CRC Inflation Calculator - Costa Rican Colon (1976-2024)

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

₡21,431.93 in 2021

The inflation rate in Costa Rica between 1976 and 2021 was 21,331.93%, which translates into a total increase of ₡21,331.93. This means that 100 colones in 1976 are equivalent to 21,431.93 colones in 2021. In other words, the purchasing power of ₡100 in 1976 equals ₡21,431.93 in 2021. The average annual inflation rate between these periods was 12.67%.

Inflation timeline in Costa Rica (1976 - 2021)

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 2021	21,331.93%
Avg. Annual inflation from 1976 to 2021	12.67%
CPI 1976	0.51
CPI 2021	108.65

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:

Value_t =Value₀ ×

CPI_t/CPI₀

To obtain the values equivalent in buying power between 1976 and 2021, use the corresponding CPI values:

Value₂₀₂₁

=Value₁₉₇₆ ×

CPI₂₀₂₁/CPI₁₉₇₆

=₡ 100 ×

108.65/0.51

≈₡21,431.93

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 45 years between 1976 and 2021 and the average inflation rate was 12.6682%. Therefore, we can resolve the formula like this:

Value₂₀₂₁

=PV × (1 + i)ⁿ

=₡100 × (1 + 0.126682)⁴⁵