SEGMENTS (Summary of Segment Revenues, Operating Costs and Balance Sheet Items) (Details) $ in Thousands		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Feb. 29, 2020 USD ($) warehouse country		Feb. 28, 2019 USD ($)	Feb. 29, 2020 USD ($) warehouse country		Feb. 28, 2019 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2019 USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of stores | warehouse			45			45
Segment Reporting Information
Revenue		$ 261,500	$ 906,735		$ 854,425	$ 1,718,676		$ 1,634,062
Depreciation, Property and equipment			14,576		13,513	28,790		26,637
Amortization, Intangibles			599		593	1,198		1,192
Operating income (loss)			38,809		36,536	69,523		61,206
Net income (loss) attributable to PriceSmart Inc.			25,600		23,810	45,328		38,422
Long-lived assets (other than deferred tax assets)			897,123	[1]	686,870	897,123	[1]	686,870	$ 730,365
Intangibles, net			11,378		13,788	11,378		13,788	12,576
Goodwill			45,413		46,263	45,413		46,263	46,101
Total assets			1,498,292		1,258,230	1,498,292		1,258,230	1,296,411
Capital expenditures, net			33,312		29,649	74,538		65,988
United States Operations Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information
Revenue			18,848		16,821	36,187		34,160
Depreciation, Property and equipment			1,338		1,950	2,687		3,910
Amortization, Intangibles			599		593	1,198		1,192
Operating income (loss)			1,928		4,477	4,516		3,427
Net income (loss) attributable to PriceSmart Inc.			(841)		1,596	(1,564)		(2,229)
Long-lived assets (other than deferred tax assets)			86,306	[1]	89,594	86,306	[1]	89,594	65,278
Intangibles, net			11,378		13,788	11,378		13,788	12,576
Goodwill			10,695		11,315	10,695		11,315	11,315
Total assets			157,116		149,192	157,116		149,192	161,583
Capital expenditures, net			3,489		1,930	4,118		3,616
Central American Operations Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information
Revenue			522,607		484,994	989,409		924,800
Depreciation, Property and equipment			7,568		6,003	14,450		11,873
Operating income (loss)			37,667		35,574	69,367		64,366
Net income (loss) attributable to PriceSmart Inc.			30,339		28,099	57,091		52,284
Long-lived assets (other than deferred tax assets)			477,195	[1]	331,289	477,195	[1]	331,289	383,665
Goodwill			24,522		24,670	24,522		24,670	24,593
Total assets			723,673		592,121	723,673		592,121	614,579
Capital expenditures, net			18,128		20,602	33,371		43,373
Caribbean Operations Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information
Revenue	[2]		261,683		249,360	496,700		474,369
Depreciation, Property and equipment	[2]		3,826		3,439	7,792		6,630
Operating income (loss)	[2]		15,079		15,024	26,889		27,051
Net income (loss) attributable to PriceSmart Inc.	[2]		13,810		13,037	24,129		23,022
Long-lived assets (other than deferred tax assets)	[2]		187,641	[1]	151,729	187,641	[1]	151,729	165,584
Goodwill	[2]		10,196		10,278	10,196		10,278	10,193
Total assets	[2]		390,000		329,049	390,000		329,049	340,216
Capital expenditures, net	[2]		7,230		5,766	11,750		16,261
Colombia Operations Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information
Revenue			103,597		103,250	196,380		200,733
Depreciation, Property and equipment			1,844		2,121	3,861		4,224
Operating income (loss)			5,400		3,617	9,924		7,033
Net income (loss) attributable to PriceSmart Inc.			3,666		3,289	6,937		6,104
Long-lived assets (other than deferred tax assets)			145,981	[1]	114,258	145,981	[1]	114,258	115,838
Total assets			227,503		187,868	227,503		187,868	$ 180,033
Capital expenditures, net			4,465		1,351	25,299		2,738
Intersegment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information
Revenue	[3]		(292,678)		(295,128)	(648,428)		(647,655)
Intersegment [Member] | United States Operations Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information
Revenue			(287,362)		(289,699)	(637,312)		(640,418)
Intersegment [Member] | Central American Operations Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information
Revenue			(3,909)		(3,783)	(7,954)		(4,220)
Intersegment [Member] | Caribbean Operations Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information
Revenue	[2]		(860)		(1,249)	(2,079)		(2,342)
Intersegment [Member] | Colombia Operations Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information
Revenue			(547)		(397)	(1,083)		(675)
Reconciling Items [Member]
Segment Reporting Information
Operating income (loss)	[3]		(21,265)		(22,156)	(41,173)		(40,671)
Net income (loss) attributable to PriceSmart Inc.	[3]		$ (21,374)		$ (22,211)	$ (41,265)		$ (40,759)
Foreign Countries [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of countries | country			12			12
Domestic Territories [Member] | United States Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of countries | country			1			1

[1] Effective September 1, 2019, we adopted the requirements of Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-02, "Leases (Topic 842)" (ASC 842) using the modified retrospective approach, under which financial results reported in prior periods were not restated. As a result, the Long-lived assets (other than deferred tax assets) as of February 29, 2020 is not comparable with that as of February 28, 2019 and August 31, 2019.

[2] Management considers its club in the U.S. Virgin Islands to be part of its Caribbean operations.

[3] The reconciling items reflect the amount eliminated on consolidation of intersegment transactions.