How much does a trip to Palau cost? Daily budget and prices

Palau has no cheap tier in the Southeast Asia sense. Almost every item on a plate, in a tank or on a boat is imported, so a guesthouse bed and a plate lunch cost more than the same things in Manila or Bangkok. The table below is per person per day, sharing a room at mid-range and comfort, flights and permits excluded.

The spread comes from boats and diving, not from food. Two people who sleep in the same hotel can differ by US$200 a day depending on whether they take a Rock Islands tour, a two-tank dive or nothing on the water.

These totals run a little above the country page's headline tiers because they include a tour or dive most days. Strip the water days back to one every other day and the backpacker figure falls toward the country range of US$120–180.

The Palau Environmental Fee (PPEF) is charged on arrival and is normally built into your air ticket; check your booking before you budget for it separately. On top of that, marine permits are the single biggest fixed cost of a Palau trip and they are easy to forget.

Dive and tour prices sit in a narrow band because there are only a handful of operators. Ask about multi-day rates when you book two or three days in a row (check).

Stay in Koror rather than on an outlying island. Koror has the guesthouses, the supermarkets and the tour docks, so you avoid a second boat transfer and can walk or take a short taxi to dinner. Babeldaob is a hire-car day, not a place to base yourself on a budget.

Eat where locals eat: plate lunches and bento boxes at US$8–15, plus supermarket supplies for breakfast. Alcohol is heavily taxed, so a bar-heavy evening can cost more than a dive.

Choose one big water day every second day instead of daily diving, and pick the Rock Islands snorkel tour over a two-tank dive when you want to save.

Palau uses the US dollar, so there is no exchange-rate risk for American travellers and no local currency to change. Hotels, dive shops and larger restaurants take cards. Small shops, taxis and some state fees may want cash, so keep US$100–200 on you.

Withdraw cash in Koror before you head out to the states or the islands (check). Tipping follows US habits: 10–15% in restaurants, and a few dollars for boat crews and dive guides is normal.

Palau's drier months, roughly December to April, are the busiest for diving and boats fill earlier; the wetter months from about June to October are quieter (check). Confirm current room rates and boat availability with operators for your dates rather than assuming a seasonal discount.

The Jellyfish Lake permit only applies when the lake is open to visitors, so a trip planned around it should be confirmed with an operator before you book flights. Check current permit rules and fees before you travel.