Tankful
The cheapest petrol in the European Union is currently in Malta and the most expensive in Denmark. Diesel is cheapest in Malta and most expensive in Denmark.
For reference, a litre of petrol averages €2.35/l in Germany, €2.21/l in France, €1.85/l in Poland and €2.03/l in the UK.
Average fuel prices in the EU and the UK
Countries ordered from the cheapest to the most expensive petrol. Prices in euros per litre.
| Country | Petrol (95) | Diesel | LPG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malta | €1.21/l | – | |
| Sweden | €2.14/l | – | |
| Bulgaria | €1.93/l | €0.68/l | |
| Hungary | €1.93/l | €0.98/l | |
| Cyprus | €2.02/l | – | |
| Slovenia | €2.01/l | €0.98/l | |
| Croatia | €2.04/l | €0.82/l | |
| Poland | €2.06/l | €0.75/l | |
| Slovakia | €1.98/l | €0.80/l | |
| Czechia | €2.08/l | €0.89/l | |
| Luxembourg | €2.10/l | €0.83/l | |
| Romania | €2.10/l | €0.89/l | |
| Estonia | €2.24/l | €0.99/l | |
| Spain | €1.93/l | €1.10/l | |
| Lithuania | €2.25/l | €0.82/l | |
| Austria | €2.26/l | – | |
| Ireland | €2.12/l | – | |
| United Kingdom | €2.31/l | – | |
| Belgium | €2.43/l | €0.97/l | |
| Latvia | €2.13/l | €0.94/l | |
| Portugal | €2.19/l | €0.90/l | |
| Italy | €2.35/l | €0.77/l | |
| Greece | €2.22/l | – | |
| France | €2.37/l | €1.01/l | |
| Finland | €2.52/l | – | |
| Germany | €2.44/l | €1.12/l | |
| Netherlands | €2.53/l | €0.96/l | |
| Denmark | €2.54/l | – |
How prices have changed
| Series | Latest week | A year ago | 5 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poland | €1.85/l | €1.39/l | €1.28/l |
| Germany | €2.35/l | €1.72/l | €1.67/l |
| Czechia | €1.88/l | €1.42/l | €1.36/l |
| EU average | €2.10/l | €1.62/l | €1.58/l |
A year ago a litre of petrol cost €1.62/l on average in the EU and €1.39/l in Poland. The full history since 2005 is in the fuel price history guide.
Why prices differ so much between countries
More than half of the pump price is tax: excise duty, VAT and, in some countries, a carbon levy. That's why neighbouring countries can differ by 30–40 cents a litre even though they buy fuel on the same market. Drivers usually pay the most in countries with high excise and CO₂ taxes (the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Germany) and the least where taxes are low or the state caps prices.
What it means on a road trip
- Fill up before crossing into a more expensive country. On a 50-litre tank, a difference of 30 cents a litre is €15 on a single fill-up.
- Avoid motorway service stations, especially in Germany, France and Italy. The prices here are national averages – motorway stations are often noticeably dearer.
- On long trips, cost each country separately. Most of a Warsaw – Paris drive runs through Germany, so a Polish average would badly understate the cost.
For a detailed comparison across Poland's borders, see Where to fill up near the Polish border.
How to read these prices
These are national averages for the week, not the price at a particular station. In big cities and on motorways you'll usually pay more, at supermarket stations less. In Poland, when Orlen wholesale prices have clearly moved since the bulletin date, we adjust the average by that change so it's closer to what you see at the pump.