How much does it cost to live in Palau?
Typical Month (Mid Range)
$2,148
Updated September 2026 · Sources cited: jarniascyril.com, citycost.org
- Typical Month (Lower End)
- $1,689
- Typical Month (Premium)
- $3,057
- Furnished 1-bed rent
- $650
Koror town
Good to know
Good to Know
- Palau's official currency is the US dollar, so there's no exchange rate to worry about and no need to convert money if you're coming from the US.
- There is no real short-term furnished-rental market comparable to bigger nomad hubs — many long-stayers end up negotiating directly with landlords or through local expat Facebook groups rather than booking listings online.
- High-speed internet is one of the biggest cost complaints for remote workers in Palau, despite otherwise 'acceptable' utility costs.
- Almost everything in supermarkets is imported, so grocery prices run noticeably higher than in the US mainland — cooking at home still beats eating out, but the gap is smaller than in cheaper nomad destinations.
- Housing and overall living costs swing a lot depending on season (northern hemisphere summer high season vs. quieter months) and how far you are from Koror town.
- Coworking is very limited — DOUREOR in Koror (Meda Terrace Building) is the clearest dedicated option, but you'll need to contact them directly for current pricing since none is posted online.
- There's no public bus or metro system on the islands, so budget for taxis, a rental car, or hotel/dive-shop shuttles instead.
- Palau's official currency is the US dollar, so USD-holding nomads face no currency-exchange friction.
- Palau does not have a true digital nomad visa. The 'Digital Residency Program' often mentioned online is a blockchain-based ID card, not an immigration status — it doesn't grant you the right to live or work in Palau.
- Entry rules tightened in 2026: citizens of 12 specific countries now need advance clearance before flying instead of a visa on arrival — check current requirements for your passport before booking.
- A cheap prepaid tourist data SIM (around $21 for 10GB/15 days) is sold at the PNCC airport kiosk, which is convenient for short-term connectivity before committing to a monthly plan.
Monthly Totals
- Mid-range month
- $2,148
Includes 3 estimated components
2 components missing
- Lean month
- $1,689
Includes 3 estimated components
- Comfortable month
- $3,057
Includes 4 estimated components
3 components missing
Living Costs
- Where nomads live
- Palau has no distinct 'digital nomad district' the way larger hubs do. Short-term furnished rentals and the handful of coworking-adjacent stays that exist cluster in central Koror town (near the dive shops, main market, hospital and restaurants) and on nearby Malakal Island. All housing figures below are priced for Koror/Malakal; areas of Babeldaob or the outer states are cheaper but far less connected and not where remote workers actually base themselves.
Housing (per month)
- Mid-range 1-bed
- $741
Survey / cost-of-living site
CityCost.org states: 'Average rent ($741) is 18% above the global median of $627' for Palau.
- Budget studio / 1-bed
- $650
Survey / cost-of-living site
Comparative cost-of-living data cited in the article: 'A one-bedroom apartment in Koror (about $650 in the comparison)'.
- Premium apartment
- $1,500
Estimated
Midpoint of range stated by expat housing guide: 'Families wanting 2 or 3 bedrooms in the center can pay between $1,000 and $2,000 depending on quality.'
- Private room in a shared home
- $450
Estimated
Midpoint of a range stated by an expat housing guide: 'A small studio or a room in a shared apartment can be found for around $400 to $500' in Koror.
Groceries
- Groceries for one (month)
- $502
Survey / cost-of-living site
CityCost.org: 'Expect to spend about $502 monthly on groceries' in Palau.
Sample prices
Milk, 1 Liter
- Milk, 1 Liter
- $3.10
Survey / cost-of-living site
Hikersbay Koror price data: 'Bottle or carton of milk (1 liter): 3.10 USD'.
Dozen Eggs
- Dozen Eggs
- $5.50
Estimated
No Koror-specific listing found; estimated from Palau's heavy reliance on imported groceries and general Pacific-island import price premiums.
Loaf of Bread
- Loaf Of Bread
- $4.00
Estimated
No specific source found; estimated using the same import-premium logic applied to the confirmed milk price.
Bottled Water, 1.5L (Store)
- Bottled Water, 1.5L (Store)
- $1.50
Estimated
No specific source found; rough estimate for store-bought bottled water in a Koror supermarket.
Eating out
- Cheap meal
- $11
Estimated
Hikersbay Koror: 'a typical fast food meal costs: 15 USD for a McMeal at McDonalds or BurgerKing (or similar combo meal)'. [Adjusted 2026-09-18: the source's 15 USD reduced by 25%; see "adjusted".]
- High-end meal
- $60
Estimated
No specific single-source figure found; estimated from the general price level of hotel/resort restaurants in Koror (e.g. Palau Royal Resort, Palasia Hotel) relative to confirmed mid-range dining costs.
- Mid-range meal
- $28
Estimated
CityCost.org states 'Dining out at a mid-range restaurant averages $75.0 for two'; halved here to represent one person, so basis is estimated rather than a direct single-diner figure. [Adjusted 2026-09-18: the source's 37.5 USD reduced by 25%; see "adjusted".]
Work, Transport & Essentials
Coworking
- Day pass
- Not available
DOUREOR Coworking's own site describes offering day passes for travelers needing a workspace, but no specific price is published anywhere on the page.
- Monthly hot desk
- Not available
DOUREOR's site describes an 'Individual Membership' with monthly access for freelancers/digital nomads, but does not list a specific published price.
Transport
- About monthly passes
- No fixed-route public bus or metro system exists in Koror, so there is no monthly transit pass. Locals and visitors use private taxis, rental cars, or hotel/dive-operator shuttles.
- Single ride
- $15
Estimated
No metered in-town taxi base fare was found; used the published airport-to-Koror-center taxi fare ($15, ~15 min) from a travel-logistics guide as a rough proxy for a short in-town taxi ride, since Koror is small and most trips are similarly short.
Mobile & data
- Monthly plan
- $30
Survey / cost-of-living site
Third-party carrier database summarizing PNCC's own 'Starter Plan': $30/month including 300 airtime minutes and 5GB mobile data, with extra data at $5.30/GB.
Short Stays (per night)
- Data Gap
- Yes
- Seasonal pricing
- Yes
- Data Gap Reason
- 2 research attempts could not find reliable, distinct high/low season pricing — using the blended year-round rate for both seasons rather than inventing figures.
- Why
- December-March peak season (Northern Hemisphere winter, best weather, dry conditions) commands rates up to 2x the average; May-September low season offers discounts of 50% or more.
Low season
- Budget
- $100
2-star hotel, Koror central area (based on KAYAK lowest rates for 3-star hotels at $95+ and budget property averages)
- Luxury
- $400
5-star beachfront resort, Koror (Palau Pacific Resort stated from $334/night; The Pristine Villas at Palau Pacific Resort for highest-end on-island luxury accommodation)
- Premium
- $300
4-star resort, Koror waterfront (Palau Royal Resort ~$255-280 typical nightly rates)
- Standard
- $180
3-star hotel, Koror (Palau Central Hotel typical mid-range nightly rate ~$210, Palau Hotel comparable tier)
High season
- Budget
- $100
2-star hotel, Koror central area (based on KAYAK lowest rates for 3-star hotels at $95+ and budget property averages)
- Luxury
- $400
5-star beachfront resort, Koror (Palau Pacific Resort stated from $334/night; The Pristine Villas at Palau Pacific Resort for highest-end on-island luxury accommodation)
- Premium
- $300
4-star resort, Koror waterfront (Palau Royal Resort ~$255-280 typical nightly rates)
- Standard
- $180
3-star hotel, Koror (Palau Central Hotel typical mid-range nightly rate ~$210, Palau Hotel comparable tier)
Low-season months
- May
- June
- July
- August
- September
High-season months
- December
- January
- February
- March
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this cost of living research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
- 1.jarniascyril.com
- 2.jarniascyril.com
- 3.jarniascyril.com
- 4.citycost.org
- 5.hikersbay.com
- 6.hikersbay.com
- 7.en.wikipedia.org
- 8.en.wikipedia.org
- 9.cozycozy.com
- 10.cozycozy.com
- 11.airbnb.com
- 12.emeraldreamspalau.com
- 13.atlas-guide.com
- 14.frequencycheck.com
- 15.pnccpalau.com
- 16.prepaid-data-sim-card.fandom.com
- 17.stampednomad.com
- 18.stampednomad.com
More About Palau
Data last updated September 2026 · Verify anything important.