Coenobita spinosus can be found on Polynesian islands, Melanesia, Micronesia, the Marianne Islands and the northern coast of Australia, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna, and Henderson Island in the Pitcairn Islands where it has been observed to use plastic debris for protection. Coenobita spinosus notably lives in forests and wetlands, but can also be found on beaches and in lagoons.
