Advance of the sugarcane harvest in the Center-South drops the average price of ethanol to R$ 4.49; CNG was the only fuel to rise in the month
Hydrous ethanol led the drop in fuel prices in Brazil in May, in a movement of accommodation after the rises in March and April. According to Veloe’s Fuel Price Monitor, prepared with technical support from Fipe, the biofuel was 5.6% cheaper compared to April and ended the month with a national average price of R$ 4.488 per liter — the lowest level in 2026.
The reduction was driven by the advance of the 2026/27 sugarcane harvest in the Center-South, which expanded the supply of the product and put pressure on the values at the pumps. Throughout the month, ethanol renewed the low of the year, at R$ 4.40 per liter in the week of May 23.
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The downward trend also affected the other fuels: regular diesel and S-10 fell 3.3%, and regular and additive gasoline were 1% cheaper. CNG was the only one to rise, albeit slightly, 0.3%. Among the states, the Federal District led the drop in ethanol, of 10%, with an average value of R$ 4.528 per liter, followed by São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Paraná and Mato Grosso.
At the end of May, the national average prices were R$ 7.218 per liter for S-10 diesel, R$ 7.135 for regular diesel, R$ 6.889 for gasoline with additives, R$ 6.752 for regular gasoline, R$ 4.574 for CNG and R$ 4.488 for ethanol.
Despite the relief, fossil fuels continue to accumulate significant increases in 2026, amid the volatility of oil. From January to May, S-10 diesel advanced 16.8%, ahead of regular diesel (16.6%), regular gasoline (7.5%), additives (7.2%) and ethanol (0.3%); CNG is the only one in the negative, with a drop of 1.6%. There is, however, an improvement in purchasing power: in the first quarter, filling a 55-liter tank of regular gasoline consumed, on average, 5.5% of household income – and 3.7% in the capitals – the lowest rates since the beginning of the series, in 2017.
