Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palau and Spain

For one person, living is cheaper in Spain: $1,760 a month against $1,976 in Palau, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. The total is higher in Palau despite lower rent and utilities.

🇵🇼 Palau
$1,976
/mo nomad
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,760
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Palau and in Spain

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,976 in Palau versus $1,760 in Spain.

  • Palau $1,976
  • Spain $1,760

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,045 in Palau versus $2,581 in Spain.

  • Palau $3,045
  • Spain $2,581

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,113 in Palau versus $3,402 in Spain.

  • Palau $4,113
  • Spain $3,402

Internal cost variation is higher in Palau: monthly costs span $1,821 to $1,821, compared to $937–$2,649 in Spain. City choice carries more weight in Palau.

Living in Palau is roughly 12% more expensive than in Spain on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Palau 46% above, Spain 30% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Palau
Spain
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.36 $13.36
$16.72 €14.87
-20.10%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.7 $74.7
$56.0 €49.76
33.49%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.96 $9.96
$11.13 €9.90
-10.51%
Cappuccino
$4.06 $4.06
$2.43 €2.17
67.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.39 $1.39
$2.63 €2.34
-47.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.05 $1.05
$1.81 €1.61
-41.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.53 $1.53
$3.40 €3.03
-55.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 $2.15
$3.82 €3.39
-43.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Palau
Spain
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.67 $2.67
$1.17 €1.04
128.21%
White Bread (500g)
$3.08 $3.08
$1.50 €1.33
105.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.24 $0.24
$1.60 €1.43
-85.00%
Eggs
$6.48 $6.48
$3.33 €2.96
94.59%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.98 $9.98
$14.41 €12.82
-30.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.86 $13.86
$8.33 €7.41
66.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.21 $19.21
$16.30 €14.50
17.85%
Apples (1kg)
$5.22 $5.22
$2.57 €2.29
103.11%
Banana (1kg)
$2.23 $2.23
$2.04 €1.82
9.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.52 $5.52
$2.04 €1.82
170.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$16.48 $16.48
$2.55 €2.27
546.27%
Potato (1kg)
$4.70 $4.70
$1.83 €1.63
156.83%
Onion (1kg)
$3.39 $3.39
$2.03 €1.80
67.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.03 $2.03
$1.36 €1.21
49.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.72 $1.72
$0.74 €0.66
132.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.20 $15.20
$6.35 €5.65
139.37%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.80 $22.80
$5.52 €4.91
313.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.41 $3.41
$1.31 €1.17
160.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.41 $3.41
$2.02 €1.80
68.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Palau
Spain
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.71 €1.52
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$33.15 €29.49
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.43 $2.43
$4.52 €4.02
-46.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.50 €1.34
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.14 $6.14
$24.43 €21.73
-74.87%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.90 $1.90
$1.79 €1.59
6.15%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.2K $17.2K
$35.9K €32.0K
-52.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.0K $15.0K
$31.2K €27.7K
-51.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Palau
Spain
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 $170
$150 €133
13.09%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$51.6 $51.6
$17.57 €15.62
193.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$199 $199
$31.32 €27.86
534.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Palau
Spain
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$81.3 $81.3
$45.55 €40.52
78.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$15.00 €13.34
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$9.47 €8.43
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Palau
Spain
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$250 $250
$544 €484
-53.99%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$10.8K €9,563
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Palau
Spain
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.4 $85.4
$84.1 €74.8
1.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$66.0 $66.0
$36.90 €32.82
78.81%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$191 $191
$88.5 €78.7
115.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$196 $196
$104 €92.8
87.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Palau
Spain
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$719 $719
$1,017 €904
-29.30%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$519 $519
$793 €705
-34.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,111 $2,111
$1,605 €1,428
31.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$968 $968
$1,209 €1,075
-19.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,093 €3,640
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,581 €2,296
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Palau
Spain
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$774 $774
$2,001 €1,780
-61.31%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
3.3
-

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

Last update for Palau: October 19, 2026

Last update for Spain: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Palau
$519
Spain
$793 52.8% $274
Groceries & Markets
Palau
$504
Spain
$272 46.1% $233
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Palau
$420
Spain
$199 52.6% $221
Clothing & Footwear
Palau
$242
Spain
$141 41.7% $101
Eating Out
Palau
$207
Spain
$239 15.2% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Palau
$81 *
Spain
$65 20.6% $17
Getting Around
Palau
$2.4 *
Spain
$52 2041% $50

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

Cost Breakdown

National salary averages: $793 in Palau, $1,977 in Spain. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 27% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 30% more in Palau.

Salaries are 149% higher in Spain, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Spain.

Good to know
🇵🇼 Palau
🇪🇸 Spain
🕒 Local time
10:45 10:45 AM
02:45 2:45 AM
8 h behind Palau
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
21,729
47,415,750
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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

Euro exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Palau Spain 13,200 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Palau
  • Spain

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 Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How does the cost of living in Palau compare to the cost in Spain?
At $1,976 per month in Palau and $1,760 in Spain, there's a 12% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Does the cost gap hold in every spending category?
Overall, Spain is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.
Can you live in both Palau and Spain on $3,000 per month?
In Spain, $3,000 covers most cities easily; in Palau it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Which country is better for expats: Palau or Spain?
It depends on what you're after: Spain wins on affordability; Palau may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

Palau vs other spots: cost of living compared

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