Cost of living comparison
Northern Mariana Islands vs. Puerto Rico Cost of Living Summary
Northern Mariana Islands is 6.3% cheaper than Puerto Rico overall.
- Restaurants
-
pay 14.4% more in Northern Mariana Islands
- Groceries
-
pay 15.2% more in Northern Mariana Islands
- Transportation
-
pay 15.5% more in Northern Mariana Islands
- Housing
-
pay 28.8% less in Northern Mariana Islands
- Entertainment and Sports
-
pay 2.1 times more in Northern Mariana Islands
- Clothing
-
pay 60.5% less in Northern Mariana Islands
The cost of entertainment and sports, transportation, groceries, and restaurants in Northern Mariana Islands are more expensive than in Puerto Rico. Expenses including clothing and housing are lower in Northern Mariana Islands. Notably, entertainment and sports is significantly more expensive in Northern Mariana Islands.
Northern Mariana Islands vs. Puerto Rico Cost Breakdown
If you lived in Northern Mariana Islands instead of Puerto Rico, you would:
pay 14.4% more for restaurants
|
Puerto Rico
|
Northern Mariana Islands
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant |
$16.34
|
$15.00
|
|
|
Fast food combo meal
McDonalds, or similar
|
$9.24
|
$14.50
|
|
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) |
$1.74
|
$2.00
|
|
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) |
$1.35
|
$1.38
|
|
pay 15.2% more for groceries
|
Puerto Rico
|
Northern Mariana Islands
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Bread
1 loaf
|
$3.37
|
$5.63
|
|
| Local cheese (8 oz) |
$5.35
|
?? | |
| Milk (1 gallon) |
$7.71
|
$9.87
|
|
|
Eggs
1 dozen
|
$6.03
|
$5.99
|
|
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) |
$3.95
|
$6.00
|
|
| Apples (1 lb) |
$2.15
|
$2.99
|
|
| Bananas (1 lb) |
$1.17
|
?? | |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
$1.88
|
$2.99
|
|
| Tomatoes (1 lb) |
$2.09
|
?? | |
| Potatoes (1 lb) |
$1.43
|
$0.93
|
|
| Onions (1 lb) |
$1.54
|
$1.03
|
|
pay 15.5% more for transportation
|
Puerto Rico
|
Northern Mariana Islands
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
$4.08
|
$5.52
|
|
| Monthly public transit pass |
$37.75
|
?? | |
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) |
$38,571.43
|
$36,999.00
|
|
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) |
$14.50
|
?? | |
pay 28.8% less for housing
|
Puerto Rico
|
Northern Mariana Islands
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Internet connection
50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl
|
$66.43
|
$90.00
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area |
$1,098.02
|
$800.00
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center |
$722.33
|
$375.00
|
|
|
Utilities for two
(700 sq ft apartment)
including electric, gas, water, heating
|
$228.66
|
$286.76
|
|
pay (unknown) more for childcare
|
Puerto Rico
|
Northern Mariana Islands
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly |
$700.71
|
?? | |
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters |
$10,819.51
|
?? |
pay 2.1 times more for entertainment and sports
|
Puerto Rico
|
Northern Mariana Islands
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) |
$2.61
|
$6.00
|
|
| Cappuccino in mid-range area |
$2.78
|
$5.33
|
|
|
Pack of cigarettes
Marlboro or similar
|
$11.22
|
?? | |
| Monthly membership at local gym |
$29.37
|
$60.00
|
|
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema |
$9.50
|
?? | |
pay 60.5% less for clothing
|
Puerto Rico
|
Northern Mariana Islands
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Regular jeans
Levi's brand
|
$52.28
|
?? | |
|
Regular dress
from H&M or similar store
|
$47.82
|
?? | |
|
Running shoes
Nike or Adidas
|
$96.61
|
?? | |
| Men's business shoes (leather) |
$101.25
|
$40.00
|
|
We average the price of thousands of data points entered by users across the world. Sources: MyLifeElsewhere's cost-of-living dataset (prices updated October 2026). How we calculate this
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