Costa Rica’s annual inflation rate fell by 2.73% in February 2026, its lowest level since September 2023, following a 2.54% drop in consumer prices in January. The deflationary trend was chiefly driven by lower prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages (-8.3% vs. -7.85%) and transport (-3.61% vs. -2.64%).
At the same time, price declines moderated in several categories: housing and utilities (-0.44% vs. -0.66%), furnishings (-1.74% vs. -1.87%), recreation and culture (-0.21% vs. -0.28%), and communication (-0.78% vs. -1.01%). Deflation in clothing and footwear remained marked at -2.6%.
In contrast, price growth eased slightly in education (2.95% vs. 3.01%), picked up in health (1.57% vs. 1.44%) and in alcoholic beverages and tobacco (1.04% vs. 0.94%), and returned to positive territory for restaurants and hotels (0.91% vs. -0.19%).
On a monthly basis, consumer prices fell by 0.22%, the fourth consecutive February to register a decline, though this represented a moderation from the 0.96% drop recorded in the previous month.
