Result: ₡100 in 1960 → ₡63,435.70 in 2026
The Costa Rican Colon has lost 99.842% of its value since 1960
Updated: December 18, 2025₡100 in 1960 is equivalent in purchasing power to about ₡63,435.70 today, an increase of ₡63,335.70 over 66 years. The colon had an average inflation rate of 10.27% per year between 1960 and today, producing a cumulative price increase of 63,335.70%.
This means that today's prices are 634.36 times as high as average prices since 1960, according to the OECD and the World Bank consumer price index for Costa Rica. A colon today only buys 0.158% of what it could buy back then.
The inflation rate in 1960 was 0.79%. The current inflation rate compared to the end of last year is now 3.55%. If this number holds, ₡100 today will be equivalent in buying power to ₡103.55 next year.
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| Cumulative price change | 63,335.70% |
| Average inflation rate | 10.27% |
| Converted amount ₡100 base | ₡63,435.70 |
| Price difference ₡100 base | ₡63,335.70 |
| CPI in 1960 | 0.205 |
| CPI in 2026 | 130.093 |
| Inflation in 1960 | 0.79% |
| Inflation in 2026 | 3.55% |
| ₡100 in 1960 | ₡63,435.70 in 2026 |
Buying power of ₡100 in 1960
This chart shows a calculation of buying power equivalence for ₡100 in 1960 (price index tracking began in 1959).
For example, if you started with ₡100, you would need to end with ₡63,435.70 in order to "adjust" for inflation (sometimes refered to as "beating inflation").
When ₡100 is equivalent to ₡63,435.70 over time, that means that the "real value" of a single Costa Rican colon decreases over time. In other words, a colon will pay for fewer items at the store.
This effect explains how inflation erodes the value of a colon over time. By calculating the value in 1960 dollars, the chart below shows how ₡100 is worth less over 66 years.
According to the OECD and the World Bank, each of these CRC amounts below is equal in terms of what it could buy at the time:
This conversion table shows various other 1960 amounts in today's colones, based on the 63,335.70% change in prices:
| Initial value | Equivalent value |
|---|---|
| ₡1 colon in 1960 | ₡634.36 colones today |
| ₡5 colones in 1960 | ₡3,171.79 colones today |
| ₡10 colones in 1960 | ₡6,343.57 colones today |
| ₡50 colones in 1960 | ₡31,717.85 colones today |
| ₡100 colones in 1960 | ₡63,435.70 colones today |
| ₡500 colones in 1960 | ₡317,178.52 colones today |
| ₡1,000 colones in 1960 | ₡634,357.03 colones today |
| ₡5,000 colones in 1960 | ₡3,171,785.17 colones today |
| ₡10,000 colones in 1960 | ₡6,343,570.35 colones today |
| ₡50,000 colones in 1960 | ₡31,717,851.74 colones today |
| ₡100,000 colones in 1960 | ₡63,435,703.49 colones today |
| ₡500,000 colones in 1960 | ₡317,178,517.44 colones today |
| ₡1,000,000 colones in 1960 | ₡634,357,034.87 colones today |
How to calculate inflation rate for ₡100 since 1960
Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1960 and today:
CPI today CPI in 1960
×
1960 CRC value
=
Today's value
Then plug in historical CPI values. The Costa Rican CPI was 0.20507804963376983 in the year 1960 and 130.0927034836232 in 2026:
130.09270348362320.20507804963376983
×
₡100
=
₡63,435.70
₡100 in 1960 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as ₡63,435.70 in 2026.
To get the total inflation rate for the 66 years between 1960 and 2026, we use the following formula:
CPI in 2026 - CPI in 1960CPI in 1960
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (66 years)
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:
130.0927034836232 - 0.205078049633769830.20507804963376983
×
100
=
63,336%
Data source & citation
You may use the following MLA citation for this page: “Costa Rica Inflation Calculator: World Bank data, 1960-2026 (CRC).” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 10 Jan. 2026, https://www.officialdata.org/costa-rica/inflation.
Special thanks to QuickChart for their chart image API, which is used for chart downloads.
| Cumulative price change | 63,335.70% |
| Average inflation rate | 10.27% |
| Converted amount ₡100 base | ₡63,435.70 |
| Price difference ₡100 base | ₡63,335.70 |
| CPI in 1960 | 0.205 |
| CPI in 2026 | 130.093 |
| Inflation in 1960 | 0.79% |
| Inflation in 2026 | 3.55% |
| ₡100 in 1960 | ₡63,435.70 in 2026 |