, prior experience in East Asia.
2. What is your home city/country? How long is the trip to post from there, with what connections? How easy/difficult is it to travel to this city/country?
US. About 40 hours of travel time depending on lay overs and direction; round trip will cost you 5 calendar days on average. A few different ways back, just depends on destination and preference. Dili's most reliable flights go to Bali, Indonesia and Darwin, Australia. Your route will depend on from which of those you wish to fly into Dili.
3. What years did you live here?
2023-2025
4. How long have you lived here?
About two years.
5. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
Diplomatic mission
Housing, Groceries & Food:
1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
Government-paid housing: Not as good as you'd like but better than most you can find in Dili. Lots of tile use. Villa Mata Ruak and Palm Springs Estates are nice, but every unit has their quirk. Large for singles and couples; small for families due to limited living space.
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
Costs are higher than you'd think, certainly higher than most of SE Asia. You can get what you need here at the stores, but it may not be what you want when you want it. Ship anything you know you can't live without as even if they have it here, there is no guarantee they always will.
3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
Liquid cleaning supplies and hygiene products; ran out of the ones brought early on.
4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
Proven consistency: Castaways and Spooners for Australian bar fare; Ramen Naruto for good ramen and simple Japanese dishes; Cazbar for meals on the beach; Pro Ema for steak; Valentino's for pizza; Nari's for Korean food; Sail for a rooftop with decent drinks and bar fare; Early Sun and Mi Chea for Chinese food...there are a fair amount of decent/good choices, but few that are great and few that stay consistent.
5. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
Geckos and little ants.
Daily Life:
1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
DPO; no local postal service; can use DHL/FedEx for a high cost.
2. What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
Available; quality varies; inexpensive ($5/hr is considered high).
3. Do you feel that it is safe to walk, run or hike outside? Are there areas where bike riding is possible? What is the availability and safety of outdoor space for exercising? Are these easily accessible?
Yes, but crimes of opportunity are common (e.g. phone snatching). Sexual harassment of women in varying forms are also common.
4. What kinds of gyms or other sports/workout facilities are available? Are they expensive?
They are around; no personal knowledge of the facilities.
5. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
Yes, but only in places frequented by expats; cash everywhere else.
6. What English-language religious services are available locally?
97% Catholic country, so there's that. Not sure of English-language services for the other religions and denominations present in TL.
7. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
Depends on where you go. Expat frequented places have enough English to successfully interact. Elsewhere, you will likely need to rely on other forms of communications unless someone in your group can speak Tetum or Bahasa Indonesia.
8. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
Yes.
Transportation:
1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
Generally worth avoiding. Blue cabs are nice but unreliable; yellow cabs are death traps; and microlets are dirt cheap but can be intimidating to certain people. No tuk-tuks in Dili.
2. What kind of vehicle(s) including electric ones do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, infrastructure, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car or vehicles do you advise not to bring?
First ask if you need a car/truck/SUV. If not, then buy a scooter for around $1,000-1,500 when you get here (take a helmet to ensure quality). Assuming you can become comfortable operating one, they are an ideal mode of travel in Dili and even parts outside of it. If you do need a proper vehicle, then import a nice, new Toyota SUV (Prados are popular) regardless of the cost if you can because there are high odds you can sell it at the end of your tour to a local and break even.
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
Yes, Starlink is the best for now at around 100-150 Mbps. Local Starlink plans are something around $20/mo for no priority data.
2. Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
The situation was unique and likely not helpful to anyone else. With Starlink, you can do a lot from home with VOIP. Out in town, get a local sim card.
Pets:
1. Are qualified veterinarians and/or good kennel services available? Do animals need to be quarantined upon entry to the country? Are there other considerations regarding pets that are particular to this country?
Had no pets; heard generally difficult to get pets out of TL.
Employment & Volunteer Opportunities:
1. What types of jobs do most expatriate spouses/partners have? Locally based or telecommuting? Full-time or part-time? Can you comment on local salary scales?
Opportunities do exist, but not many.
2. What volunteer opportunities are available locally?
Quite a lot with local NGOs.
3. What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?
Fairly casual. Rarely see a tie.
Health & Safety:
1. Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.
Same as most cities.
2. Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
Standard tropical diseases exist; Medical is unreliable here. Even local government officials go elsewhere when they can.
3. What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?
Air quality is pretty good, though they do burn trash here; Never experienced any allergies here though have back home.
4. What do people who suffer from environmental or food allergies need to know?
Carry a couple EpiPens...
5. Are there any particular mental health issues that tend to crop up at post, such as Seasonal Affective Disorder (winter blues)?
People tend to get a little stir crazy after some period of time. Prescription is to get out of Dili at least or out of the country every so often
6. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
Weather in Dili is outstanding May to September with highs in the 80s and lows in the 60s and lower humidity. Other times it isn't bad, but gets hot and muggy; flies are the worst. Mountain environment is great; can be very cool and wet. Kind of like Ireland in many places.
Schools & Children:
1. What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?
QSI and Dili International are very popular.
Expat Life:
1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
Large international contingent. Morale is pretty high, all things considered.
2. What are some typical ways to socialize, either with local people or with other expatriates? Are there groups or clubs that you can recommend?
Make friends at work and go to restaurants and outdoor activities with them. Dinners at homes are also common. Friends of friends tend to become your friends rather quickly. A "club" called Ponkys is popular with expats who are so inclined.
3. Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
Yes, but think this is a hard place for teens and would advise against coming with them.
4. Is it easy to make friends with locals here? Are there any prejudices or any ethnic groups who might feel uncomfortable here?
Yes, especially if you have a common language.
5. Are there problems with ethnic, race/racial minorities or religious prejudices? Gender equality?
Foreigners are easy to spot here and will garnish them a fair amount of attention, but usually harmless.
6. What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
Atauru in the dry season (best in July) is surreal. Find a place to stay there and enjoy great weather, diving, snorkeling, and views.
7. What are some interesting/fun things to do in the area? Can you recommend any “hidden gems"?
Lots of diving/snorkeling. Great hiking if that is your thing. Hidden gem would be snorkeling with pygmy blue whales during their migration in October on a boat tour.
8. Is this a "shopping post"? Are there interesting handicrafts, artwork, antiques, or other items that people typically buy there?
Tais is a unique textile here that makes a good gift; coffee and vanilla are world-class here.
Words of Wisdom:
1. What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?
The food is underwhelming. Some nice surprises here and there, but tough to really dive in with cold chains being poor or non-existent and food sanitation being on the poor end of the spectrum in most places. Stomach illnesses and food poisoning are not a matter of if, but when.
2. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
Yes, but...
3. If you move here, you can leave behind your:
wine, very nice and reliable supply of Portuguese wines and ports.
4. But don't forget your:
bug spray, sun block, sun glasses, liquid cleaning chemicals, Starlink, and Pepto.
5. Do you recommend any books or movies about this city/country for those who are interested in learning more?
The Australian Balibo movie is an easy intro to the struggle here in 1975.
