Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palau and Micronesia

Name: Micronesia
Address: FM

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

96

Cost of Living Index in Palau
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Palau Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Micronesia
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Micronesia Living Index

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🇵🇼 Palau

$1,976

/mo nomad

🇫🇲 Micronesia

$1,979

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Palau and in Micronesia

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 Micronesia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Palau $1,976
Micronesia $1,979

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

Palau $3,045
Micronesia $2,856

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

Palau $4,113
Micronesia $3,732

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.36 $13.36

$21.10 $21.10

-36.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.7 $74.7

$44.42 $44.42

68.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 $9.96

$8.91 $8.91

11.78%

Cappuccino

$4.06 $4.06

$3.95 $3.95

2.78%

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

$1.39 $1.39

$1.38 $1.38

0.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.91 $2.91

-63.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.11 $1.11

37.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.98 $1.98

8.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.67 $2.67

$0.25 $0.25

968.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.77 $2.77

11.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.24 $0.24

$2.90 $2.90

-91.72%

Eggs

$6.48 $6.48

$7.40 $7.40

-12.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.98 $9.98

$6.28 $6.28

58.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$11.42 $11.42

21.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.21 $19.21

$11.14 $11.14

72.44%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.79 $5.79

-9.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$3.51 $3.51

-36.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$5.55 $5.55

-0.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$16.48 $16.48

$6.01 $6.01

174.21%

Potato (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$7.92 $7.92

-40.66%

Onion (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.04 $3.04

11.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$4.62 $4.62

-56.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.54 $1.54

11.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.20 $15.20

$13.76 $13.76

10.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.80 $22.80

$6.94 $6.94

228.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.26 $2.26

50.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$1.97 $1.97

73.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 $0.97

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.86 $27.86

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 $2.43

$6.28 $6.28

-61.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.14 $6.14

$4.84 $4.84

26.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 $1.90

$3.07 $3.07

-38.11%

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

$17.2K $17.2K

$4,016 $4,016

327.56%

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

$15.0K $15.0K

$3,971 $3,971

277.39%

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

$170 $170

$135 $135

25.21%

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

$51.6 $51.6

$31.63 $31.63

63.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$199 $199

$219 $219

-9.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.3 $81.3

$24.97 $24.97

225.43%

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)

$250 $250

$151 $151

66.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,657 $1,657

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.4 $85.4

$40.70 $40.70

109.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.0 $66.0

$55.3 $55.3

19.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$191 $191

$86.5 $86.5

120.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$196 $196

$90.9 $90.9

115.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 $719

$974 $974

-26.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$519 $519

$738 $738

-29.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,111 $2,111

$1,486 $1,486

42.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$968 $968

$1,163 $1,163

-16.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,153 $1,153

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$841 $841

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$774 $774

$291 $291

166.14%

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 Palau: October 19, 2026

Last update for Micronesia: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Palau

$519 26.3%

Micronesia

$738 37.3% 42.3% $219

Groceries & Markets

Palau

$504 25.5%

Micronesia

$379 19.1% 24.9% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palau

$420 21.3%

Micronesia

$386 19.5% 8.1% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Palau

$242 12.3%

Micronesia

$123 6.2% 49.2% $119

Eating Out

Palau

$207 10.5%

Micronesia

$270 13.6% 30.1% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Palau

$81 * 4.1%

Micronesia

$39 2% 52.5% $43

Getting Around

Palau

$2.4 * 0.1%

Micronesia

$45 2.3% 1758% $43

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

Cost Breakdown

Average salary: $793 in Palau vs $287 in Micronesia. 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

🇵🇼 Palau

🇫🇲 Micronesia

🕒 Local time

10:46 10:46 AM

12:46 12:46 PM

2 h ahead of Palau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,729

105,544

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Palau
Micronesia

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 Micronesia: 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.