Inflation calculator - Costa Rican Colon

This tool is useful to calculate the time value of money based on historical inflation and CPI values. To start, select an amount and two years, or browse the default calculation results.

₡100 in 1976
₡23,327.22 in 2023

The inflation rate in Costa Rica between 1976 and 2023 was 23,227.22%, which translates into a total increase of ₡23,227.22. This means that 100 colones in 1976 are equivalent to 23,327.22 colones in 2023. In other words, the purchasing power of ₡100 in 1976 equals ₡23,327.22 in 2023. The average annual inflation rate between these periods was 12.3%.

Inflation timeline in Costa Rica (1976 - 2023)

The following chart depicts the equivalence of ₡100 due to compound inflation and CPI changes. All values are equivalent in terms of purchasing power, which means that for each year the same goods or services could be bought with the indicated amount of money.

All calculations are performed in the local currency (CRC) and using 6 decimal digits. Results show only up to 2 decimal digits to favour readability. Inflation data is provided by governments and international institutions on a monthly basis.

The following table contains relevant indicators:

Indicator Value
Cumulative inflation from 1976 to 2023 23,227.22%
Avg. Annual inflation from 1976 to 2023 12.3%
CPI 1976 0.51
CPI 2023 118.26

How to calculate the time value of money with inflation data?

There are several ways to calculate the time value of money. Depending on the data available, results can be obtained by using the Consumer Price Index (CPI) formula or the compound interest formula.

Using the CPI formula

When we have both the start and end years, we can use the following formula:

Valuet =Value0 ×
CPIt/CPI0

To obtain the values equivalent in buying power between 1976 and 2023, use the corresponding CPI values:

Value2023
=Value1976 ×
CPI2023/CPI1976
=₡ 100 ×
118.26/0.51
₡23,327.22

Alternative: Using the compound interest formula

Given that money changes with time as a result of an inflation rate that acts as compound interest, we can use the following formula: FV = PV × (1 + i)n, where:

  • FV: Future Value
  • PV: Present Value
  • i: Interest rate (inflation)
  • n: Number of times the interest is compounded (i.e. # of years)

In this case, the future value represents the final amount obtained after applying the inflation rate to our initial value. In other words, it indicates how much are ₡100 worth today. There are 47 years between 1976 and 2023 and the average inflation rate was 12.3001%. Therefore, we can resolve the formula like this:

Value2023
=PV × (1 + i)n
=₡100 × (1 + 0.123001)47
₡23,327.22

Costa Rica inflation - Conversion table

Initial Value Equivalent value
₡1 colon in 1976 ₡233.27 colones in 2023
₡5 colones in 1976 ₡1,166.36 colones in 2023
₡10 colones in 1976 ₡2,332.72 colones in 2023
₡50 colones in 1976 ₡11,663.61 colones in 2023
₡100 colones in 1976 ₡23,327.22 colones in 2023
₡500 colones in 1976 ₡116,636.12 colones in 2023
₡1,000 colones in 1976 ₡233,272.25 colones in 2023
₡5,000 colones in 1976 ₡1,166,361.23 colones in 2023
₡10,000 colones in 1976 ₡2,332,722.46 colones in 2023
₡50,000 colones in 1976 ₡11,663,612.28 colones in 2023
₡100,000 colones in 1976 ₡23,327,224.57 colones in 2023
₡500,000 colones in 1976 ₡116,636,122.83 colones in 2023
₡1,000,000 colones in 1976 ₡233,272,245.67 colones in 2023
Cumulative inflation 1976-2023 23,227.22%
Avg. annual inflation 1976-2023 12.3%
CPI 1976 0.51
CPI 2023 118.26

Value of Colon over time (by year)

Period Value
1976 100
1977 104.19
1978 110.45
1979 120.6
1980 142.47
1981 195.26
1982 371.23
1983 492.34
1984 551.17
1985 634.16
1986 709.21
1987 828.66
1988 1,001.29
1989 1,166.6
1990 1,388.72
1991 1,787.41
1992 2,176.91
1993 2,389.78
1994 2,713.23
1995 3,342.33
1996 3,927.62
1997 4,447.95
1998 4,966.55
1999 5,465.45
2000 6,064.55
2001 6,747.15
2002 7,365.7
2003 8,061.58
2004 9,054.35
2005 10,303.69
2006 11,485.59
2007 12,560.32
2008 14,246.48
2009 15,363.79
2010 16,233.8
2011 17,025.69
2012 17,791.07
2013 18,721.78
2014 19,567.86
2015 19,724.79
2016 19,721.34
2017 20,041.98
2018 20,487.15
2019 20,916.56
2020 21,068.18
2021 21,431.93
2022 23,205.36
2023 23,327.22

All available years

Today's value of costa rican colones by year:

1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |

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