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

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,082 per month in Turks And Caicos Islands vs $1,535 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,701 per month in Turks And Caicos Islands vs $2,322 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,320 per month in Turks And Caicos Islands vs $3,108 in Costa Rica, rent included.

The cost of living in Turks And Caicos Islands is roughly 30% lower than in Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Turks And Caicos Islands sits 19% below the global median, while Costa Rica is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$10.10 ₡4,518

101.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$60.1 ₡26.9K

102.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.09 $10.09

$10.12 ₡4,529

-0.30%

Cappuccino

$5.43 $5.43

$3.90 ₡1,743

39.23%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.20 ₡985

24.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.67 ₡745

56.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.13 $5.13

$3.06 ₡1,371

67.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.41 ₡1,975

48.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$5.46 $5.46

$2.10 ₡939

160.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.95 $3.95

$3.22 ₡1,441

22.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,118

Eggs

$3.97 $3.97

$3.37 ₡1,509

17.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.96 $26.96

$9.57 ₡4,279

181.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.91 $14.91

$9.44 ₡4,224

57.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.54 $17.54

$13.43 ₡6,009

30.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$4.67 ₡2,090

-13.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.57 ₡701

68.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 ₡1,432

Tomato (1kg)

$6.70 $6.70

$2.98 ₡1,334

124.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 ₡1,332

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.83 ₡1,268

-28.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$6.28 $6.28

$1.01 ₡453

521.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.50 ₡1,121

-18.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.95 $6.95

$5.09 ₡2,277

36.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.78 $19.78

$16.14 ₡7,219

22.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₡1,050

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,258

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 ₡453

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.99 ₡22.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.87 ₡835

64.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 ₡880

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.61 ₡3,406

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.44 ₡646

48.61%

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

$36.5K ₡16.3M

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

$35.4K ₡15.8M

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

$334 $334

$87.3 ₡39.1K

282.96%

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

$46.86 $46.86

$25.16 ₡11.3K

86.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$143 $143

$53.0 ₡23.7K

168.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 $102

$57.4 ₡25.7K

77.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.74 ₡12.9K

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 ₡4,046

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

$498 $498

$553 ₡247.4K

-9.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,070 $8,070

$9,994 ₡4.5M

-19.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 $81.2

$71.6 ₡32.0K

13.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.9 $58.9

$53.2 ₡23.8K

10.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$150 $150

$119 ₡53.1K

26.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$102 ₡45.7K

-1.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,601 $1,601

$809 ₡361.7K

97.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,251 $1,251

$544 ₡243.1K

130.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,972 $2,972

$1,466 ₡656.0K

102.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,535 $2,535

$1,018 ₡455.3K

149.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,398 ₡1.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,131 $2,131

$1,638 ₡732.9K

30.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,667 $4,667

$1,067 ₡477.4K

337.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.53

-33.52%

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

Last update for Turks And Caicos Islands: July 11, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average salary: $4,622 in Turks And Caicos Islands vs $1,096 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 23% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 70% more in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 322% higher in Turks And Caicos Islands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Turks And Caicos Islands.

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

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

Turks And Caicos Islands is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 11% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Costa Rica, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Costa Rica consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Turks And Caicos Islands, contributing to the overall 11% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$3,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Turks And Caicos Islands, but in Costa Rica it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Turks And Caicos Islands 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.