Drivers filling up in Costa Rica right now will notice something that runs against intuition almost everywhere else in the world: the premium “super” gasoline is cheaper than plain regular.
At the pump today, a liter of super runs about ₡733 against ₡748 for regular, the prices the Public Services Regulatory Authority (ARESEP) set when the current tariff took effect on May 7. The gap is poised to narrow but not close: on May 29, ARESEP approved a fresh adjustment — super rising to ₡753 and regular to ₡756 — that takes effect this month once it is published in the official gazette, La Gaceta. Either way, super stays a few colones below regular.
The inversion is not a glitch. ARESEP’s own bulletin states plainly that, in the domestic market, regular will again be priced higher than super. The cause is the way state refiner-importer RECOPE buys fuel: because of how and when each product’s shipments were purchased, regular ended up carrying a higher landed cost this cycle. It is a recurring quirk — by the regulator’s own account, this is at least the third time in under two years that the lower-octane grade has cost more than the premium one.
The broader backdrop is less cheerful. Energy Intendant Mario Mora has attributed the overall climb in fuel prices to conflict in the Middle East and the resulting pressure on global oil markets, and ARESEP has warned that Costa Rica, which imports virtually all its fuel, sees no near-term sign of price stability.
For most drivers, the practical upside of the super-versus-regular flip is smaller than it sounds. Super in Costa Rica is 95-octane fuel; regular, sold as “Plus,” is 91-octane. In an engine designed for regular, paying for higher octane buys no extra power, no better mileage and no mechanical benefit. The only reason to choose super is normally price — and right now that reason briefly favors it. The catch is the size of the saving: a difference of a few colones a liter amounts to pennies on a full tank. On a 40-litre fill, the current ₡15 gap is about ₡600, or roughly $1.30.
For those renting a car, most rental fleets and everyday vehicles run on regular, but topping up with super does no harm and currently costs the same or slightly less, so there is no need to hunt for one grade over the other. Costa Rica sets a single, government-regulated price nationwide, so there is also no point shopping between stations — a liter costs the same in San José as it does in Tamarindo or Puerto Viejo, and nearly all stations are full-service.
Road-trippers have a more meaningful number to watch: diesel. The same May 29 resolution cut diesel by ₡46 a litre, to about ₡670 — well below both gasoline grades. Those renting the diesel 4x4s and SUVs popular for reaching beach towns and mountain lodges will feel that drop far more than the cosmetic gap between super and regular.
In short, the super-cheaper-than-regular headline is a genuine curiosity worth knowing at the pump, but it is unlikely to change anyone’s trip. Fuel overall is getting pricier, diesel is the real bright spot, and the safest move remains filling up with whatever grade your engine — or your rental contract — calls for.
