Puerto Rico’s consumer prices keep eroding the purchasing power of households and businesses, according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report published October 26 by the Labor and Human Resources Department (DTRH). The CPI reached 144.673 points in September, up 0.5% from August and 3.8% from September 2025. The dollar’s purchasing power stood at about 69 cents, roughly 31% below its December 2006 base period: a purchase costing $100 then would cost about $144.67 in September 2026.
Economist Heidi Calero told Metro Puerto Rico that some households now face a choice: "it’s either food or electricity." The Transportation group rose most, 9.7% over the year. Fuel for cars climbed 4.7% in the last month and 33.2% so far this year, the report’s largest jump.
Calero noted that Puerto Rico imports nearly everything by ship or plane, so oil prices ripple through the distribution chain, including diesel for road transport once goods arrive. Food and Beverages rose 0.6% in September and 2.5% year over year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s October update projected U.S. food-at-home prices up 2.3% in 2026 and food away from home up 3.5%.
Alan Taveras Sepúlveda, president of the Centro Unido de Detallistas (CUD), warned of "extreme urgency": by his estimates, more than 12,000 small and medium businesses could close and about 70,000 jobs be lost without relief from high energy costs. The CUD cited 551 bankruptcies in September, 5.8% more than September 2025, a pace that would mean about 6,263 in 2026, the highest in seven years. Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce president José Julio Aparicio Laspina shared the concern.