Inflation Costa Rica 2026
Average inflation: -1.2%
Inflation in 2026
There is deflation with consumer prices declining by 1.2%.
Peak and Trough
The highest inflation was in September at 0.3%. The lowest inflation was in February at -2.7%.
- Highest month
- September: 0.3%
- Lowest month
- February: -2.7%
- Difference
- 3.0 percentage points
- Months with data
- 9 of 12
Category Insights
The highest price increase was in Education with an average of 2.8%. The lowest price increase was in Food and non-alcoholic beverages with an average of -4.5%.
- Highest increase
- Education: 2.8%
- Lowest increase
- Food and non-alcoholic beverages: -4.5%
Historical Context
Inflation is 2.6 percentage points lower than the 5-year average of 1.4%.
- 5-year average
- 1.4%
- 10-year average
- 1.5%
- All-time high (2008)
- 13.4%
- All-time low (2026)
- -1.2%
Trend
Over the period 2024-2026, inflation has remained relatively stable. Compared to 2025, inflation has fallen by 1.1 percentage points.
- Change vs. previous year
- -1.1 percentage points
- Largest monthly swing
- February: -3.9 percentage points
ECB Target
Inflation is 3.2 percentage points below the ECB target of 2.0%. Too low inflation may indicate economic weakness.
Purchasing Power
Due to deflation, purchasing power increases. Money becomes more valuable instead of less.
What you could buy for CRC 100 this year will cost approximately CRC 98.80 next year at this inflation rate.
Multi-year trend
Monthly figures 2026
Inflation by category
Inflation differs per product group. Click on a category for the historical trend.
Month overview
| Month | Inflation | Difference vs. 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| January | -2.5% | -3.7 |
| February | -2.7% | -3.9 |
| March | -2.1% | -3.3 |
| April | -1.6% | -2.0 |
| May | -1.0% | -0.9 |
| June | -0.3% | -0.1 |
| July | -0.3% | +0.3 |
| August | -0.2% | +0.7 |
| September | 0.3% | +1.3 |
| Average | -1.2% |
Data source
Data from OECD. Last updated: 26/10/2026. Not all months available yet.