Getting Gas in Costa Rica: How Gas Stations Work

Filling up a rental car in Costa Rica is easier than at home in one way: you never touch the pump. The parts that trip visitors up are the fuel names, the liters and the colones.

Gas stations in Costa Rica are full-service. An attendant pumps the fuel while you stay in the car. Ask for “lleno con regular” (fill it with regular), and pay in colones or by credit card. There are three fuels: regular (91 octane, the one most rental cars use), súper (95 octane, premium) and diésel. The government sets fuel prices, so they’re the same at every station in the country. As of October 2026, regular costs ₡719 a liter, súper ₡764 and diesel ₡785, roughly $1.60 to $1.75 a liter, or about $6 a gallon for regular.

This guide covers prices, how a fill-up works, paying, the mistakes visitors make and how far you can drive between stations.

Prices

Gas Prices in Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s regulator, ARESEP, sets fuel prices for the whole country, usually adjusting them once a month. RECOPE, the state refiner, publishes the current prices. That means the price at a busy station in Tamarindo is the same as in a small town in the mountains, so there’s no point shopping around.

• ₡719Regular, per liter (Oct. 2026)
• ₡764Súper, per liter (Oct. 2026)
• ₡785Diesel, per liter (Oct. 2026)

Prices are posted in colones per liter. With the colón at roughly ₡450 to the dollar in 2026, regular works out to about $1.60 a liter, or around $6 a U.S. gallon. Diesel is often the cheapest fuel, but in October 2026 it cost more than both gasolines. Our Costa Rica currency guide explains colones and exchange rates.

Regular or súper?

Here’s where visitors get confused. In Costa Rica, súper is the premium fuel, not the basic one. Regular, sometimes labeled Plus 91, is what most rental cars take. Check the sticker inside the fuel door or your rental contract. A few rental SUVs and pickups run on diesel, and putting gasoline in a diesel engine, or the reverse, can wreck it.

At the pump

How Getting Gas in Costa Rica Works

1. Pull up and stay in the car. An attendant will come to your window.
2. Say the fuel and the amount. “Lleno con regular, por favor” for a full tank of regular, or name an amount in colones, such as “veinte mil de regular” for ₡20,000 worth.
3. Open the fuel door and, on some rentals, hand over the key for a locking cap.
4. Watch the pump start at zero. Make sure the attendant resets it before fueling.
5. Pay at the car. The attendant brings a card terminal or takes your cash and returns with change and a receipt.

Attendants will also clean the windshield or check tire pressure if you ask. Tipping isn’t expected for fuel alone. For extra help, ₡500 to ₡1,000 is a common thank-you. See our tipping guide for more.

Payment

Paying for Gas

• Credit cards are accepted at most stations. Use a credit card rather than a debit card, since disputes are easier if something goes wrong.
• Colones always work and are the safer bet at small rural stations.
• U.S. dollars are sometimes accepted, but at the station’s exchange rate and with change in colones. Ask first.
• Check the total on the card terminal against the pump before you approve it, and keep the receipt.

Our guide to cash in Costa Rica covers how much to carry.

On the road

Finding Gas Stations in Costa Rica

Stations are easy to find in cities, along main highways and in tourist towns. Waze and Google Maps both show them. Many have a small convenience store and restrooms, and some have an ATM or a car wash, often called lava car. On main routes, many stay open late or around the clock, but don’t count on that in rural areas.

Plan ahead in remote regions. On the Osa Peninsula, Puerto Jiménez has a station, but Drake Bay has no regular gas station. On the southern Nicoya Peninsula, the closest station to Montezuma is in Cóbano. A good rule is to fill up whenever you drop below half a tank and you’re leaving a town. For routes and drive times, see our Costa Rica road trips.

Rental cars

Rental Cars and Fuel

• Return it as you got it. Most rentals are handed over full and must come back full. Refueling charges from the rental company cost more than filling up yourself.
• Fill up near the drop-off. There are stations close to both Juan Santamaría (SJO) and Liberia (LIR) airports, so leave time to stop on the way.
• Keep the last receipt in case the company questions the fuel level.

Before you drive, read our guides to driving in Costa Rica, car rental insurance and parking.

Budget

How Much Gas Costs for a Trip

As a rough guide at October 2026 prices, a 50-liter tank of regular costs about ₡36,000, or around $80. A compact SUV covering a typical one-week loop, such as San José to La Fortuna, Guanacaste and back, might need two or three tanks. Mountain roads and air conditioning push consumption up. Prices change monthly, so check the current figures before you budget.

Good to know

Costa Rica Gas Station FAQ