Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and the Turks and Caicos Islands

Name: Turks and Caicos Islands
Address: TC

For one person, living is cheaper in Costa Rica: $1,779 a month against $3,522 in the Turks and Caicos Islands, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Costa Rica
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Costa Rica Living Index
92.28

Cost of Living Index in the Turks and Caicos Islands
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Turks and Caicos Islands Living Index

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🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,779

/mo nomad

🇹🇨 Turks and Caicos Islands

$3,522

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Costa Rica and in the Turks and Caicos Islands

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Costa Rica and in the Turks and Caicos Islands actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,779 per month in Costa Rica vs $3,522 in the Turks and Caicos Islands, rent included.

Costa Rica $1,779
Turks and Caicos Islands $3,522

A couple spends around $2,753 per month in Costa Rica vs $6,038 in the Turks and Caicos Islands, rent included.

Costa Rica $2,753
Turks and Caicos Islands $6,038

A family of three spends $3,728 per month in Costa Rica vs $8,554 in the Turks and Caicos Islands, rent included.

Costa Rica $3,728
Turks and Caicos Islands $8,554

The cost of living in Costa Rica is roughly 49% lower than in the Turks and Caicos Islands on average.

Both Costa Rica and the Turks and Caicos Islands are pricier than the global median – Costa Rica by 31%, the Turks and Caicos Islands by 160%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 ₡5,088

$18.70 $18.70

-39.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.6 ₡24.9K

$120 $120

-53.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.00 ₡4,934

$11.19 $11.19

-1.70%

Cappuccino

$4.49 ₡2,014

$6.07 $6.07

-26.03%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 ₡1,091

$2.98 $2.98

-18.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 ₡843

$2.80 $2.80

-32.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 ₡1,479

$4.93 $4.93

-33.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 ₡2,040

$6.94 $6.94

-34.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$4.80 $4.80

-49.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 ₡1,555

$4.74 $4.74

-26.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 ₡1,198

$5.12 $5.12

-47.85%

Eggs

$4.02 ₡1,802

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.50 ₡4,708

$20.03 $20.03

-47.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.95 ₡6,256

$17.95 $17.95

-22.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 ₡2,225

$4.10 $4.10

20.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡736

$2.36 $2.36

-30.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 ₡1,552

$2.52 $2.52

37.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 ₡1,465

$6.76 $6.76

-51.63%

Potato (1kg)

$3.34 ₡1,499

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 ₡1,404

$2.05 $2.05

52.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡495

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 ₡1,175

$3.59 $3.59

-27.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.36 ₡2,405

Wine (Bottle)

$15.70 ₡7,043

$19.84 $19.84

-20.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 ₡1,186

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₡1,425

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ₡498

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ₡983

$3.01 $3.01

-27.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 ₡941

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.95 ₡4,016

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 ₡688

$1.98 $1.98

-22.73%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$33.3K ₡14.9M

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$37.5K ₡16.8M

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$95.1 ₡42.7K

$406 $406

-76.60%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$30.94 ₡13.9K

$68.4 $68.4

-54.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.3 ₡26.1K

$140 $140

-58.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.4 ₡30.2K

$99.2 $99.2

-32.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.41 ₡10.1K

Cinema Ticket

$8.50 ₡3,811

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$733 ₡328.9K

$496 $496

47.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K ₡5.8M

$12.8K $12.8K

0.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.9 ₡34.5K

$81.1 $81.1

-5.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 ₡25.3K

$59.7 $59.7

-5.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₡58.9K

$150 $150

-12.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 ₡49.2K

$98.9 $98.9

10.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$846 ₡379.3K

$1,802 $1,802

-53.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 ₡295.9K

$1,876 $1,876

-64.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,767 ₡792.4K

$4,805 $4,805

-63.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,200 ₡538.3K

$5,041 $5,041

-76.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,458 ₡1.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,658 ₡743.7K

$2,133 $2,133

-22.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,065 ₡477.8K

$4,334 $4,334

-75.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.56

36.57%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Costa Rica: October 17, 2026

Last update for the Turks and Caicos Islands: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Costa Rica

$660 37.1%

Turks and Caicos Islands

$1.9K 53.3% 184% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Costa Rica

$379 21.3%

Turks and Caicos Islands

$435 * 12.4% 15% $57

Eating Out

Costa Rica

$220 12.4%

Turks and Caicos Islands

$318 9% 44.1% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Costa Rica

$184 10.4%

Turks and Caicos Islands

$615 17.5% 234% $431

Clothing & Footwear

Costa Rica

$168 9.5%

Turks and Caicos Islands

$175 5% 4.2% $7.1

Sport & Entertainment

Costa Rica

$84 4.7%

Turks and Caicos Islands

$99 * 2.8% 17.6% $15

Getting Around

Costa Rica

$83 4.7%

Turks and Caicos Islands

$3 * 0.1% 96.4% $80

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Average salary: $1,089 in Costa Rica vs $5,215 in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 87% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 74% more in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 379% higher in the Turks and Caicos Islands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🇹🇨 Turks and Caicos Islands

🕒 Local time

22:43 10:43 PM

00:43 12:43 AM

2 h ahead of Costa Rica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,044,197

44,542

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Costa Rica Turks and Caicos Islands 1,890 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Costa Rica
Turks and Caicos Islands

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Costa Rica vs Turks and Caicos Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Costa Rica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 98% lower on average.

Not necessarily. Overall, the Turks and Caicos Islands costs about 98% more, but the gap varies by category, and some expenses can be lower in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Compare the categories that matter most for your budget.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Costa Rica, but in the Turks and Caicos Islands it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Costa Rica is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.