Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palau and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

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.

96

Cost of Living Index in Palau
Learn more

Palau Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
Learn more

Australia Living Index

Jump to prices

🇵🇼 Palau

$1,976

/mo nomad

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,539

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Palau and in Australia

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

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

Palau $1,976
Australia $2,539

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

Palau $3,045
Australia $3,716

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

Palau $4,113
Australia $4,892

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

The cost of living in Palau is roughly 22% lower than in Australia on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.36 $13.36

$17.35 A$24.97

-23.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.7 $74.7

$84.5 A$122

-11.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 $9.96

$10.98 A$15.79

-9.29%

Cappuccino

$4.06 $4.06

$3.84 A$5.53

5.73%

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

$1.39 $1.39

$2.89 A$4.16

-51.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.29 A$3.29

-54.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 $1.53

$7.79 A$11.21

-80.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$8.42 A$12.12

-74.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.75 A$2.52

52.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.78 A$4.00

10.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.24 $0.24

$2.31 A$3.33

-89.61%

Eggs

$6.48 $6.48

$4.89 A$7.04

32.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.98 $9.98

$9.95 A$14.32

0.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$9.06 A$13.03

52.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.21 $19.21

$14.92 A$21.46

28.75%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.65 A$5.25

43.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$3.03 A$4.36

-26.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$3.24 A$4.66

70.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$16.48 $16.48

$4.69 A$6.76

251.39%

Potato (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$2.85 A$4.11

64.91%

Onion (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.32 A$3.34

46.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.43 A$3.50

-16.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.66 A$2.39

3.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.20 $15.20

$38.47 A$55.4

-60.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.80 $22.80

$13.84 A$19.92

64.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$4.87 A$7.01

-29.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$5.28 A$7.59

-35.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 A$3.90

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.0 A$135

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.57 A$5.14

-31.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 A$2.35

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.14 $6.14

$40.04 A$57.6

-84.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.33 A$1.91

42.86%

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

$17.2K $17.2K

$29.1K A$41.9K

-41.05%

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

$15.0K $15.0K

$25.7K A$37.0K

-41.73%

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

$170 $170

$205 A$296

-17.40%

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

$51.6 $51.6

$28.24 A$40.63

82.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$199 $199

$57.0 A$82.0

248.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.3 $81.3

$55.4 A$79.7

46.76%

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)

$250 $250

$2,097 A$3,017

-88.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K A$26.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.4 $85.4

$78.0 A$112

9.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.0 $66.0

$55.3 A$79.6

19.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$191 $191

$112 A$161

70.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$196 $196

$122 A$175

60.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 $719

$1,559 A$2,244

-53.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$519 $519

$1,215 A$1,748

-57.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,111 $2,111

$2,435 A$3,504

-13.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$968 $968

$1,924 A$2,769

-49.70%

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)

$774 $774

$4,038 A$5,811

-80.83%

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 Palau: October 19, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Palau

$519 26.3%

Australia

$1.2K 47.8% 134% $696

Groceries & Markets

Palau

$504 25.5%

Australia

$372 14.7% 26.2% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palau

$420 21.3%

Australia

$291 11.4% 30.8% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Palau

$242 12.3%

Australia

$165 6.5% 31.8% $77

Eating Out

Palau

$207 10.5%

Australia

$294 11.6% 42.1% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Palau

$81 * 4.1%

Australia

$85 3.4% 5.2% $4.2

Getting Around

Palau

$2.4 * 0.1%

Australia

$117 4.6% 4697% $114

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

Cost Breakdown

Average salary: $793 in Palau vs $3,853 in Australia. 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

🇵🇼 Palau

🇦🇺 Australia

🕒 Local time

10:46 10:46 AM

12:46 12:46 PM

2 h ahead of Palau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,729

26,473,055

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

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).

AUD to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Palau Australia 4,980 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Palau
Australia

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

Palau vs Australia: 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.