El Salvador Fuel Prices Hold Steady Until 26 October
EL SALVADOR · ECONOMY
Key Facts
- —The country El Salvador, the smallest country in Central America, has used the US dollar since 2001 and relies on imported fuel.
- —What happened The state fuel agency kept reference pump prices unchanged from Tuesday, 13 October, to Monday, 26 October.
- —The prices Central zone: super (premium) US$5.13 a gallon, regular US$4.80, diesel US$4.86; gasoline is one cent more in the west and east.
- —The streak It is the second two-week period without a change, after a US$0.17 rise on 15 September kept super above US$5.
- —The US angle The agency cites Hurricane Isaías shutting US oil platforms and refineries, and lower US crude and diesel stocks.
- —Against the US Salvadoran regular costs about 45 cents more than the US average of US$4.354 on 5 October, while diesel is about US$1.34 cheaper.
El Salvador fuel prices will not move from Tuesday, 13 October, to Monday, 26 October, with regular at US$4.80 a gallon in the central zone. The state fuel agency names closed US refineries and thin US fuel stocks among the risks it watches.
The Dirección General de Energía, Hidrocarburos y Minas (DGEHM), which publishes reference fuel prices every two weeks, announced them on Monday, 12 October. It is the second period in a row without a change, Diario El Mundo reported.
What Salvadoran Drivers Pay Until 26 October
In the central zone, a gallon of super, the premium grade, costs US$5.13, regular US$4.80 and diesel US$4.86. Diario El Mundo and El Diario de Hoy, two leading Salvadoran papers, both reported the DGEHM figures.
In the western and eastern zones, super and regular cost one cent more, at US$5.14 and US$4.81. Diesel stays at US$4.86 everywhere.
Both papers report a change of zero cents for all three fuels in every zone. The DGEHM posted the new list on X, the social network.
Super has stayed above US$5 since prices rose by US$0.17 on 15 September, Diario El Mundo reported. El Salvador fuel prices have risen repeatedly this year, as The Rio Times reported in August.
Why US Refineries Matter to El Salvador
The DGEHM listed three outside risks for oil prices, both newspapers reported. The first is a new attack on Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline.
The other two are in the United States. One is Hurricane Isaías, which forced US oil platforms and refineries to close, the agency said.
The other is a fall in US crude and diesel stocks, which the DGEHM sourced to an early-October International Energy Agency (IEA) report. The IEA is a Paris-based body that tracks energy markets for member governments.
Because El Salvador has used the US dollar since 2001, no local exchange rate stands between world oil prices and the pump. El Salvador fuel prices are set in dollars.
Both outlets quote the DGEHM as crediting coordination between the government and oil companies for the stable prices. Neither mentions a subsidy or what the arrangement costs.
How Prices Compare With the United States
The Energy Information Administration (EIA), the statistics arm of the US Department of Energy, put US regular at US$4.354 a gallon on 5 October. Salvadoran regular is about 45 cents more expensive than that.
Diesel runs the other way. The EIA put US diesel at US$6.199 a gallon, about US$1.34 more than the US$4.86 Salvadoran drivers pay.
What It Means for You
For US visitors renting a car, El Salvador fuel prices are predictable for the next two weeks. A 12-gallon tank of regular costs about US$57.60 in the central zone.
For Salvadorans in the United States who send money home, one family cost will not rise for now. Diesel, used by buses and freight trucks, is also unchanged.
For firms trucking goods to Salvadoran ports, diesel at US$4.86 keeps a key cost flat until 26 October.
What Is Not Known
The DGEHM has not said what prices will apply from Tuesday, 27 October, when the next two-week period begins. It is also unclear how the coordination with oil companies works, or whether it uses public money.
Neither paper reports how long the government intends to keep El Salvador fuel prices steady. Neither says how much US refining capacity Hurricane Isaías shut, or for how long.
More: El Salvador news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are El Salvador fuel prices until 26 October?
In the central zone, a gallon of super costs US$5.13, regular US$4.80 and diesel US$4.86. In the western and eastern zones, super and regular cost one cent more, while diesel is the same.
Why did El Salvador keep fuel prices unchanged?
The DGEHM, the state fuel agency, points to risks abroad, including Hurricane Isaías closing US refineries and lower US fuel stocks. Local papers say coordination between the government and oil companies helped keep prices stable.
Is fuel cheaper in El Salvador than in the United States?
Regular gasoline is about 45 cents a gallon more expensive than the US average of US$4.354 reported for 5 October. Diesel is about US$1.34 a gallon cheaper than the US average of US$6.199.
Sources: Diario El Mundo (DGEHM reference prices, 13–26 October), 12 October 2026; El Diario de Hoy (DGEHM reference prices, 13–26 October), 12 October 2026; US Energy Information Administration, Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update, data for 5 October 2026, released 6 October 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief