Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Puerto Rico instead of Northern Mariana Islands, you would:

Health

live 3.0 years longer

In Northern Mariana Islands, the average life expectancy is 79 years (77 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, that number is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

make 70.8% more money

Northern Mariana Islands has a GDP per capita of $23,786 as of 2022, while in Puerto Rico, the GDP per capita is $40,620 as of 2025.

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Life

be 51.6% less likely to die during infancy

In Northern Mariana Islands, approximately 12.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Puerto Rico, on the other hand, 6.0 children do as of 2022.

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have 52.9% fewer children

In Northern Mariana Islands, there are approximately 12.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, there are 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 3.5 times more likely to have internet access

In Northern Mariana Islands, approximately 25.1% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Puerto Rico, about 87.3% do as of 2022.

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Geography

see 66.2% less coastline

Northern Mariana Islands has a total of 1,482 km of coastline. In Puerto Rico, that number is 501 km.

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Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), The World Factbook (2021–2022). How we calculate this

Compare further: Northern Mariana Islands vs. Puerto Rico

Cost of Living Comparison · 6 categories - 2026 data
Puerto Rico is 6.7% more expensive than Northern Mariana Islands overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
Northern Mariana Islands is about 20 times smaller than Puerto Rico.
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Moving from Northern Mariana Islands to Puerto Rico · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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Puerto Rico: At a glance

Puerto Rico is a territory in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 8,959 sq km. Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following Christopher COLUMBUS' second voyage to the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial rule that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and African slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a result of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship in 1917. Popularly-elected governors have served since 1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted providing for internal self government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998, voters chose not to alter the existing political status with the US, but the results of a 2012 vote left open the possibility of American statehood.
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How big is Puerto Rico compared to Northern Mariana Islands? See an in-depth size comparison.

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