cost
Cost of Living Index
Northern Mariana Islands86.7 / 100
Vanuatu100.2 / 0
Comparison
Side-by-side data for relocation, travel, hiring, and investment decisions. Values are shown with source-backed metric definitions so trade-offs are easy to compare.
Bars and radar use 0-100 better scores. Tooltips keep the raw source values visible.
Chart summary: Northern Mariana Islands leads Cost of Living Index with 100 out of 100; Vanuatu leads Safety Index with 100 out of 100; Northern Mariana Islands leads Median Monthly Rent with 100 out of 100; Northern Mariana Islands leads House Price to Income with 100 out of 100. A complete normalized score table follows.
| Metric | Place | Raw value | Normalized score | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | Northern Mariana Islands | 86.7 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Cost of Living Index | Vanuatu | 100.2 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Safety Index | Northern Mariana Islands | 69.9 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Safety Index | Vanuatu | 79.3 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Median Monthly Rent | Northern Mariana Islands | $686 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Median Monthly Rent | Vanuatu | $2,963 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Northern Mariana Islands | 8.6x | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Vanuatu | 11.0x | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Northern Mariana Islands | $1,982/mo | 100 out of 100 | 2022 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Vanuatu | $284/mo | 0 out of 100 | 2024 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Northern Mariana Islands | 12.4% | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Vanuatu | 5.1% | 100 out of 100 | 2025 | World Bank Open Data |
| Healthcare Access Index | Northern Mariana Islands | 84.8 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Healthcare Access Index | Vanuatu | 88.7 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Northern Mariana Islands | 76.7 years | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Vanuatu | 77.0 years | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
cost
safety
housing
housing
jobs
jobs
health
health
Winner
Vanuatu wins on 16 of 22 metrics compared to Northern Mariana Islands.
Winner logic counts row wins after applying each metric direction. Exact ties do not count. Methodology
Top trade-offs
Northern Mariana Islands leads cost, rent, and housing; Vanuatu leads safety, jobs, and health.
cost
Northern Mariana Islands
86.7
Vanuatu
100.2
safety
Northern Mariana Islands
69.9
Vanuatu
79.3
housing
Northern Mariana Islands
$686
Vanuatu
$2,963
housing
Northern Mariana Islands
8.6x
Vanuatu
11.0x
jobs
Northern Mariana Islands
$1,982/mo
Vanuatu
$284/mo
jobs
Northern Mariana Islands
12.4%
Vanuatu
5.1%
health
Northern Mariana Islands
84.8
Vanuatu
88.7
health
Northern Mariana Islands
76.7 years
Vanuatu
77.0 years
environment
environment
infrastructure
demographics
Northern Mariana Islands
-1.9%
Vanuatu
2.3%
education
Northern Mariana Islands
86.9
Vanuatu
92.1
transport
Northern Mariana Islands
41.9
Vanuatu
90.4
safety
Northern Mariana Islands
37.0 per 100k
Vanuatu
0.3 per 100k
safety
Northern Mariana Islands
29.8 per 100k
Vanuatu
17.6 per 100k
health
Northern Mariana Islands
28.0%
Vanuatu
17.8%
quality
Northern Mariana Islands
3.4
Vanuatu
3.4
housing
Northern Mariana Islands
$16,410/sqm
Vanuatu
$668/sqm
religion
Northern Mariana Islands
18.8%
Vanuatu
88.2%
religion
Northern Mariana Islands
25.3%
Vanuatu
33.0%
religion
Northern Mariana Islands
87.9%
Vanuatu
93.9%
Some city-level values are modeled estimates when official city-level data is unavailable.
Each metric keeps its source, year, last refreshed date, and confidence label visible. Review methodology or Data Sources.