Fuel Prices in Ivory Coast: What You Pay at the Pump and Why
Drivers in Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) currently pay around $1.519 per liter for gasoline, which works out to roughly $5.75 per US gallon. In local terms that is about 874.9 XOF per liter. Diesel is cheaper at about $1.215 per liter, reflecting the lower tax treatment diesel typically receives in West Africa. At these levels, Ivory Coast ranks 88th out of 170 countries surveyed — almost exactly in the middle of the global pack — and sits slightly above the world average of $1.484 per liter.
What drives prices at the pump
Ivory Coast is a small crude oil producer with offshore fields and the SIR refinery in Abidjan, but it is not a major exporter on the scale of Nigeria or Angola. Domestic demand and refining capacity mean the country still depends heavily on imported refined products and on global crude benchmarks. When Brent crude rises, the landed cost of fuel rises with it, and that feeds through to the pump within weeks.
The biggest local factor, however, is the government's pricing mechanism. Ivory Coast sets maximum retail prices through a regulated formula that bundles together the base product cost, transport, distribution margins, and a stack of taxes and levies. Fuel taxes are a meaningful source of public revenue, which is one reason gasoline costs noticeably more than diesel — diesel is favored to keep freight, agriculture, and public transport affordable.
The role of the CFA franc
The currency picture is unusual and important. The West African CFA franc (XOF) is pegged to the euro at a fixed rate, which means Ivory Coast does not suffer the wild local-currency swings that plague many African oil importers. Because fuel is priced in USD on world markets, what matters for Ivorian drivers is really the EUR/USD exchange rate. When the euro is weak against the dollar, imported fuel becomes more expensive in CFA terms even if the dollar oil price is flat. This peg gives Ivory Coast more price stability than neighbors with floating currencies, but it also removes the central bank's ability to cushion an import-price shock.
The 2016–2026 trend
Over the past decade the data tells a clear story. The cheapest gasoline on record was just $0.99 per liter back on 11 July 2016, in the aftermath of the global oil-price crash. The most expensive was $1.519 per liter on 2 October 2023 — and today's price sits right at that all-time high. The ten-year average is $1.214 per liter, so current prices are well above the long-run norm. The peak coincides with the post-2022 surge in global energy costs, and the fact that prices have not fallen back suggests the government has gradually trimmed fuel subsidies and allowed more of the true import cost to reach consumers.
That subsidy story matters. Like many countries, Ivory Coast spent heavily to shield drivers during the 2022 energy crisis, then faced pressure to reduce that fiscal burden. The plateau near the all-time high is consistent with a managed, partial pass-through rather than a sudden deregulation.
How Ivory Coast compares
Among West African neighbors, prices are broadly similar — you can see how landlocked Mali compares, where transport costs add to the bill. For a North African contrast, Morocco is another net importer that has deregulated its market. Island economies tend to pay more, as the figures for Jamaica and Malta show. You can browse the full picture on our world fuel prices page.
FAQ
How much does gas cost in Ivory Coast right now?
Gasoline is about $1.519 per liter, or roughly $5.75 per US gallon — approximately 874.9 XOF per liter. Diesel is lower at about $1.215 per liter.
Why is fuel in Ivory Coast more expensive than the world average?
Current prices sit at the country's ten-year high of $1.519/L, above the $1.484 global average. This reflects high post-2022 global energy costs, taxes built into the regulated price, reliance on imported refined fuel, and reduced subsidies compared with earlier years.
Does Ivory Coast subsidize fuel?
It uses a regulated maximum-price system rather than a free market. The government has subsidized fuel at times — notably during the 2022 crisis — but recent prices holding near the all-time high suggest it has scaled subsidies back and passed more of the import cost to consumers.