QCOSTARICA – A Gallon* of regular gasoline is priced at: US $2.56 in Panama , US$2.71 in El Salvador, US$2.86 in Guatemala, US$3.40 in Honduras, and US$3.52 in Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
During the month of February, the price of WTI (West Texas Intermediate) in the Gulf Coast of the United States had an average value of US$49.63 per barrel, showing a variation of + 10.81% compared to the previous month.
In turn, in recent weeks the international prices of petroleum products recorded the following variations: + 18.49% in special gasoline, + 24.54% on regular gasoline and + 13.43% in diesel.
Variations in international prices have been influenced by increased demand for crude oil and its derivatives, generated by positive economic expectations in the economy of China, which is the second largest consumer after the United States, as well as by strikes in some of the US refineries.
Sample price comparison: Country / Regular / Special / Diesel
El Salvador:$ 2.71 / $ 2.88 / $ 2.68
Guatemala: $ 2.86 / $ 3.05 / $ 2.72
Honduras: $ 3.40 / $ 3.67 / $ 3.13
Nicaragua: $ 3.52 / $ 3.70 / $ 3.26
Costa Rica**: $ 3.52 / $ 3.75 / $ 3.32
Panama: $ 2.69 / $ 2.84 / $ 2.56 (data taken from Latinol.com).
* Gasoline in Costa Rica is priced and dispensed in liters. The gallon format is being used for easy comparison between the different countries of Central America.
** A gas price hike has been approved and expecteed to take effect this week.
About 1/2 the cost of fuel in CR is taxes. It seems that it is one of the few ways to actually collect taxes in CR. Of course I’d feel better about those taxes if I thought they were being used productively or anything other than just employing Ticos. It seems the only taxes the CR gov’t can actually collect with any regularity are the ones that are unavoidable like gas tax, sales tax (and they certainly don’t get all of that) etc. They are spending themselves into oblivion just like Greece.