Drivers across Costa Rica are paying new fuel prices starting Tuesday, July 14, with small increases for super gasoline and diesel but a slight reduction for regular gasoline. Super gasoline now costs ₡756 per liter (about US$1.67), an increase of ₡3 (less than US$0.01). Diesel rose by ₡13 (about US$0.03) to ₡683 per liter (about US$1.50), while regular gasoline dropped by ₡1 to ₡755 per liter (about US$1.66).
Filling a 40-liter tank with super gasoline now costs ₡30,240 (about US$66.60), while the same amount of diesel costs ₡27,320 (about US$60.17). A 40-liter purchase of regular gasoline costs ₡30,200 (about US$66.52). Compared with the previous prices, a 40-liter fill-up costs an additional ₡120 (about US$0.26) for super gasoline and ₡520 (about US$1.15) for diesel. The same amount of regular gasoline is ₡40 (about US$0.09) cheaper.
The price of a 25-pound cylinder of cooking gas also increased by ₡41 (about US$0.09), bringing the new cost to ₡7,440 (about US$16.39). The adjustment was published in the official La Gaceta newspaper on Monday and took effect the following day. It reflects fuel purchases made between May 8 and June 11, when international markets were still under pressure from geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
Drivers may not have to wait long for more substantial relief. A preliminary proposal for August would reduce super gasoline by ₡55 per liter (about US$0.12), lowering the price from ₡756 to ₡701 per liter (about US$1.54). Diesel would fall by ₡79 per liter (about US$0.17), from ₡683 to ₡604 per liter (about US$1.33).
Those reductions would be far more noticeable at the pump. A 40-liter fill-up would cost ₡2,200 less for super gasoline (about US$4.85) and ₡3,160 less for diesel (about US$6.96). Regular gasoline is expected to remain at ₡755 per liter (about US$1.66) because no new shipments of that fuel were received during the period used for the August calculation. Existing inventories were sufficient to meet national demand.
The proposed August reduction is tied to lower international purchasing costs, increased global supply and an easing of some of the geopolitical pressure that pushed prices higher earlier in the year. A stronger colón also helped reduce import costs. The exchange rate used in the preliminary calculation fell from ₡458.18 to ₡454.02 per U.S. dollar.
Cooking gas could also become cheaper. The estimated price of a 25-pound cylinder would fall by ₡444 (about US$0.98), from ₡7,440 to ₡6,996 (about US$15.41). The August figures are not final. The Public Services Regulatory Authority (Aresep), must review the calculations and determine the prices consumers will ultimately pay. Any approved changes must then be published in La Gaceta before taking effect.
