Last update: Oct 2026

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

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

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.

92.28

Cost of Living Index in the Turks and Caicos Islands
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Turks and Caicos Islands Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Costa Rica
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Costa Rica Living Index

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🇹🇨 Turks and Caicos Islands

$3,522

/mo nomad

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,779

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The cost of living in the Turks and Caicos Islands is about 98% higher than in Costa Rica on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.70 $18.70

$11.34 ₡5,088

64.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$55.6 ₡24.9K

115.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.19 $11.19

$11.00 ₡4,934

1.73%

Cappuccino

$6.07 $6.07

$4.49 ₡2,014

35.19%

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

$2.98 $2.98

$2.43 ₡1,091

22.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.88 ₡843

48.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 $4.93

$3.30 ₡1,479

49.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 $6.94

$4.55 ₡2,040

52.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.80 $4.80

$2.41 ₡1,081

99.17%

White Bread (500g)

$4.74 $4.74

$3.47 ₡1,555

36.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.12 $5.12

$2.67 ₡1,198

91.76%

Eggs

$4.02 ₡1,802

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.03 $20.03

$10.50 ₡4,708

90.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$13.95 ₡6,256

28.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$4.96 ₡2,225

-17.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.64 ₡736

43.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.46 ₡1,552

-27.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$3.27 ₡1,465

106.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.34 ₡1,499

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$3.13 ₡1,404

-34.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡495

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.59 $3.59

$2.62 ₡1,175

37.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.36 ₡2,405

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 $19.84

$15.70 ₡7,043

26.37%

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)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.19 ₡983

37.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 ₡941

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.95 ₡4,016

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.53 ₡688

29.41%

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)

$406 $406

$95.1 ₡42.7K

327.32%

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

$68.4 $68.4

$30.94 ₡13.9K

121.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$140 $140

$58.3 ₡26.1K

140.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$99.2 $99.2

$67.4 ₡30.2K

47.31%

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)

$496 $496

$733 ₡328.9K

-32.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K $12.8K

$12.9K ₡5.8M

-0.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.1 $81.1

$76.9 ₡34.5K

5.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.7 $59.7

$56.4 ₡25.3K

5.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$150 $150

$131 ₡58.9K

14.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 $98.9

$110 ₡49.2K

-9.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 $1,802

$846 ₡379.3K

113.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,876 $1,876

$660 ₡295.9K

184.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,805 $4,805

$1,767 ₡792.4K

171.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,041 $5,041

$1,200 ₡538.3K

320.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,458 ₡1.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,133 $2,133

$1,658 ₡743.7K

28.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,334 $4,334

$1,065 ₡477.8K

306.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.56

-26.78%

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

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

Last update for Costa Rica: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Turks and Caicos Islands

$1.9K 53.3%

Costa Rica

$660 37.1% 64.8% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Turks and Caicos Islands

$615 17.5%

Costa Rica

$184 10.4% 70% $431

Groceries & Markets

Turks and Caicos Islands

$435 * 12.4%

Costa Rica

$379 21.3% 13% $57

Eating Out

Turks and Caicos Islands

$318 9%

Costa Rica

$220 12.4% 30.6% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Turks and Caicos Islands

$175 5%

Costa Rica

$168 9.5% 4% $7.1

Sport & Entertainment

Turks and Caicos Islands

$99 * 2.8%

Costa Rica

$84 4.7% 15% $15

Getting Around

Turks and Caicos Islands

$3 * 0.1%

Costa Rica

$83 4.7% 2646% $80

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

Cost Breakdown

Average salary: $5,215 in the Turks and Caicos Islands vs $1,089 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 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

🇹🇨 Turks and Caicos Islands

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🕒 Local time

19:35 7:35 PM

17:35 5:35 PM

2 h behind the Turks and Caicos Islands

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,542

5,044,197

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

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Between locations

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

From you

Turks and Caicos Islands
Costa Rica

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

Turks and Caicos Islands vs Costa Rica: 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.