Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Micronesia and Palau

Name: Palau
Address: PW

For one person, living costs are similar in Micronesia and in Palau: $1,979 and $1,976 a month, rent and utilities included.

95

Cost of Living Index in Micronesia
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Micronesia Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Palau
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Palau Living Index

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🇫🇲 Micronesia

$1,979

/mo nomad

🇵🇼 Palau

$1,976

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Micronesia 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 Micronesia and in Palau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,979 per month in Micronesia vs $1,976 in Palau, rent included.

Micronesia $1,979
Palau $1,976

A couple spends around $2,856 per month in Micronesia vs $3,045 in Palau, rent included.

Micronesia $2,856
Palau $3,045

A family of three spends $3,732 per month in Micronesia vs $4,113 in Palau, rent included.

Micronesia $3,732
Palau $4,113

The regional cost range is wider in Micronesia ($1,033–$1,892) than in Palau ($1,821–$1,821), so city choice matters more there.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.10 $21.10

$13.36 $13.36

57.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.42 $44.42

$74.7 $74.7

-40.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.91 $8.91

$9.96 $9.96

-10.54%

Cappuccino

$3.95 $3.95

$4.06 $4.06

-2.71%

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

$1.38 $1.38

$1.39 $1.39

-0.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.05 $1.05

177.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.53 $1.53

-27.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.15 $2.15

-7.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.25 $0.25

$2.67 $2.67

-90.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 $2.77

$3.08 $3.08

-10.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$0.24 $0.24

1108.33%

Eggs

$7.40 $7.40

$6.48 $6.48

14.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.28 $6.28

$9.98 $9.98

-37.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.42 $11.42

$13.86 $13.86

-17.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 $11.14

$19.21 $19.21

-42.01%

Apples (1kg)

$5.79 $5.79

$5.22 $5.22

10.92%

Banana (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.23 $2.23

57.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$5.52 $5.52

0.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.01 $6.01

$16.48 $16.48

-63.53%

Potato (1kg)

$7.92 $7.92

$4.70 $4.70

68.51%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.39 $3.39

-10.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.62 $4.62

$2.03 $2.03

127.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.72 $1.72

-10.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.76 $13.76

$15.20 $15.20

-9.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.94 $6.94

$22.80 $22.80

-69.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$3.41 $3.41

-33.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.41 $3.41

-42.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 $0.97

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.86 $27.86

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 $6.28

$2.43 $2.43

158.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.84 $4.84

$6.14 $6.14

-21.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.90 $1.90

61.58%

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

$4,016 $4,016

$17.2K $17.2K

-76.61%

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

$3,971 $3,971

$15.0K $15.0K

-73.50%

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

$135 $135

$170 $170

-20.13%

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

$31.63 $31.63

$51.6 $51.6

-38.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$219 $219

$199 $199

10.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.97 $24.97

$81.3 $81.3

-69.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.96 $34.96

Cinema Ticket

$6.82 $6.82

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

$151 $151

$250 $250

-39.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,657 $1,657

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.70 $40.70

$85.4 $85.4

-52.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 $55.3

$66.0 $66.0

-16.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 $86.5

$191 $191

-54.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 $90.9

$196 $196

-53.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$974 $974

$719 $719

35.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$738 $738

$519 $519

42.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 $1,486

$2,111 $2,111

-29.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 $1,163

$968 $968

20.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,153 $1,153

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$841 $841

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$291 $291

$774 $774

-62.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

393333.33

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

Last update for Micronesia: October 18, 2026

Last update for Palau: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Micronesia

$738 37.3%

Palau

$519 26.3% 29.7% $219

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Micronesia

$386 19.5%

Palau

$420 21.3% 8.8% $34

Groceries & Markets

Micronesia

$379 19.1%

Palau

$504 25.5% 33.2% $126

Eating Out

Micronesia

$270 13.6%

Palau

$207 10.5% 23.1% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Micronesia

$123 6.2%

Palau

$242 12.3% 96.9% $119

Getting Around

Micronesia

$45 2.3%

Palau

$2.4 * 0.1% 94.6% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Micronesia

$39 2%

Palau

$81 * 4.1% 111% $43

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

Cost Breakdown

Average salary: $287 in Micronesia vs $793 in Palau. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 11% higher in Palau.

Dining out costs 68% more in Palau.

Salaries are 176% higher in Palau, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Palau.

Good to know

🇫🇲 Micronesia

🇵🇼 Palau

🕒 Local time

13:27 1:27 PM

11:27 11:27 AM

2 h behind Micronesia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

105,544

21,729

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Micronesia Palau 2,610 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Micronesia
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

Micronesia vs Palau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Palau, but in Micronesia 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.