Inflation Costa Rica 2017

Average inflation: 1.6%

Current Inflation

Inflation is low at 1.6%, below the ECB target of 2%.

Peak and Trough

The highest inflation was in December at 2.6%. The lowest inflation was in January at 0.7%.

Highest month
December: 2.6%
Lowest month
January: 0.7%
Difference
1.9 percentage points
Months with data
12 of 12

Category Insights

The highest price increase was in Education with an average of 4.0%. The lowest price increase was in Communication with an average of -2.7%.

Highest increase
Education: 4.0%
Lowest increase
Communication: -2.7%

Historical Context

Current inflation is 0.8% lower than the 5-year average of 2.4%.

5-year average
2.4%
10-year average
4.9%
All-time high (2005)
13.8%
All-time low (2016)
0%

Trend

Inflation has remained relatively stable. Compared to 2016, the difference is minimal (+1.6 percentage point).

Change vs. previous year
+1.6 percentage points
Largest monthly swing
March: +2.7 percentage points

ECB Target

Inflation is 0.4% below the ECB target of 2.0%. Too low inflation may indicate economic weakness.

Purchasing Power

At this inflation rate, purchasing power gradually decreases. The impact on daily expenses is relatively limited.

What you could buy for €100 this year will cost approximately €101.60 next year at this inflation rate.

Multi-year trend

Monthly figures 2017

Inflation by category

Food and non-alcoholic beverages
1.7%
+0.1vs avg.
More details →
Alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics
2.5%
+0.9vs avg.
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Clothing and footwear
-2.0%
-3.6vs avg.
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Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels
1.2%
-0.4vs avg.
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Furnishings, household equipment and maintenance
0.0%
-1.6vs avg.
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Health
3.9%
+2.3vs avg.
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Transport
3.5%
+1.9vs avg.
More details →
Communication
-2.7%
-4.3vs avg.
More details →
Recreation and culture
1.3%
-0.3vs avg.
More details →
Education
4.0%
+2.4vs avg.
More details →
Restaurants and hotels
1.6%
+0.0vs avg.
More details →
Miscellaneous goods and services
1.5%
-0.1vs avg.
More details →

Inflation differs per product group. Click on a category for the historical trend.

Month overview

Month Inflation Difference vs. 2016
January 0.7% +0.9
February 1.1% +1.1
March 1.6% +2.7
April 1.6% +2.5
May 1.7% +2.1
June 1.8% +2.7
July 1.2% +0.7
August 0.9% +0.3
September 1.6% +1.2
October 2.3% +1.7
November 2.5% +1.9
December 2.6% +1.8
Average 1.6%

Data source

Data from OECD. Last updated: 11/01/2026.

See also