Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Palau

Name: Palau
Address: PW

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.

132

Cost of Living Index in the United States
Learn more

United States Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Palau
Learn more

Palau Living Index

Jump to prices

🇺🇸 United States

$2,727

/mo nomad

🇵🇼 Palau

$1,976

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

United States $2,727
Palau $1,976

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

United States $4,009
Palau $3,045

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

United States $5,291
Palau $4,113

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

Living in the United States is roughly 38% more expensive than in Palau on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.73 $19.73

$13.36 $13.36

47.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$74.7 $74.7

8.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 $11.98

$9.96 $9.96

20.28%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$4.06 $4.06

37.68%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$1.39 $1.39

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.05 $1.05

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 $5.98

$1.53 $1.53

290.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.92 $7.92

$2.15 $2.15

268.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.67 $2.67

-61.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.08 $3.08

21.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$0.24 $0.24

1758.33%

Eggs

$4.34 $4.34

$6.48 $6.48

-33.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.75 $12.75

$9.98 $9.98

27.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.27 $12.27

$13.86 $13.86

-11.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.29 $17.29

$19.21 $19.21

-9.99%

Apples (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$5.22 $5.22

1.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.23 $2.23

-25.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$5.52 $5.52

-21.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 $5.03

$16.48 $16.48

-69.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$4.70 $4.70

-40.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.39 $3.39

-10.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.03 $2.03

9.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.72 $1.72

36.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.92 $10.92

$15.20 $15.20

-28.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$22.80 $22.80

-34.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$3.41 $3.41

-38.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.41 $3.41

6.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.7 $65.7

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.43 $2.43

47.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.51 $29.51

$6.14 $6.14

380.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.90 $1.90

-46.32%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$17.2K $17.2K

64.81%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$15.0K $15.0K

73.25%

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

$221 $221

$170 $170

30.17%

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

$61.3 $61.3

$51.6 $51.6

18.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.3 $73.3

$199 $199

-63.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.89 $44.89

$81.3 $81.3

-44.76%

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)

$1,471 $1,471

$250 $250

487.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K $25.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 $53.5

$85.4 $85.4

-37.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.76 $43.76

$66.0 $66.0

-33.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 $92.0

$191 $191

-51.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$196 $196

-41.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,654 $1,654

$719 $719

130.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 $1,332

$519 $519

156.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,669 $2,669

$2,111 $2,111

26.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,207 $2,207

$968 $968

128.04%

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)

$4,391 $4,391

$774 $774

467.17%

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 the United States: 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

United States

$1.3K 48.9%

Palau

$519 26.3% 61.1% $813

Groceries & Markets

United States

$413 15.1%

Palau

$504 25.5% 22.2% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Palau

$420 21.3% 18.2% $65

Eating Out

United States

$326 12%

Palau

$207 10.5% 36.5% $119

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Palau

$242 12.3% 77.4% $106

Getting Around

United States

$89 3.3%

Palau

$2.4 * 0.1% 97.3% $86

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$75 2.8%

Palau

$81 * 4.1% 8.1% $6.1

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

Cost Breakdown

National salary averages: $4,548 in the United States, $793 in Palau. 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

🇺🇸 United States

🇵🇼 Palau

🕒 Local time

21:46 9:46 PM

10:46 10:46 AM

13 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

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

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

From you

United States
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

United States vs Palau: 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.