Is Turks and Caicos Expensive? This Post Explains Prices for Groceries, Restaurants, Accommodations, Taxis, and More

Prices Turks and Caicos

So, exactly how expensive are we talking about? The first thing to keep in mind about Turks and Caicos is that they use US dollars as their currency, so all the prices mentioned in the article are in USD as well.

To put it simply, Turks and Caicos is incredibly expensive and is considered to be one of the most expensive holiday destinations. But this is the general overview, and there are ways to save money and things you can do to make the trip more cost-efficient. 

Flight Prices to Turks and Caicos

The very first expense you can expect will probably be your flight. Fortunately, the prices for the tickets aren’t too bad.

My round trip ticket price from Appleton, Wisconsin to Providenciales, Turks and Caicos cost $500.85 through American Airlines. (So, for both my husband and me it cost $1,000.) This was for January/February 2021.

Accommodation Prices

Your biggest overall expense when traveling to Turks and Caicos islands will most likely be accommodation. Let’s go through the different options you have available:

NOTE: the government imposes a 12% “occupancy tax” on hotels, vacation rentals and resort reservations. Be sure to double-check whether this tax is included in your booking price.

Villas/Private vacation rentals

A popular option when coming to Turks and Caicos is to rent a private villa. This can get INSANELY expensive, depending on what you rent. 

I mean, some of these villas are being rented by celebrities and politicians (the Kardashians were staying on Provo at the same time as us and allegedly spent $35,000 a night for their villa – the most expensive I saw was $32,000 a night on Provo.) 

However, vacation rentals in Turks and Caicos do exist between $100-$200 a night. (Our rental on Salt Cay, for example, was $150 a night.) 

• Here are vacation rentals that are less than $170 on Provo.
• Check out all vacation rentals and villas on Provo.
• I also recommend checking out rentals in Grand Turk.
• And here are Salt Cay rentals.

Hotels

The most affordable hotels I was able to find for our stay on Provo was the Grace Bay Suites and the Osprey Hotel on Grand Turk. (These were both no-frills hotels, but nice enough and within walking distance to restaurants and shopping.) 

They were both less than $200 a night when we stayed at them. However, the vast majority of hotels on Turks and Caicos will be over $200 a night. Check out a complete list of Provo hotels and Grand Turk hotels to find the right one for you.

All-inclusive resorts

All-inclusive resorts are VERY expensive, in my opinion, on Turks and Caicos. However, when you take into account food prices and the taxes imposed here… the prices do make sense (kind of).

Where we stayed

Read next: Honest Beaches Turks & Caicos Review: EVERYTHING You Need to Know Before You Book

We had spent the last portion of our trip at Beaches Turks and Caicos. This was easily the most expensive resort we had ever been to (although, we did really enjoy it). 

For us to have spent an entire week at Beaches in Turks and Caicos would, at minimum, have cost $6,000. (I had received a press rate for staying here, and had not spent nearly that much, though.) 

Pro tip: if you’re interested in staying at a Beaches Resort with your family, but would like to spend roughly HALF the price – check out Beaches in Ocho Rios.

Funny enough, that’s not even close to being the most expensive all-inclusive resort in Turks and Caicos. The exclusive Amanyara Resort currently holds that title! Prices START at $2,000 a night. (Literally, this is where people like Brad Pitt, David Beckham and Lebron James stay, though.)

At the time I was looking (for the end of January, early February), Alexandra Resort had been the cheapest all-inclusive resort to stay at in Turks and Caicos. A week here would have cost us just over $4,000. (Which to me, is not all that cheap, though!!)

Taxi Prices

Things to note:

• There is no public transport on Turks and Caicos, at this time.
• There are also no Ubers or Lyfts.
• You have to use taxis if you don’t get a rental car

Anytime I mentioned to anyone that I was going to Turks and Caicos, the first thing they would say is, “RENT A CAR.” I am absolutely terrified of driving on the left side of the road, though. So, we decided to take taxis instead.

Tipping in Turks and Caicos

Tipping in Turks and Caicos is exactly the same as in the US. 15% is considered the minimum, and 20% is considered the average. (As I mentioned above, for taxis it’s typical to tip 10-15%, although, many are asking for more due to COVID.

Grocery Prices in Turks and Caicos

Here’s the thing, almost nothing is produced in terms of food and goods on Turks and Caicos –  it is all imported. 

This can sometimes mean things are A LOT more expensive than what we pay at grocery stores in the US. (Remember how in my Turks and Caicos packing list – I included food? This is why!)

Salt Cay

Due to COVID, only 1 restaurant was open consistently on Salt Cay while we were there. Oceanaire Bistro is where we had dinner a few times (be sure to call a day in advance to let them know what you would like to eat – as ingredients are limited on Salt Cay). Check out their current menu prices here or contact them on their Facebook page. Below are a few prices from their menu. (Their food was fantastic, too!)

• Eggs Your Way – 2 eggs with toast $11.00, add bacon or sausage $3.00
• Chicken Sandwich – Grilled or Fried fish with lettuce, tomato and pickles served on a bun – $16.00
• Hamburger with Fries – $18.00
• Red Snapper – Steamed with red-green peppers with onion or Sautéed with garlic, onion and lime or Fried with tartar sauce – $28.00 – (This is their best dish, in my opinion.)
• Lynn’s Mojito – made with fresh, out of the garden, mint, lime and rum – $12.00

Grand Turk

Again, we had VERY limited dining options on Grand Turk due to a curfew going into effect the day we arrived on Grand Turk. We were basically limited to eating at the hotel we were staying at.

Bohio Guanahani Restaurant & Bar (Check out their current menu prices. Food was OK, but the ambiance here was fantastic.)

• COCONUT SHRIMP (appetizer) Served with signature mango basil dipping sauce – $16
• CHICKEN TIKI MASALA (entree) Served with white rice, sambals & chutney – $33
• GRAND TURK COMBO PLATTER (best bang for your buck – 2 people could share this) – A generous combination of fish, cracked conch and local lobster fresh from the sea! – $55
• WINE – Between $9-$12 per glass

Providenciales

We were staying at the Grace Bay Suites and tried a few places within walking distance of our accommodation. 

Shay Cafe – We actually had a breakfast voucher for here, thanks to staying at Grace Bay Suites. LOVED the service and food at Shay Cafe.

• Breakfast sandwich – $11
• 2 eggs & toast – $6.25
• French toast – $11
• Large cappuccino – $5

Danny Buoy’s – This sports bar was right next to our hotel and had decent food and service. Funny enough, even country singer Jason Aldean was eating there at the same time we had. Check out their current menu before heading there.

• Buffalo Wings – $20
• Flame-broiled burger – $23
• Fish and chips – $23
• Tap beer – $6
• Bottle beer – $6-$9

We really struck out with our dining options for dinner and don’t recommend the places we had eaten at, below. However, this will still give you a rough idea of what the prices were. 

Hemingways on the Beach – Great ambiance, but the food wasn’t that amazing but you should take a peak at their menu.

• Mixed salad – $11
• Shrimp scampi – $14.95
• Seared ahi tuna (with sides) – $38
• Curry shrimp (with sides) – $28
• Chicken Breast (with sides) – $30 

Bella Luna Pizza – Sorry, didn’t like the pizza here either but you can check their menu for options.

• Margherita Pizza  – $18
• Classic pepperoni pizza – $19
• BBQ chicken pizza – $21
• Mixed salad – $10

Excursions in Turks and Caicos

Honestly, the only excursions we did were through Salt Cay Divers or were included in our all-inclusive stay at Beaches. 

Richard and Karen from Salt Cay Divers were worth every single penny we had spent. (I mean, we SWAM WITH HUMPBACK WHALES on multiple occasions with them.) 

Below is a quick breakdown of the excursions we did with them. You can also check Salt Cay Divers’ current price lists. 

• Gibbs Cay snorkeling trip from Salt Cay – $80 per person
• Snorkeling with whales adventure – $160 per person
• Snorkel gear rentals (for us to go snorkeling by ourselves) – $15 per day

You may want to check for other Turks and Caicos excursion prices as well.

Why is Turks and Caicos So Relatively Expensive?

So, now that we’ve covered the expense of almost everything in Turks and Caicos, let’s get to the point you’ve been waiting for – why is Turks and Caicos so expensive? 

Well, I’ve mentioned most of it throughout the article but let’s start summing it up right here: 

The Currency – US Dollar

The fact that Turks and Caicos’ official currency is the US Dollar contributes significantly to the island’s high cost. As a result, you don’t benefit from the exchange rate when visiting.

So, essentially, it’s as if you’re going to an incredibly high-end resort to vacation at in the US. But then you don’t even get the relatively cheaper groceries we have at home or the option to take an Uber.

On top of it all, this place has also been significantly influenced by American culture, with many wealthy Americans owning property on the islands. All of this raises the cost of property on the islands and, with it, the cost of everything else. 

Luxury Destination

Until the 1960s, Turks & Caicos wasn’t the luxury destination it is considered to be today. But then, wealthy Americans started coming to the islands for its stunning white sand beaches and privacy. 

Slowly but surely, it became a holiday destination catering to the wealthy, and still today, the prices reflect that. You do get what you pay for, but you have to know that the prices for most (if not all) things will be higher there.

Import Taxes

With the exception of food items, all imports into Turks and Caicos are subject to a 30% import tax and a 7.5% customs processing fee. On top of that, since the islands don’t manufacture anything, all goods must be imported. 

And even though groceries are exempted from these taxes, they still have to be imported as well since the island doesn’t grow anything either. So even the groceries are imported in – which means transport cost is added to the cost of goods and passed on to the consumers (meaning us!).