PanExpats
Sign Up

Gasolina climbs again; diesel eases a cent through mid-October

If you drive, run a diesel generator, or budget school and interior trips every two weeks, the new Secretaría Nacional de Energía (SNE) maxima for 2-16 October 2026 matter more than a generic "fuel is expensive" headline.

Telemetro reported the SNE update on 30 September and 1-2 October 2026. Versus the prior biweekly window, 95-octane rises 4 cents per liter, 91-octane rises 3 cents per liter, and diesel falls 1 cent per liter. SNE ties the move mainly to geopolitical tension in the Middle East and how that feeds crude and product prices into Panama's regulated maxima.

Panama and Colón maxima (2-16 Oct)

  • 95 octane: B/.1.424 per liter (B/.5.39 per gallon)
  • 91 octane: B/.1.318 per liter (B/.4.98 per gallon)
  • Diesel: B/.1.511 per liter (B/.5.71 per gallon)

Telemetro's provincial tables also list higher ceilings inland and in Bocas (examples: Arraiján/La Chorrera 95 at B/.1.427/L; Boquete/frontera 95 at B/.1.448/L; Changuinola 95 at B/.1.474/L). Always check the SNE table for your district; pump prices cannot legally exceed the local maximum, but they can sit below it.

How this sits next to September

PanExpats already covered the 18 September jump, when diesel hit a series high and gasolinas also rose. This update is the next 14-day cycle: gasolina climbs again while diesel eases by a single cent. It is not a claim that diesel is "cheap" again.

Bottom line for expats

Budget the next two weeks with higher gasolina and a tiny diesel relief, then watch the 16 October SNE reset. For generators and freight-heavy households, diesel still dominates the bill. Compare pump stickers to the SNE maximum for your zone, and report suspected hoarding or refusal to sell available product to ACODECO (311 / @AcodecoPma), which said it is also checking stations during Black Weekend.