Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Palau

Name: Palau
Address: PW

For one person, living is cheaper in Palau: $1,976 a month against $2,539 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Australia outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
Learn more

Australia Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Palau
Learn more

Palau Living Index

Jump to prices

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,539

/mo nomad

🇵🇼 Palau

$1,976

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Australia and in Palau

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Australia and in Palau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,539 per month in Australia vs $1,976 in Palau, rent included.

Australia $2,539
Palau $1,976

A couple spends around $3,716 per month in Australia vs $3,045 in Palau, rent included.

Australia $3,716
Palau $3,045

A family of three spends $4,892 per month in Australia vs $4,113 in Palau, rent included.

Australia $4,892
Palau $4,113

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,635–$3,245) than in Palau ($1,821–$1,821), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Australia is about 28% higher than in Palau on average.

Both Australia and Palau are pricier than the global median – Australia by 87%, Palau by 46%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.35 A$24.97

$13.36 $13.36

29.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.5 A$122

$74.7 $74.7

13.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 A$15.79

$9.96 $9.96

10.24%

Cappuccino

$3.84 A$5.53

$4.06 $4.06

-5.42%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 A$4.16

$1.39 $1.39

107.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 A$3.29

$1.05 $1.05

118.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 A$11.21

$1.53 $1.53

409.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.42 A$12.12

$2.15 $2.15

291.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 A$2.52

$2.67 $2.67

-34.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$4.00

$3.08 $3.08

-9.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 A$3.33

$0.24 $0.24

862.50%

Eggs

$4.89 A$7.04

$6.48 $6.48

-24.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.95 A$14.32

$9.98 $9.98

-0.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.06 A$13.03

$13.86 $13.86

-34.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.92 A$21.46

$19.21 $19.21

-22.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.65 A$5.25

$5.22 $5.22

-30.08%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$2.23 $2.23

35.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.66

$5.52 $5.52

-41.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 A$6.76

$16.48 $16.48

-71.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 A$4.11

$4.70 $4.70

-39.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.34

$3.39 $3.39

-31.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 A$3.50

$2.03 $2.03

19.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 A$2.39

$1.72 $1.72

-3.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.47 A$55.4

$15.20 $15.20

153.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.84 A$19.92

$22.80 $22.80

-39.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$7.01

$3.41 $3.41

42.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.28 A$7.59

$3.41 $3.41

54.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 A$3.90

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.0 A$135

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 A$5.14

$2.43 $2.43

46.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 A$2.35

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.04 A$57.6

$6.14 $6.14

552.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.91

$1.90 $1.90

-30.00%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.1K A$41.9K

$17.2K $17.2K

69.63%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.7K A$37.0K

$15.0K $15.0K

71.61%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$205 A$296

$170 $170

21.07%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$28.24 A$40.63

$51.6 $51.6

-45.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 A$82.0

$199 $199

-71.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.4 A$79.7

$81.3 $81.3

-31.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.46 A$28.01

Cinema Ticket

$15.06 A$21.66

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,097 A$3,017

$250 $250

737.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K A$26.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.0 A$112

$85.4 $85.4

-8.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 A$79.6

$66.0 $66.0

-16.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 A$161

$191 $191

-41.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 A$175

$196 $196

-37.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,559 A$2,244

$719 $719

116.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 A$1,748

$519 $519

134.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,435 A$3,504

$2,111 $2,111

15.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,924 A$2,769

$968 $968

98.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,175 A$11.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,060 A$8,721

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,038 A$5,811

$774 $774

421.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.94

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Australia: October 19, 2026

Last update for Palau: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Australia

$1.2K 47.8%

Palau

$519 26.3% 57.3% $696

Groceries & Markets

Australia

$372 14.7%

Palau

$504 25.5% 35.5% $132

Eating Out

Australia

$294 11.6%

Palau

$207 10.5% 29.6% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Australia

$291 11.4%

Palau

$420 21.3% 44.5% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Australia

$165 6.5%

Palau

$242 12.3% 46.6% $77

Getting Around

Australia

$117 4.6%

Palau

$2.4 * 0.1% 97.9% $114

Sport & Entertainment

Australia

$85 3.4%

Palau

$81 * 4.1% 4.9% $4.2

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Average salary: $3,853 in Australia vs $793 in Palau. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 90% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 11% more in Australia.

Salaries are 386% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Australia

🇵🇼 Palau

🕒 Local time

13:26 1:26 PM

11:26 11:26 AM

2 h behind Australia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,473,055

21,729

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Australia Palau 4,980 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Australia
Palau

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Australia vs Palau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Palau is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 28% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,364 versus $719 in Palau.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Palau, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Palau is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.