Little is what Costa Ricans can spend on “indulging in a treat.” A study concludes that for every ¢1,000, Costa Ricans spend ¢885 on obligations (such as house rent, debts, food) and ¢115 on tastes such as entertainment and leisure.
The study “Guía del Consumidor: Un Mundo Dentro del Hogar” was released on August 17th, and was prepared by the White Rabbit company, for the Costa Rican Chamber of Commerce and Tigo Costa Rica.
The objective of this analysis was to make an X-ray of consumers after the pandemic: which consumption practices do they maintain and which ones change? What do they prefer to do after almost two years of confinement? One of the findings is that, for now, little money is being invested in categories other than those linked to responsibilities.
High cost of living
The researcher who presented the study, Juan Bernárdez, explained that this responds, among other things, to a temporary situation, which is the high cost of living and that it continues to grow month after month.
Another finding is that from 2019 (pre-pandemic) to 2022 there is not much difference in relation to people who believe that money reaches less than a previous year.
In 2019, 89.4% of Costa Ricans believed they could buy less than in 2018. By 2022, the percentage drops slightly to 88.8%. On the other hand, 32 out of 100 people perceive the economy as positive today. There is an improvement compared to 2020 when there were only 23 out of 100.
Consumers prefer to stay at home
“The pandemic forced us to rediscover the home,” explained the researcher during the launch of the study. For this year, 3 out of 4 people agree with teleworking, which will mean that “we will probably never work 100% in the office again.”
But it’s not just about work. Currently 7 out of 10 Costa Ricans prefer to cook or order food, rather than go to a restaurant. The same number prefer to watch a movie at home than go to the cinema.
The researcher points out that what was experienced during the pandemic caused the home to now be associated with efficiency, control and extras. While the exterior could generate doubts.
The telecommunications company Tigo Costa Rica also reported that its internet traffic grew by 42% between 2019 and 2022. This as a result of teleworking, but also of an increase in the consumption of entertainment from home. In fact, according to this company Netflix is the most demanded content.
