Costa Rica vs Turks & Caicos

Illuminated beachfront dining pavilion with white railings and thatched-roof bungalows reflected in the pool at dusk.

White modern villa with turquoise pool overlooking ocean beach at Ambergris Cay, with lounge chairs and covered patio seating.

Costa Rica and Turks & Caicos, side by side: live travel advisories, our resort catalog's real guest data, and each destination's honest weather picture. Everything you need to break the tie.

Costa Rica guide · Turks & Caicos guide · How we score

By the numbers

Costa Rica compared with Turks & Caicos
Costa Rica	Measure	Turks & Caicos
Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution	U.S. travel advisory	Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
7	Resorts in our catalog	5
★ 4.4	Average guest rating	★ 4.4 (better)
$119–$289/night pp	Nightly rates	$333–$1227/night pp
1 of 7	Adults-only resorts	1 of 5
Low hurricane risk	Hurricane exposure	In the hurricane belt
May–November ('green season'), with September–October seriously wet	Rainy season	September–December, and even then it's one of the drier corners of the Caribbean
December–April, bone-dry in Guanacaste	Sweet spot	December–April, with May–June a good-value shoulder
Spanish (English common in tourist areas)	Language	English
Costa Rican colón – USD widely accepted	Currency	U.S. dollar (official)
120V, Type A/B plugs (same as the US)	Power	120V, Type A/B plugs (same as the US)
On the right	Driving	On the left
Liberia – Daniel Oduber (LIR)	Main airport	Providenciales (PLS)
~3.5–5.5h from the US (nonstops to Liberia)	Flight time	~1.5–3.5h from the US East Coast

Advisory levels sync from travel.state.gov; catalog figures reflect the resorts we've researched, not every hotel in the country.

On the map

Costa Rica

Turks & Caicos

Weather, month by month

Month-by-month average high temperature and rainfall for Costa Rica and Turks & Caicos
Measure	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Costa Rica · high °F	91	92	93	93	91	88	88	88	87	86	87	89
Turks & Caicos · high °F	81	81	83	84	87	89	90	90	89	87	84	82
Costa Rica · rain (in)	0.1	0.1	0.2	0.7	7.7	9.0	5.9	7.9	13.0	12.2	4.3	0.5
Turks & Caicos · rain (in)	1.9	1.4	1.0	1.5	2.5	2.0	2.0	2.5	3.5	3.5	3.0	2.5

Approximate climate normals for Guanacaste / Papagayo and Providenciales: planning guidance, not a forecast. Deeper gold = hotter; deeper teal = wetter.

Where you'd actually stay

Best of Costa Rica

Full Costa Rica guide

Chains here: RIU Hotels & Resorts · Westin · Margaritaville

Best of Turks & Caicos

Full Turks & Caicos guide

Chains here: Ambergris Cay · Turks and Caicos Collection · Beaches