Q COSTARICA — Gasoline and diesel fuel prices will decrease with the upcoming price adjustment approved by the regulatory body, the Autoridad Reguladora de los Servicios Públicos (Aresep), which will take effect in January 2026, while natural gas will see an increase.
With the new adjustment, the price of a liter of premium gasoline will drop from the current ¢643 to ¢637 (a decrease of ¢6), regular from ¢635 to ¢612 (a decrease of ¢23), and diesel from ¢557 to ¢550 (a decrease of ¢7).
In contrast, a 25 lb cylinder of natural gas will increase from ¢6,825 to ¢6,848, a rise of ¢25.
These price reductions will bring gasoline and diesel to their lowest levels since February 2021, driven by downward pressure in international markets in recent weeks.
Compared to January 2025, premium gasoline will be 4.35% cheaper, regular gasoline 1.78% cheaper, diesel will remain virtually unchanged, and natural gas will be 5.81% cheaper than at the beginning of this year.
The reduction in costs is due to a greater global supply of crude oil, inventory buildup, downward revisions in international forecasts, and increased competition among different types of crude, as reported by Costa Rica’s refinery, that refines nothing, the Refinadora Costarricense de Petróleo (Recope)
Natural gas, on the other hand, is rising due to increased international prices for propane and butane from key suppliers such as Saudi Aramco and Sonatrach, as well as seasonal demand in the Northern Hemisphere related to heating and higher consumption in major markets like India.
The prices at the pumps are expected to take effect in the first days of the new year.