Colones

Costa Rican money is named after Cristobal Colon. This is Spanish for Christopher Columbus.  

Last week, the Tico Times had an article explaining why the cost of living in Costa Rica is so high.

This is what it had to say.  

"In 1991, $1 was worth about ₡100. Now, it is worth ₡500.

As the value of the colón plummeted against the dollar, prices have adjusted accordingly. In the last 10 years, prices of goods and services in the nation’s 292-product “basic package” have risen 101.72 percent. Costa Rica’s accumulated inflation rate is by far the highest in the region during the last decade: 17 percent higher than Nicaragua’s and 74 percent higher than Panama’s, in a dollarized economy."


1000 colones  (~$2)
Tomas Soley Guell (1875-1943) is featured on this bill.
He was the Secretary of Finance & Commerce and helped to create
the National Insurance Institute (the building on the back).




2000 colones
Clodomiro Picado Twight (1887-1944) was a Nicaraguan-born Costa Rican citizen.  He was a scientist who researched snake venom and developing
 anti-venom serum.



5000 colones
The most colorful bill. It depicts pictures of a pre-columbian sculpture,
a stone sphere, toucan, jaguar and local plants.




10.000 colones
Emma Gamboa (1901-1976) was one of the first women in politics.
She was an educator, who held positions of Dean of Education at the University of CR and Minister of Education.



The coins that are available. All of our coins get put into the car.
They get used for paying tolls and parking attendants.
We very rarely have more than $5 in the car at a time.
The two silver coins are really thin and seem fake. They have been
made since 2000.




All of the backs have this design on them.




A comparison of sizes