🙂A single person spends $1,061 per month in Turks And Caicos Islands vs $1,543 in Costa Rica, rent included.
🙂A couple spends around $1,698 per month in Turks And Caicos Islands vs $2,324 in Costa Rica, rent included.
🙂A family of three spends $2,334 per month in Turks And Caicos Islands vs $3,105 in Costa Rica, rent included.
🙂Turks And Caicos Islands is roughly 31% cheaper than Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.
📊Turks And Caicos Islands sits 21% below the global median, while Costa Rica is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Turks And Caicos Islands
Costa Rica
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.27$20.27
$9.97₡4,571
103.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$118$118
$59.4₡27.2K
99.04%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.05$10.05
$9.74₡4,467
3.18%
Cappuccino
$5.48$5.48
$3.94₡1,805
39.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.70$2.70
$2.11₡967
27.96%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74$2.74
$1.65₡758
66.06%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.04$5.04
$2.92₡1,338
72.60%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.60$6.60
$4.39₡2,012
50.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Turks And Caicos Islands
Costa Rica
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$5.39$5.39
$2.07₡948
160.39%
White Bread(500g)
$3.86$3.86
$3.17₡1,453
21.77%
Rice(white)(1kg)
-
$2.41₡1,107
-
Eggs
$4.06$4.06
$3.34₡1,530
21.56%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$26.02$26.02
$9.24₡4,235
181.60%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$15.25$15.25
$9.40₡4,310
62.23%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$17.71$17.71
$13.56₡6,217
30.60%
Apples(1kg)
$3.99$3.99
$4.48₡2,053
-10.94%
Banana(1kg)
$2.58$2.58
$1.56₡714
65.38%
Oranges(1kg)
-
$3.36₡1,539
-
Tomato(1kg)
$6.59$6.59
$3.08₡1,412
113.96%
Potato(1kg)
-
$2.89₡1,326
-
Onion(1kg)
$1.99$1.99
$2.86₡1,312
-30.42%
Lettuce(1 head)
$6.19$6.19
$1.03₡470
500.97%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$2.05$2.05
$2.52₡1,154
-18.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$7.16$7.16
$4.90₡2,244
46.12%
Wine(Bottle)
$20.02$20.02
$16.18₡7,417
23.73%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.39₡1,094
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.78₡1,274
-
🚌 Getting Around
Turks And Caicos Islands
Costa Rica
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
-
$0.94₡432
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$49.22₡22.6K
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.07$3.07
$1.87₡855
64.17%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
-
$2.01₡923
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
-
$7.61₡3,489
-
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.14$2.14
$1.51₡691
41.72%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$36.3K₡16.7M
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$35.7K₡16.4M
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Turks And Caicos Islands
Costa Rica
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$328$328
$88.7₡40.7K
269.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$45.28$45.28
$25.67₡11.8K
76.39%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$142$142
$53.8₡24.7K
163.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Turks And Caicos Islands
Costa Rica
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$98.3$98.3
$57.7₡26.5K
70.25%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$29.09₡13.3K
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$9.00₡4,127
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Turks And Caicos Islands
Costa Rica
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$494$494
$544₡249.3K
-9.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,953$7,953
$10.0K₡4.6M
-20.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Turks And Caicos Islands
Costa Rica
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.3$80.3
$74.3₡34.0K
8.12%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.5$59.5
$53.2₡24.4K
11.81%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$151$151
$120₡54.9K
25.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102$102
$101₡46.2K
1.02%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Turks And Caicos Islands
Costa Rica
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,567$1,567
$798₡366.0K
96.24%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,238$1,238
$534₡244.9K
131.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,972$2,972
$1,509₡691.9K
96.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,556$2,556
$1,041₡477.2K
145.56%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$2,382₡1.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,132$2,132
$1,603₡734.6K
33.02%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Turks And Caicos Islands
Costa Rica
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$4,652$4,652
$1,062₡486.7K
338.12%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7
10.53
-33.52%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Turks And Caicos Islands: June 2, 2026
Last update for Costa Rica: June 1, 2026
Cost Breakdown
💰Average salary: $4,537 in Turks And Caicos Islands vs $1,098 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 27% higher in Costa Rica.
⭐Dining out costs 70% more in Costa Rica.
⭐Salaries are 313% higher in Turks And Caicos Islands, giving Turks And Caicos Islands stronger purchasing power.
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
Which country is cheaper: Costa Rica or Turks And Caicos Islands?
Turks And Caicos Islands is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 14% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.
Is rent more expensive in Costa Rica or Turks And Caicos Islands?
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.
How do daily expenses compare in Costa Rica vs Turks And Caicos Islands?
Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Turks And Caicos Islands, contributing to the overall 14% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.
Can you live in both Costa Rica and Turks And Caicos Islands on $3,000 per month?
$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.
Which country is better for expats: Costa Rica or Turks And Caicos Islands?
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.
Turks And Caicos Islands vs other spots: cost of living compared