Prices for groceries are much more expensive than those in Australia or New Zealand, as they have to be imported, but fish is cheap because there's so much of it. If you're on a budget, you could scrape by on US$35.00 a day by just going to the beach and eating in the markets and cheapest restaurants. A few more creature comforts and a better class of hotel will cost you around US$60.00 - US$70.00 a day, and if money's no object and you want to stay in the best hotels, eat out a lot and do some tours, plan on spending more than US$100.00 a day.

Outside of Tarawa you'll have great difficulty changing money or buying anything with your credit card. It's best to plan ahead and get all the money you need in the capital. There are a couple of ATMs on Tarawa, which is great when they're working.

Tipping and bargaining are not practised. According to custom, a tip is seen as a gift and imposes an obligation on the receiver to return the favour. If a price is asked, that's what the seller wants for it and it's bad manners to suggest anything else.

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