Q COSTARICA — The regulatory authority on public prices and services, the Autoridad Reguladora de Servicios Públicos (Aresep), announced a new increase in fuel prices as part of an extraordinary adjustment for February.
According to the resolution, diesel will increase by ¢17 colones per liter, while regular gasoline will rise by ¢14 colones per liter and premium gasoline by ¢5 colones per liter.
The only product that will see a price decrease is liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), with a 25-pound cylinder decreasing by ¢45 colones.
Aresep explained that the adjustment is in response to the increase in international prices of finished fuels imported by the country through the Refinadora Costarricense de Petróleo (Recope)—the Costa Rica refinery that refines nothing.
The regulatory authority clarified that this increase does not yet reflect the impact of the rise in crude oil prices caused by the “not war” in the Middle East, as the calculation is based on shipments handled by Recope between January 9 and February 12, 2026.
Nevertheless, the adjustment establishes the baseline from which the country could face further increases in international fuel prices, due to the impact the conflict in the Middle East could have on energy markets.
Authorities indicated that Costa Rica should prepare for a potential escalation in the cost of imported petroleum products.
In Costa Rica, fuel prices are regulated; that is, all gasoline stations offer the same product imported and distributed by Recope at the same price. What can vary is the level of service and additional amenities such as a quick market, rest area, etc.
Just so you know, there aren’t any self-service gas stations in the country—at least, not yet. If you try to pump your own gas, attendants usually get pretty annoyed. These days, most pumps won’t even work unless an attendant activates them first.
The higher fuel prices will take effect once the increase is published in the official government newsletter, La Gaceta, and could be in effect at the pumps by the weekend.
Find the official current fuel prices in Costa Rica here.