Cost of living comparison
compared to
Northern Mariana Islands vs. Puerto Rico Cost of Living Summary
Northern Mariana Islands is 6.8% more expensive than Puerto Rico overall.
- Restaurants
-
pay 0.2% less in Northern Mariana Islands
- Groceries
-
pay 17.0% more in Northern Mariana Islands
- Transportation
-
pay 63.0% more in Northern Mariana Islands
- Housing
-
pay 10.8% less in Northern Mariana Islands
- Childcare
-
pay 38.5% less in Northern Mariana Islands
- Entertainment and Sports
-
pay 45.0% more in Northern Mariana Islands
- Clothing
-
pay 28.2% less in Northern Mariana Islands
The cost of transportation, entertainment and sports, and groceries in Northern Mariana Islands are more expensive than in Puerto Rico. Expenses including childcare, clothing, housing, and restaurants are lower 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 0.2% less for restaurants
|
Puerto Rico
|
Northern Mariana Islands
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant |
$15.10
|
$11.50
|
|
|
Fast food combo meal
McDonalds, or similar
|
$10.01
|
$12.00
|
|
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) |
$1.58
|
$1.67
|
|
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) |
$1.35
|
$1.32
|
|
Puerto Rico vs. Northern Mariana Islands - Cost of restaurants
pay 17.0% more for groceries
|
Puerto Rico
|
Northern Mariana Islands
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Bread
1 loaf
|
$3.18
|
$3.33
|
|
| Local cheese (8 oz) |
$4.16
|
?? | |
| Milk (1 gallon) |
$8.11
|
$8.44
|
|
|
Eggs
1 dozen
|
$5.34
|
$6.33
|
|
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) |
$3.76
|
$6.00
|
|
| Apples (1 lb) |
$2.50
|
$2.99
|
|
| Bananas (1 lb) |
$1.06
|
$1.00
|
|
| Oranges (1 lb) |
$1.54
|
$2.99
|
|
| Tomatoes (1 lb) |
$1.84
|
?? | |
| Potatoes (1 lb) |
$1.65
|
$0.95
|
|
| Onions (1 lb) |
$1.04
|
$1.03
|
|
Puerto Rico vs. Northern Mariana Islands - Cost of groceries
pay 63.0% more for transportation
|
Puerto Rico
|
Northern Mariana Islands
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
$3.65
|
$5.49
|
|
| Monthly public transit pass |
$35.20
|
?? | |
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) |
$34,700.00
|
$36,999.00
|
|
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) |
$9.22
|
$21.41
|
|
Puerto Rico vs. Northern Mariana Islands - Cost of transportation
pay 10.8% less for housing
|
Puerto Rico
|
Northern Mariana Islands
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Internet connection
50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl
|
$62.46
|
$60.00
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area |
$800.93
|
$625.00
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center |
$580.00
|
$450.00
|
|
|
Utilities for two
(700 sq ft apartment)
including electric, gas, water, heating
|
$242.07
|
$254.42
|
|
Puerto Rico vs. Northern Mariana Islands - Cost of housing
pay 38.5% less for childcare
|
Puerto Rico
|
Northern Mariana Islands
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly |
$453.00
|
?? | |
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters |
$9,760.00
|
$6,000.00
|
|
Puerto Rico vs. Northern Mariana Islands - Cost of childcare
pay 45.0% more for entertainment and sports
|
Puerto Rico
|
Northern Mariana Islands
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) |
$2.73
|
$6.00
|
|
| Cappuccino in mid-range area |
$3.38
|
$5.12
|
|
|
Pack of cigarettes
Marlboro or similar
|
$11.21
|
?? | |
| Monthly membership at local gym |
$37.37
|
$47.50
|
|
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema |
$9.90
|
$8.00
|
|
Puerto Rico vs. Northern Mariana Islands - Cost of entertainment and sports
pay 28.2% less for clothing
|
Puerto Rico
|
Northern Mariana Islands
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Regular jeans
Levi's brand
|
$42.97
|
$30.00
|
|
|
Regular dress
from H&M or similar store
|
$54.22
|
$40.00
|
|
|
Running shoes
Nike or Adidas
|
$81.06
|
$70.00
|
|
| Men's business shoes (leather) |
$96.00
|
$55.00
|
|
Puerto Rico vs. Northern Mariana Islands - Cost of clothing
The statistics used to build this comparison are calculated using data from users just like you.
We average the price of thousands of data points entered by users across the world.
Learn more about our data sources. Page last updated: December 2025
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