Gas Prices Jump Overnight — Extra and Ecopaís Now $2.89 a Gallon

The New Prices

As of March 12, fuel prices across Ecuador have increased. Here's what you're paying now:

Fuel Type	Old Price	New Price	Change
Extra	$2.76/gal	$2.89/gal	+$0.13 (4.7%)
Ecopaís	$2.76/gal	$2.89/gal	+$0.13 (4.7%)
Super	$3.19/gal	$3.41/gal	+$0.22 (6.9%)
Diesel	$2.70/gal	$2.89/gal	+$0.19 (7.0%)

Nearly 90% of vehicle owners in Ecuador use Extra or Ecopaís, so this hits almost everyone.

Why Prices Went Up

The state fuel subsidy for Extra and Ecopaís has been completely removed for the period of March 12 through April 11. These two fuels are now sold at international market price with zero government subsidy.

The National Chamber of Petroleum Distributors blamed the increase on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East — specifically, U.S. military strikes against Iran that have disrupted global oil markets and pushed the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) benchmark higher.

Diesel still carries a small subsidy ($0.04/gallon), but that's down significantly from previous months.

What This Means at the Pump

For a typical car with a 15-gallon tank running on Extra:

• Old fill-up: $41.40
• New fill-up: $43.35
• Difference: about $2 more per tank

If you fill up once a week, that's roughly $8 more per month. Not catastrophic, but it adds up — especially if you're driving to the coast or making regular trips outside the city.

Is It Going Higher?

Maybe. Ecuador's fuel pricing system recalculates monthly based on international oil prices, with a 5% cap on monthly increases and a 10% cap on decreases. So the worst-case scenario is another ~5% bump on April 12 if oil prices stay elevated.

The government has budgeted $1.16 billion for fuel subsidies in 2026, but if the Middle East conflict continues escalating, that budget could get squeezed — meaning more of the cost gets passed to consumers.

Tips

• Ecopaís and Extra are the same price — Ecopaís has a slightly higher ethanol blend but is otherwise interchangeable for most vehicles
• Super is only necessary if your car specifically requires premium fuel (check your manual)
• Gas station apps like PetroEcuador's don't exist here — just fill up wherever is convenient
• Costco-style bulk fuel discounts aren't a thing in Ecuador — all stations sell at the same regulated price

Domestic Gas Unaffected

Good news for your home: the 15-kg gas cylinder (the blue tank most households use for cooking) remains at $1.65 — one of the cheapest cooking fuel prices in the Americas. That price is heavily subsidized and politically untouchable.

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Sources: Primicias, CuencaHighLife