🙂A single person spends $943 per month in Turks And Caicos Islands vs $1,674 in Costa Rica, rent included.
🙂A couple spends around $1,606 per month in Turks And Caicos Islands vs $2,639 in Costa Rica, rent included.
🙂A family of three spends $2,269 per month in Turks And Caicos Islands vs $3,604 in Costa Rica, rent included.
🌍The cost of living in Turks And Caicos Islands is roughly 44% lower than in Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.
📊Turks And Caicos Islands sits 31% below the global median, while Costa Rica is 22% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Turks And Caicos Islands
Costa Rica
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.18$19.18
$11.02₡4,944
74.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$118$118
$55.4₡24.9K
113.55%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.94$10.94
$11.02₡4,943
-0.73%
Cappuccino
$5.86$5.86
$4.45₡1,996
31.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.03$3.03
$2.47₡1,106
22.67%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75$2.75
$1.96₡880
40.31%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.13$5.13
$3.32₡1,490
54.52%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$7.16$7.16
$4.41₡1,981
62.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Turks And Caicos Islands
Costa Rica
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$4.86$4.86
$2.47₡1,110
96.76%
White Bread(500g)
$4.90$4.90
$3.58₡1,608
36.87%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$4.87$4.87
$2.68₡1,202
81.72%
Eggs
-
$4.09₡1,837
-
Local Cheese(1kg)
-
$9.90₡4,443
-
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$20.24$20.24
$10.29₡4,617
96.70%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$17.97$17.97
$14.19₡6,365
26.64%
Apples(1kg)
$3.91$3.91
$4.99₡2,240
-21.64%
Banana(1kg)
$2.36$2.36
$1.79₡804
31.84%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.52$2.52
$3.63₡1,627
-30.58%
Tomato(1kg)
$6.68$6.68
$3.45₡1,546
93.62%
Potato(1kg)
-
$3.38₡1,518
-
Onion(1kg)
$2.01$2.01
$3.09₡1,387
-34.95%
Lettuce(1 head)
-
$1.15₡514
-
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$3.40$3.40
$2.86₡1,282
18.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
-
$5.42₡2,432
-
Wine(Bottle)
$20.06$20.06
$15.44₡6,927
29.92%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.70₡1,212
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.41₡1,530
-
🚌 Getting Around
Turks And Caicos Islands
Costa Rica
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
-
$1.13₡505
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$66.7₡29.9K
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.07$3.07
$2.22₡998
38.29%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
-
$1.99₡891
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
-
$8.96₡4,020
-
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.17$2.17
$1.58₡707
37.34%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$33.6K₡15.1M
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$37.0K₡16.6M
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Turks And Caicos Islands
Costa Rica
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$392$392
$97.1₡43.6K
304.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$69.1$69.1
$31.32₡14.1K
120.72%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$145$145
$59.7₡26.8K
142.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Turks And Caicos Islands
Costa Rica
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$101$101
$65.5₡29.4K
54.16%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$23.48₡10.5K
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$8.59₡3,853
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Turks And Caicos Islands
Costa Rica
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$510$510
$748₡335.6K
-31.84%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$12.8K$12.8K
$12.6K₡5.7M
0.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Turks And Caicos Islands
Costa Rica
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.7$80.7
$75.6₡33.9K
6.81%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.8$59.8
$54.1₡24.3K
10.58%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$151$151
$129₡58.1K
16.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.6$98.6
$113₡50.8K
-12.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Turks And Caicos Islands
Costa Rica
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,795$1,795
$875₡392.7K
105.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,858$1,858
$661₡296.8K
180.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$4,740$4,740
$1,772₡795.1K
167.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$5,040$5,040
$1,205₡540.4K
318.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$2,413₡1.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,185$2,185
$1,634₡733.0K
33.75%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Turks And Caicos Islands
Costa Rica
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$4,410$4,410
$1,078₡483.5K
309.26%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7
9.56
-26.78%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Turks And Caicos Islands: September 1, 2026
Last update for Costa Rica: August 30, 2026
Cost Breakdown
💰Average salary: $5,194 in Turks And Caicos Islands vs $1,106 in Costa Rica. 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 77% more in Costa Rica.
⭐Salaries are 370% 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
Which country is cheaper: Costa Rica or Turks And Caicos Islands?
Costa Rica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 8% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.
Is rent more expensive in Costa Rica or in Turks And Caicos Islands?
Housing costs more in Turks And Caicos Islands, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Turks And Caicos Islands 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 Costa Rica, contributing to the overall 8% 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 $2,000 per month?
$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Costa Rica, but in Turks And Caicos Islands 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?
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.
Turks And Caicos Islands vs other spots: cost of living compared