While regular gasoline remains capped at 24 pesos, the maximum prices for premium and diesel in 17 states have already surpassed 29 pesos, dangerously approaching 31 pesos. You pay 24 pesos per liter… but that price is no longer the complete reality in Mexico. In several parts of the country, premium gasoline and diesel are being sold much more expensive due to the impact of the war, and the blow is felt directly in the pocketbook. The contrast is clear. Between the U.S. and Iran. To contain that increase and prevent the rise in fuel from triggering an inflation crisis, the Mexican government activated the fiscal stimulus for the Special Tax on Production and Services (IEPS), which forgives up to 100% of that levy, with the aim that the cost of gasoline and diesel does not rise further. The problem is the cost. In just 10 days, this measure has already cost the public finances more than 1,800 million pesos – which stopped entering the SAT – in an attempt to prevent the increase from hitting consumers full force. Fuel soars to 31.46 pesos. The director of the consulting firm PETROIntelligence, Alejandro Montufar, informed Publimetro that the war in the Middle East drove up the average price consumers pay by more than 8% during the first three weeks of the armed conflict, which broke out on February 28. He pointed out that after the start of the war, regular gasoline rose from 23.55 to 23.68 pesos per liter (0.55%), while premium jumped from 25.69 to 27.40 and diesel from 26.37 to 28.57 pesos, with increases of 6.65% and 8.34%, respectively. All this, despite the application of the fiscal stimulus and the waiver of part of the IEPS, which the Ministry of Finance launched 10 days ago and the government's agreement with gas station operators to cap regular gasoline at 24 pesos per liter. However, when checking the maximum fuel prices, Mexicans face another reality: in six states, premium gasoline and diesel have exceeded 30 pesos and even reached 31 pesos per liter at the start of this week. The liter of premium set a record of 31.24 pesos at gas stations in the municipality of Guadalupe y Calvo, Chihuahua; while diesel shot up to 31.46 pesos at service stations in San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes. Gasoline at 29 pesos or more. PETROIntelligence reported that premium and diesel showed a price of more than 29 pesos per liter in 11 other states of the country, with costs of 29.50 pesos per liter of high-octane gasoline, in the municipalities of Baja California Sur and Coahuila. In this group, diesel recorded a maximum public quotation of 30.99 pesos per liter at the gas stations of the municipality of La Paz, State of Mexico, and of 30.90 pesos at the service stations of Mulegé, Baja California Sur, during the reference date. While in another 15 federal entities – which include Mexico City, Jalisco, Monterrey, Puebla, Michoacán and Querétaro – the cost of both fuels oscillated between 28 and 29 pesos; in all cases – at least – five pesos more expensive than the cap of 24 pesos per liter of regular or magna-type gasoline. Will gasoline fall with the IEPS stimulus? The director of the consulting firm PETROIntelligence, Alejandro Montufar, explained that the fiscal stimulus to gasoline and diesel will not make the final price to consumers go down; because it is only designed to keep the cost from having abrupt increases. “The price does not go down with the IEPS stimulus,” which the Ministry of Finance began to apply in the second week of March and which this week was extended to regular and premium gasoline, pointed out the specialist. At the start of 2026, the Ministry of Finance applied an IEPS rate of 6.70 pesos, which this week was cut to 5.08 pesos, with a benefit for the consumer of 1.61 pesos per liter. In premium, the tax rate was set at 5.65 pesos and, starting Saturday March 21, it dropped to 5.23 pesos, with a reduction in the final public price of 0.42 pesos per liter. While for diesel, Hacienda determined a rate of 7.36 pesos at the beginning of the year, which from last Saturday decreased to 2.81 pesos, with a benefit for consumers of 4.55 pesos; whose objective is that gasoline does not skyrocket due to the war. Losses from the IEPS cut. PETROIntelligence reported that the country's cash registers report a decrease of 1,802 million 863 thousand 649 pesos, due to the application of the fiscal stimulus to the IEPS. States with the highest prices. Aguascalientes: Regular: 23.99 pesos, municipality of Pabellón de Arteaga. Premium: 31.23 pesos, municipality of San José de Gracia. Diesel: 31.46 pesos, municipality of San José de Gracia. Chiapas: Regular: 25.74 pesos, municipality Yajalón. Premium: 30.69 pesos, municipality of Chicomuselo. Diesel: 30.99 pesos, municipality of Chicomuselo. Chihuahua: Regular: 27 pesos, municipality of Urique. Premium: 31.24 pesos, municipality of Guadalupe y Calvo. Diesel: 31 pesos, municipality of Urique. Durango: Regular: 25.50 pesos, municipality of Tamazula. Premium: 30.25 pesos, municipality of El Oro. Diesel: 30.62 pesos, municipality of Topia. Jalisco: Regular: 25.10 pesos, municipality of Puerto Vallarta. Premium: 30.42 pesos, municipality of Puerto Vallarta. Diesel: 31 pesos, municipality of Jilotlán de los Dolores. Nayarit: Regular: 25.49 pesos, municipality of Amatlán de Cañas. Premium: 30.59 pesos, municipality of Compostela. Diesel: 30.49 pesos, municipality of Xalisco. It is a divided market: one contained price and another that has already skyrocketed due to the conflict between the U.S. and Iran.
