Cost of Living in Palau
Image credit: Dr. James P. McVey, NOAA Sea Grant Program
Purchasing Power vs. United States
Based on GDP per capita (PPP). Palau: $16,426/capita.
Cities in Palau
Income Category
GDP per Capita
Population
Child Education
Public-schooling rules are not sourced for Palau yet. Country-level enrollment, instruction-language, and homeschool notes will appear here once verified.
Childcare & Domestic Help
Nanny, housekeeper, and driver pricing is not yet sourced for Palau. We publish this section only when we can tie it to verified local samples or a clearly marked country fallback.
Healthcare
System strength, outcome signals, facility coverage, and self-pay visibility in Palau.
Method: country metrics come from public system indicators, facility coverage reflects mapped providers we can inventory, direct pricing only reflects observed self-pay pages, and relative care cost can fall back to broad cost-of-living healthcare indices. Sparse pricing does not imply sparse healthcare availability.
Healthcare system
GoodGood national coverage and solid hospital-bed capacity help, but headline outcomes are weaker.
Public care
MixedRelatively low patient cost-sharing help, but country-level outcomes are weaker.
Private care
LimitedThe tracked private-style network still looks thin and self-pay pricing transparency is still sparse weigh on this rating.
UHC coverage
75/100
2023
Physicians
1.81/1k
2023
Hospital beds
4.34/1k
2010
Out of pocket
12%
2023
Outcome signals
Life expectancy
69.4 yrs
2024
Maternal mortality
89/100k
2023
Neonatal mortality
11.2/1k
2024
International patient readiness
LimitedPrice transparency is still sparse and headline outcomes are less reassuring weigh on this rating.
Pricing transparency
LimitedPublished self-pay prices are scarce and few facilities expose web pages we can verify weigh on this rating.
Facility coverage
Self-pay pricing visibility
No verified self-pay prices are published for the tracked facilities in Palau yet.
This usually reflects low online price transparency rather than a lack of healthcare providers.
Notable facilities
System metrics: World Bank WDI · Updated 2026-06-01
Safety & Governance
Street Safety
Source: Numbeo where a city row is matched; otherwise World Bank WGI and country-level safety context.
Political Stability
World Bank WGI scale: -2.5 to +2.5.
Wages by Sector
| Sector | Median |
|---|---|
| Administrative & Support Services | — |
| Agriculture & Farming | — |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | — |
| Construction | — |
| Education | — |
| Finance & Insurance | — |
| Healthcare & Social Work | — |
| Hospitality & Food Service | — |
| Information & Technology | — |
| Manufacturing | — |
| Other Services | — |
| Professional & Scientific Services | — |
| Public Administration & Defence | — |
| Retail & Wholesale Trade | — |
| Transport & Logistics | — |
| Utilities | — |
2023 annual wages in Palau · Source: ILO ILOSTAT
Visa Information (US passport)
Short-stay entry
US passport holders can stay up to 360 days without a visa.
About Palau
Palau, an island nation in the East Asia & Pacific region, presents a unique relocation proposition primarily centered around its high income classification and exceptional safety record. With a population of just under 18,000, the country's official language is English, simplifying communication for many potential residents. However, prospective movers should be acutely aware that the cost of living is very high, largely due to the expense of imported goods. While tourist visas are straightforward, pathways for long-term expat relocation are not well-defined. The climate is tropical and warm throughout the year, though a wet season from May to November carries typhoon risks. Infrastructure, particularly internet connectivity, can be variable, and significant healthcare needs will necessitate medical evacuation, likely to the Philippines, highlighting a critical practical consideration for anyone contemplating a move to places like Koror or the capital, Ngerulmud.
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Common questions about Palau
Sourced from SortaRich's public-data ranking engine — every figure links to its institutional source.
How far does $1 go in Palau?
$1 in Palau is close to purchasing-power parity with the baseline market (current PPP ratio: 1.01). The figure adjusts every year as exchange rates and local prices shift. SortaRich uses World Bank ICP 2021 as the anchor and Penn World Tables 11.0 for cross-validation.
Sources: World Bank ICP 2021, Penn World Tables 11.0
What visa do I need to move to Palau?
To move to Palau you have these visa options: Tourist entry: visa_free (360 days). Visa rules change frequently — confirm the current terms with the official immigration authority before booking flights.
Source: SortaRich Visa Database
What are the best cities to live in Palau?
The best cities to live in Palau are Ngerulmud — those are the most-searched options among the 1 cities profiled in the SortaRich database. Each city page includes a personalized PPP comparison versus your home city plus subnational price data where available.
Source: SortaRich City Index