Aresep raises RON 91 gasoline by 12.38% and diesel also increases

The Public Services Regulatory Authority (Aresep) officially set the prices for hydrocarbon-derived fuels and ordered an increase of ₡89 per liter (12.38%) for RON 91 gasoline, which will now cost ₡808, and ₡23 (2.93%) for 50 ppm sulfur diesel, which also stands at ₡808 per liter. The decision is published in Supplement No. 145 to La Gaceta No. 208 of November 3, 2026, through resolution RE-0057-IE-2026 of the Energy Superintendency, case file ET-115-2026, and takes effect the day following its publication in the official gazette.

This is an extraordinary official price setting, a mechanism that Article 30 of Law 7593 reserves for significant variations in the economic environment and which Aresep is obliged to process when those conditions are met. The act was issued at 15:12 hours on October 28, 2026, and is signed by Alejandra Morales Castro, acting superintendent, authorized by the General Regulator through official letter OF-1608-RG-2026, based on the tariff methodology of resolution RE-0024-JD-2022 and its amendment RE-0025-JD-2023.

The calculation was made with a cutoff date of October 9, 2026, and an exchange rate of ₡456.66 per dollar, higher than the ₡450.41 from the previous study, according to the average published by the Central Bank of Costa Rica. The Costa Rican Petroleum Refinery S.A. (Recope) provided the information via official letter P-0496-2026 on October 9, 2026, and the study was processed with initial report IN-0121-IE-2026 and final recommendation IN-0127-IE-2026.

Prices to be paid by the consumer

The new maximum prices at fixed-point service stations, in colones per liter, are as follows:

• RON 95 Gasoline: ₡806, an increase of ₡42 (5.50%).
• RON 91 Gasoline: ₡808, an increase of ₡89 (12.38%).
• Automotive diesel with 50 ppm sulfur: ₡808, an increase of ₡23 (2.93%).
• Kerosene: ₡722, an increase of ₡58 (8.73%).
• Av-Gas: ₡1,117, an increase of ₡107 (10.59%).
• Jet fuel A: ₡790, an increase of ₡57 (7.78%).
• LPG 70-30 mix at service station: ₡289 per liter, ₡26 more (9.89%); the 11.34 kilo (25 pound) cylinder goes from ₡7,172 to ₡7,721, an increase of ₡549 (8%).
• Propane-rich LPG: ₡390 per liter, no change.

At supply plants, the tax-free price of RON 91 gasoline stands at ₡477.59 per liter and diesel at ₡582.55. The national non-sport fishing fleet maintains a rate exempt from the single tax: ₡434.25 for RON 91 gasoline and ₡533.33 for diesel.

International cost drives the adjustment

The report attributes the increase to pressures on international prices: restrictions on oil flows from the Middle East, the reduction of global inventories, and higher transport and insurance costs. The average weekly FOB price of diesel moved from a range of $159.94 to $174.32 per barrel to another of $177.46 to $199.02; RON 95 gasoline rose from $131.69-$145.91 to $140.24-$157.36, and RON 91 from $127.07-$140.23 to $135.08-$151.39.

The resulting acquisition cost was ₡405.70 per liter for RON 95 gasoline, ₡424.54 for RON 91, and ₡523.88 for diesel. For RON 91 gasoline, the acquisition cost explains 53% of the final price, while the single tax represents 32%; for diesel, the cost accounts for 65% and the tax 19%.

Aviation fuels, subsidies, and public consultation

For the products sold by Recope at ports and airports, the resolution established variation bands: jet fuel A between ₡684.49 and ₡860.02 including tax, and Av-Gas between ₡1,026.12 and ₡1,174.34. IFO 380 remains at ₡557.07-₡604.34.

The subsidy for the national non-sport fishing fleet was set at ₡30.44 million for November 2026, and that for the sectoral policy for liquefied gas, bunker fuel, asphalt, and asphalt emulsion at ₡2,596.23 million. Both are distributed among the subsidizing products, with a contribution of ₡0.09 and ₡10.85 per liter, respectively.

During the public consultation, the General Directorate of User Attention reported via report IN-0396-DGAU-2026 that no objections were received. Ordinary resources of revocation and appeal may be filed against the resolution, which must be submitted within three business days.

The adjustment immediately hits household spending and the costs of freight and passenger transport, in a context of rising crude oil prices and a higher exchange rate. RON 91 gasoline, the most widely used in the national vehicle fleet, accumulates the strongest relative increase of the group and ends up above super gasoline in final price.

Source: La Gaceta, Supplement No. 145 to La Gaceta No. 208, November 3, 2026, Decentralized Institutions — Public Services Regulatory Authority, Energy Superintendency (official reference: RE-0057-IE-2026).