Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palau and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Palau: $1,976 a month against $2,727 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in the United States outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

96

Cost of Living Index in Palau
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Palau Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

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🇵🇼 Palau

$1,976

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Palau and in the United States

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 the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,976 in Palau versus $2,727 in the United States.

Palau $1,976
United States $2,727

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,045 in Palau versus $4,009 in the United States.

Palau $3,045
United States $4,009

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,113 in Palau versus $5,291 in the United States.

Palau $4,113
United States $5,291

Internal cost variation is higher in Palau: monthly costs span $1,821 to $1,821, compared to $977–$5,215 in the United States. City choice carries more weight in Palau.

Living in Palau costs about 28% less than in the United States on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Palau 46% above, the United States 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.36 $13.36

$19.73 $19.73

-32.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.7 $74.7

$81.0 $81.0

-7.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 $9.96

$11.98 $11.98

-16.86%

Cappuccino

$4.06 $4.06

$5.59 $5.59

-27.37%

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

$1.39 $1.39

$2.78 $2.78

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.10 $2.10

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 $1.53

$5.98 $5.98

-74.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$7.92 $7.92

-72.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.03 $1.03

159.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.75 $3.75

-17.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.24 $0.24

$4.46 $4.46

-94.62%

Eggs

$6.48 $6.48

$4.34 $4.34

49.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.98 $9.98

$12.75 $12.75

-21.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$12.27 $12.27

12.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.21 $19.21

$17.29 $17.29

11.10%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.31 $5.31

-1.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.67 $1.67

33.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$4.32 $4.32

27.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$16.48 $16.48

$5.03 $5.03

227.63%

Potato (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$2.81 $2.81

67.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.05 $3.05

11.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.22 $2.22

-8.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.35 $2.35

-26.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.20 $15.20

$10.92 $10.92

39.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.80 $22.80

$14.87 $14.87

53.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.10 $2.10

62.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$3.62 $3.62

-5.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.7 $65.7

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.58 $3.58

-32.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.14 $6.14

$29.51 $29.51

-79.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.02 $1.02

86.27%

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

$17.2K $17.2K

$28.3K $28.3K

-39.32%

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

$15.0K $15.0K

$26.0K $26.0K

-42.28%

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

$170 $170

$221 $221

-23.18%

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

$51.6 $51.6

$61.3 $61.3

-15.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$199 $199

$73.3 $73.3

171.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.3 $81.3

$44.89 $44.89

81.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.65 $22.65

Cinema Ticket

$15.16 $15.16

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

$250 $250

$1,471 $1,471

-82.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K $25.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.4 $85.4

$53.5 $53.5

59.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.0 $66.0

$43.76 $43.76

50.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$191 $191

$92.0 $92.0

107.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$196 $196

$114 $114

71.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 $719

$1,654 $1,654

-56.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$519 $519

$1,332 $1,332

-61.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,111 $2,111

$2,669 $2,669

-20.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$968 $968

$2,207 $2,207

-56.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,054 $3,054

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,522 $2,522

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$774 $774

$4,391 $4,391

-82.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

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

Last update for Palau: October 19, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Palau

$519 26.3%

United States

$1.3K 48.9% 157% $813

Groceries & Markets

Palau

$504 25.5%

United States

$413 15.1% 18.2% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palau

$420 21.3%

United States

$355 13% 15.4% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Palau

$242 12.3%

United States

$137 5% 43.6% $106

Eating Out

Palau

$207 10.5%

United States

$326 12% 57.4% $119

Sport & Entertainment

Palau

$81 * 4.1%

United States

$75 2.8% 7.5% $6.1

Getting Around

Palau

$2.4 * 0.1%

United States

$89 3.3% 3547% $86

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

Cost Breakdown

National salary averages: $793 in Palau, $4,548 in the United States. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 124% higher in the United States.

Salaries are 474% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇵🇼 Palau

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

10:07 10:07 AM

21:07 9:07 PM

13 h behind Palau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,729

340,110,988

💱 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 United States 13,560 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Palau
United States

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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,976 per month in Palau and $2,727 in the United States, there's a 38% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,612 in the United States and $719 in Palau. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Palau, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in the United States it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Palau wins on affordability; the United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.