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Diesel doubles since January as pumps reset

Diesel in Panama costs more than twice what it did in January. La Prensa calculated a jump from about $0.76 a litre to about $1.54 for the biweekly maximum that takes effect Friday 30 October 2026, a rise of about 103% that hits freight, food distribution and farm machinery (La Prensa 29 Oct). The same Friday reset cuts gasoline while diesel edges up again, according to the Secretaría Nacional de Energía (SNE) figures relayed by EcoTV and Telemetro.

Friday pump table (Panama and Colón maxima)

  • Window: 6:00 a.m. Friday 30 October to 5:59 a.m. Friday 13 November 2026 (EcoTV; Telemetro; La Prensa).
  • Gasoline 95: B/.1.324 per litre (down B/.0.097) (EcoTV; Telemetro).
  • Gasoline 91: B/.1.189 per litre (down B/.0.090) (EcoTV; Telemetro).
  • Diesel ULS: B/.1.537 per litre (up B/.0.021) (EcoTV; Telemetro).
  • La Prensa rounds the same Panama/Colón band to about $1.32 / $1.19 / $1.54 and describes gasoline cuts of about nine to ten cents with diesel up two cents (La Prensa 28-29 Oct).
  • Interior prices run higher. Telemetro lists examples such as Chitré diesel B/.1.551, David B/.1.559 and Changuinola B/.1.588 (Telemetro 29 Oct; EcoTV also flags Changuinola).

Why diesel matters more than the pump sticker

  • Since the 24 July adjustment, diesel has stayed above both gasoline grades after starting January cheaper than 95 and 91 (La Prensa 29 Oct).
  • La Prensa links the 2026 climb to the post-February rise in crude and products after the US-Iran conflict and Strait of Hormuz disruption (La Prensa 29 Oct). Attribute that geopolitical frame to La Prensa; it is not an SNE finding in the fuel-table stories.
  • September CPI was up 2.8% year on year; the transport division was up 11.2% versus September 2025; fuels and lubricants for private vehicles rose 5.5% month on month in September (La Prensa 29 Oct, citing the consumer-price series).

Subsidy is not a general pump cut

  • The Government has a temporary fuel-stabilisation mechanism of up to $100 million aimed at public passenger transport, freight, farm machinery and artisanal fishing (La Prensa 29 Oct).
  • By 1 October the programme had used $66 million; MEF asked for another $30 million to fund it through December (La Prensa 29 Oct).
  • The subsidy is focused. It is not a blanket discount for every retail buyer. MEF also said during budget talks it cannot guarantee the subsidy shows up as lower food prices, because many factors sit between the pump and the shelf (La Prensa 29 Oct).

What it means for expats

  • Drivers in Panama and Colón: plan for cheaper 95/91 and a slightly dearer diesel from Friday morning through 13 November.
  • Interior and Chiriquí/Bocas readers: use the higher local maxima on the Telemetro/EcoTV table, not the Panama/Colón headline alone.
  • Household COL: diesel feeds trucking and food logistics. A gasoline cut helps private cars; it does not cancel the freight pressure built up since January.
  • If you run a diesel car, generator or boat: the Friday +B/.0.021 step is small next to the year-to-date climb. Budget the B/.1.53-plus band, not January's sub-dollar diesel.

Sources

  • La Prensa - Diesel price jumps 103% in Panama and presses the cost of living - 29 Oct 2026
  • EcoTV - 95 and 91 gasoline fall in Panama, diesel rises 30 October - 28 Oct 2026
  • Telemetro - Fuel in Panama: prices by province from 30 October - 29 Oct 2026
  • La Prensa - Gasolines will fall from Friday; diesel will rise - 28 Oct 2026