On January 1, 2016, Pemex fuel prices in Baja dropped 3%. The price drop is the first in nearly seven years and is a step in deregulating the current state-owned fuel industry in Mexico. Prices will now fluctuate on a monthly basis (no more than 3% above or below the previous month’s prices), whereas they previously remained rather fixed.

Pemex (Petroleos Mexicanos) is Mexico’s state-owned, petroleum company with stations around the country. For decades they have regulated and standardized the prices for gas, but they are currently in the process of deregulating the industry and opening it up to other companies. As of 2016, service stations other than Pemex franchises are allowed to start operating in Mexico. By 2017 the market will be open to allow gasoline imports and the market will be totally deregulated by 2018. Pemex stations in border regions have always had different prices than stations in the rest of the Baja peninsula as they are allowed pricing flexibility to compete with the U.S.

Tips for Travelers

Pemex stations are full service (a few pesos for a tip are appreciated) and while many of the larger stations along the Baja peninsula are now accepting U.S. credit cards, many still do not, so it's best to be prepared to pay with cash if necessary. Make sure that the pump is zeroed out before the attendant starts to pump the gas for you. We recommend always paying for gas in Pesos as gas is sold in liters and doing the liter/gallon plus the peso/dollar conversion can get tricky.

Pemex sells three different grades of gas: Magna (unleaded 87 octane, green handle at the pump), Premium (unleaded 93 octane, red handle at the pump) and Diesel (black handle at the pump). At some stations in northern Baja ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) may be available, but ULSD is not currently found in Baja Sur. Prices below are converted to dollars per gallon and are current as of January 2016:

Border Region:

PEMEX Magna (unleaded gasoline, 87 octane)

- $2.65

PEMEX Premium (unleaded gasoline, 93 octane) - $2.89

PEMEX Diesel (for Diesel engines) $3.06

The Rest of Baja California and Baja California Sur:

PEMEX Magna (unleaded gasoline, 87 octane)

- $2.93

PEMEX Premium (unleaded gasoline, 93 octane) - $3.11

PEMEX Diesel (for Diesel engines) $3.06

We recommend that you download the Guia Pemex app for your smartphone in order to locate the nearest Pemex station and to see current prices.

Jennifer Kramer is a writer for Discover Baja. For over two decades, Discover Baja Travel Club has been the ultimate resource for people traveling the Baja California peninsula. Discover Baja provides discounted premium Mexican auto insurance and other Baja travel benefits to its 15,000 members. Members receive discounts on hotels, restaurants, camping sites and RV parks throughout Baja. For more information, please see www.discoverbaja.comFollow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.