Moving to Palau from Papua New Guinea
What to Expect
Considering a move from Papua New Guinea to Palau? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Papua New Guinea to Palau. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Palau compared to Papua New Guinea.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Papua New Guinea performs better than Palau across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
Papua New Guinea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Palau leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Papua New Guinea performs better than Palau across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
share of households with internet
Palau performs significantly better than Papua New Guinea across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Palau performs significantly better than Papua New Guinea across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Palau performs significantly better than Papua New Guinea across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2018–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2010–2021), The World Factbook (2002–2015), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Can you move from Papua New Guinea to Palau?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Papua New Guinea and Palau. To live, work, or study long-term in Palau, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Palau's immigration authority.
Papua New Guinea passport holder visiting Palau
Visa on Arrival
Palau passport holder visiting Papua New Guinea
Visa on ArrivalData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Palau?
Connectivity is usually fine (Palau: 7.3 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Palau offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Palau safe for expats?
Papua New Guinea performs better than Palau across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Palau is 11.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 9.4 in Papua New Guinea.
How is healthcare in Palau compared to Papua New Guinea?
Papua New Guinea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Palau leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 18.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Palau, compared to 0.6 in Papua New Guinea. Palau scores 65 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Papua New Guinea: 30).
What language do they speak in Palau?
The official languages in Palau are English and Palauan. In Papua New Guinea, the official languages are English, Hiri Motu and Tok Pisin.
