Countries With the Highest Gas Prices
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You need gas to drive most cars around the world. OPEC works to stabilize oil markets, but the price of gas still varies. This is often due to different factors, such as geographic location, infrastructure, political conflict and taxes.
The Ukrainian crisis, for instance, has driven up fuel prices in several European countries, though no one knows for how long. But outside of an unexpected political crisis on a global scale, which are the countries where driving is a luxury?
Using different studies, we analyzed the price of fuel in different countries to see where filling up your car can feel like giving up your firstborn child. These are the countries with the most expensive gas prices.
30. Montenegro
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Note: Data comes from the 2021 Budget Direct Global Fuel Index Report. Market affordability is the percentage of average monthly salary it takes to fill an 80-liter tank, or 21.1 gallons.
Price of gasoline per liter: $1.37 ($4.32 per gallon)
Average monthly salary: $3,259.67
Market affordability: 17.0 percent
Bottom Line: Montenegro
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Montenegro is a relatively young nation. It gained independence from Serbia in 2006. Partly because of the long conflict for independence, the country’s infrastructure is behind that of its Eastern European neighbors.
What does this have to do with the high price of gasoline? The government decided to aggressively pursue infrastructure projects, particularly roads and highways. To pay for these projects, Montenegro has placed hefty taxes on fuel, bringing the price up.
While infrastructure is needed, this plan hasn’t been great for citizens, since it takes 17 percent of the average monthly salary to fill up an 80-liter tank. That’s more than many in the country can afford.
29. Albania
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Price of gasoline per liter: $1.42 ($4.44 per gallon)
Average monthly salary: $950.54
Market affordability: 32.4 percent
Bottom Line: Albania
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Many countries have high fuel prices because of taxes, but Albania is in a different league and imposes more taxes on oil than most countries. Sixty percent of the price of gasoline in the country is taxes, which Albanians aren’t too happy about.
Taxes include excise duty, which is an indirect tax many countries use for revenue, as well as a carbon tax. The latter serves the purpose of discouraging the use of carbon-intensive sources of energy like coal and petroleum in order to mitigate climate change.
28. Luxembourg
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Price of gasoline per liter: $1.42 ($4.44 per gallon)
Average monthly salary: $5,994.86
Market affordability: 2.3 percent
Bottom Line: Luxembourg
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Luxembourg is one of the most expensive countries for fuel in the world, but it's one of the least expensive in Western Europe.
The country’s relatively low prices even brought it some "tank tourism" from neighboring Belgium, Germany and France. This meant that people residing near the border of Luxembourg would often come into the country just to fill up their tanks, before going back to their more expensive places of residence.
This has somewhat changed in recent years, as the European Union pressured the country into implementing a carbon tax. But since its pricier neighbors also have carbon taxes, Luxembourg still receives some tank tourism.
The story of Luxembourg is the perfect illustration of just how expensive gas is in Western Europe.
27. Senegal
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Price of gasoline per liter: $1.43 ($4.47 per gallon)
Average monthly salary: $651.77
Market affordability: 111.4 percent
Bottom Line: Senegal
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Senegal is not only the 27th-most expensive country for gasoline. It’s also the 17th-least affordable. Market affordability is an anxiety-inducing 111.4 percent. This means only the wealthy can afford to buy a car and actually keep it powered.
But why does this matter if most of the country can’t afford a car? Oil prices affect everything that needs to be transported. The most important of these products is food.
So even a Senegalese citizen who relies only on their own two feet to get around suffers from the steep price of fuel.
26. Serbia
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Price of gasoline per liter: $1.43 ($4.47 per gallon)
Average monthly salary: $14,53.97
Market affordability: 24.1 percent
Bottom Line: Serbia
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There is some debate as to why Serbia pays more for gasoline than other Balkan countries.
One theory is that this is the result of a huge debt Serbia owes to Russian energy corporation, Gazprom. In order to keep the country powered, politicians promised to increase the price of fuel and use that money to gradually pay off the debt.
Others blame the problem on corruption, saying that corrupt and inefficient politicians failed to make a better deal for the country with Gazprom.
Wherever the blame actually falls, it’s Serbians who are paying the price.
25. Latvia
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Price of gasoline per liter: $1.45 ($4.54 per gallon)
Average monthly salary: $2,149.16
Market affordability: 10.2 percent
Bottom Line: Latvia
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Latvia is not the only Baltic country that appears on this list, but it manages to win an unwanted spot on the top 25 countries for gasoline prices.
Latvia is a net energy importing country, getting much of its fuel from Russia through Gazprom. It also increases the price of fuel imports through excise taxes, value-added tax (VAT) and other added fees.
The Baltic region has been planning on becoming more energy independent, but Latvia has been the least enthusiastic country about this. Many in the country prefer to stay connected to Russia’s Northwest Grid rather than incurring the significant costs that an infrastructure overhaul would require.
24. Spain
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Price of gasoline per liter: $1.48 ($4.63 per gallon)
Average monthly salary: $3,310.94
Market affordability: 5.5 percent
Bottom Line: Spain
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Most of the energy Spain uses comes from petroleum, yet the country doesn’t produce much of it. In fact, it doesn’t produce nearly enough energy to meet its own demands. This means that Spain has to import energy from other countries, which usually translates into higher prices.
Besides this, the country is using high taxes to push for its goal of being carbon neutral before 2050.
23. Croatia
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Price of gasoline per liter: $1.49 ($4.66 per gallon)
Average monthly salary: $2,408.97
Market affordability: 11.4 percent
Bottom Line: Croatia
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Once again, taxes come in as the number one reason for high fuel prices.
The European Union has a mandatory excise tax, but Croatia likes getting the shiny star sticker and decided to go over and above the minimum. This has meant that the country has a higher excise tax than other EU member countries. Croatia also has one of the highest VAT for fuel in all of Europe.
Of course, there are several other European countries with higher prices, but none of them have as unaffordable a fuel market as Croatia.
22. New Zealand
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Price of gasoline per liter: $1.49 ($4.66 per gallon)
Average monthly salary: $5,845.20
Market affordability: 4.2 percent
Bottom Line: New Zealand
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New Zealand is as expensive as it is beautiful. That comes as no surprise since it’s a remote island surrounded by other remote islands.
The country also exports most of its nationally produced oil and buys from the Middle East to meet its energy demands.
Of course, taxes can’t be missing. The revenue gained from petrol taxes is put into the National Land Transport Fund and used for public transit and road upkeep. About 98 cents a liter is the tax. This is steep, but the well-maintained roads in the country are proof that the money is put to good use.
21. Slovakia
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Price of gasoline per liter: $1.50 ($4.69)
Average monthly salary: $2,663.15
Market affordability: 9.5 percent
Bottom Line: Slovakia
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When the Soviet Union fell, Slovakia was one of the countries to feel it the hardest in terms of fuel prices. This was because the country was highly dependent on Russia for energy.
Sadly, Slovakia hasn’t been able to get out of its high-price slump. Residents of the country routinely cross the border to cheaper Poland, Hungary and Czech Republic to fill up their tanks.
This is a cause of frustration for the Slovakian government, which laments the amount of taxes it loses to this practice.
20. Estonia
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Price of gasoline per liter: $1.55 ($4.85 per gallon)
Average monthly salary: $3,347.29
Market affordability: 7.7 percent
Bottom Line: Estonia
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Estonia has the highest gasoline prices of the Baltic states.
Like Latvia, Estonia has historically depended on Russia for much of its energy supply. This dependence has left it vulnerable to market fluctuations and political conflicts.
For this reason, Estonia joins Lithuania in wanting to push for a more self-reliant energy system. It also believes that cutting links from Russia and joining the European energy grid will help it control the steep prices it pays for oil.
19. Singapore
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Price of gasoline per liter: $1.56 ($4.88 per gallon)
Average monthly salary: $6,362.95
Market affordability: 3.0 percent
Bottom Line: Singapore
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Singapore may be tiny, but it has leveraged its location and advanced infrastructure to become the biggest oil trading country in Southeast Asia.
The city-state has oil refineries but it is still a net importer country, meaning that it imports more oil than it exports. This makes sense given that the country has a large population that is fairly well-off and consumes a relatively high amount of energy.
Taxes also contribute to the price of oil.
18. Switzerland
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Price of gasoline per liter: $1.58 ($4.94 per gallon)
Average monthly salary: $11,486.38
Market affordability: 2.3 percent
Bottom Line: Switzerland
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Is there anything in Switzerland that isn’t expensive?
One of the reasons for the country’s gasoline prices is that it is landlocked, so importing energy is a bit more difficult and expensive. However, given its advanced infrastructure, this isn’t too much of an issue.
Recently, Switzerland has increased its petrol taxes in order to reach its Paris Agreement carbon emission targets. Still, it still has lower tax rates than neighboring countries like Germany and France.
It’s important to note that although Switzerland makes it into the top 20 for gasoline prices, it also has the seventh most affordable gasoline market in the world. Basically, the price is high but so are people’s wages, so it evens out.
17. Belgium
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Price of gasoline per liter: $1.582 ($4.94 per gallon)
Average monthly salary: $7,512.53
Market affordability: 3.9 percent
Bottom Line: Belgium
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Belgians are much more petroleum hungry than other Europeans. They tend to drive to work more often, use more heating and consume more energy overall than most other Western European countries.
This, coupled with inflation that also surpasses that of the area and importing most of its oil, has often meant relatively high prices.
Interestingly, Belgium has (relatively) low oil taxes, but its prices still beat out countries like Switzerland. Some argue that low taxes have made the nation more vulnerable to volatility, which can lead to higher prices depending on the market.
16. Ireland
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Price of gasoline per liter: $1.59 ($4.97)
Average monthly salary: $3,921.18
Market affordability: 3.6 percent
Bottom Line: Ireland
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Again, islands almost always lose out when it comes to fuel prices because they tend to import rather than produce.
This is the case with Ireland, where you can often hear people complaining about how expensive it is to fill up their tanks.
There is also limited competition, which leads to unregulated prices.
15. Barbados
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Price of gasoline per liter: $1.64 ($5.13 per gallon)
Average monthly salary: $1,615.00
Market affordability: 10.4 percent
Bottom Line: Barbados
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There is contention as to why gasoline is so expensive in Barbados.
Yes, it’s an island, but it is fairly close to major oil-producing countries like Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago. The price is also higher than in other island nations next to Barbados, such as Saint Lucia.
The most common theory is — you guessed it — steep taxes.
14. United Kingdom
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Price of gasoline per liter: $1.64 ($5.13 per gallon)
Average monthly salary: $8,382.34
Market affordability: 4.4 percent
Bottom Line: United Kingdom
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Like most other European countries on this list, the United Kingdom has high taxes that drive up its fuel prices.
But what sets it apart is that the VAT it charges is not on the price of petrol, as in most other countries, but on the fuel tax that the government has implemented. This means that drivers in the U.K. are paying taxes on their taxes.
13. Germany
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Price of gasoline per liter: $1.65 ($5.16 per gallon)
Average monthly salary: $4,654.86
Market affordability: 3.9 percent
Bottom Line: Germany
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Germany has been aggressively and decidedly pursuing lower emissions for years. Considering this, it’s no surprise that its steep pump prices are mostly due to taxes implemented with the specific purpose of discouraging people from driving.
The state has expressed the desire to continue increasing these taxes gradually over the next few years, in the hope that most of its population will transition to electric cars and stop using vehicles unless necessary.
12. France
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Price of gasoline per liter: $1.73 ($5.41 per gallon)
Average monthly salary: $5,045.60
Market affordability: 4.8 percent
Bottom Line: France
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France’s petrol taxes made the news throughout 2018 and 2019, when they fueled (pun intended) the yellow vest protests.
Angered by what they perceived was a classist tax, the French working classes led massive country-wide protests against rising fuel costs. They argued that the tax unfairly targeted people living in rural areas where public transport is not widely available or where tractors and trucks are often needed.
But the protests weren’t against taxes per se. One of the solutions proposed by the protesters was to increase wealth taxes instead rather than place the burden of fuel taxes on the lower classes.
11. Sweden
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Price of gasoline per liter: $1.74 ($5.44 per gallon)
Average monthly salary: $5,426.87
Market affordability: 3.6 percent
Bottom Line: Sweden
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At No.11, Sweden is actually the cheapest Scandinavian country for gasoline.
Of course, taxes are a factor but so is the fact that Sweden imports more than 100 percent of its oil consumption. That coupled with the devaluation of the Swedish krona in recent years have led to increased prices.
Still, Sweden narrowly escapes the top 10, which no other Scandinavian country managed to do.
10. Iceland
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Price of gasoline per liter: $1.75 ($5.47)
Average monthly salary: $5,553.31
Market affordability: 2.9 percent
Bottom Line: Iceland
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Iceland is a country on a mission to stop depending on other countries for energy. Around 85 percent of its energy demand is locally produced with renewable energies. Its electricity production comes almost 100 percent from domestic renewable energy sources.
But the use of gasoline and diesel-fueled cars is standing in the way of the island’s energy independence, which is part of the reason why it does not hesitate to tax the heck out of car drivers.
It’s also fairly expensive to get fuel to Iceland, given its relative isolation.
9. Portugal
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Price of gasoline per liter: $1.77 ($5.54 per gallon)
Average monthly salary: $3,359.81
Market affordability: 9.0 percent
Bottom Line: Portugal
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Though Portugal is one of the cheapest countries in Western Europe, it has one of the region’s highest fuel prices. And that’s saying a lot.
More than 50 percent of the price of fuel is due to taxes, which Portuguese people aren’t too happy about.
To make matters worse, Portugal also has one of the least affordable fuel markets in the region.
8. Italy
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Price of gasoline per liter: $1.78 ($5.57 per gallon)
Average monthly salary: $4,455.72
Market affordability: 5.9 percent
Bottom Line: Italy
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Italians love mopeds. And it's not just because they look good and can easily fit into narrow medieval streets. They are also a less expensive alternative to fuel-hungry cars. Given that the country is the eighth-most expensive country for gasoline, mopeds are a sound decision.
Italy’s fuel prices are so expensive that the country even has pompe bianche, or white pumps, scattered throughout. These independent gas stations offer unbranded fuel at much cheaper prices.
Some think it’s the perfect way to stick it to the big-name companies. Others are unsure about the quality this fuel can offer.
7. Israel
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Price of gasoline per liter: $1.80 ($5.63 per gallon)
Average monthly salary: $3,550.04
Market affordability: 4.8 percent
Bottom Line: Israel
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Despite being near several oil-producing countries, Israel has notoriously high gasoline prices. By comparison, its neighbor Jordan only pays $0.94.
One of the main reasons for Israel’s costly fuel is its heavy reliance on imports, given that it produces less energy than it uses. There is also political tension with its oil-rich neighbors, leading to difficulties in reaching importing agreements.
High taxes are another reason for the overall expensive cost of living in the country, with the government arguing that the nation’s relatively small population must pay more in order to compete with other developed countries.
6. Greece
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Price of gasoline per liter: $1.80 ($5.63)
Average monthly salary: $2,967.14
Market affordability: 10.2 percent
Bottom Line: Greece
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Greece is a fairly inexpensive country, but high oil prices have been at the center of tension between citizens and the government.
Excise taxes are credited with bringing the price of gasoline to almost $2 per liter. Contraband and adulterated gasoline have appeared on the black market as a result of prices that are often unaffordable for the average citizen.
5. Denmark
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Price of gasoline per liter: $1.81 ($5.66)
Average monthly salary: $6,666.54
Market affordability: 3.3 percent
Bottom Line: Denmark
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Starting off the list of top five most expensive countries for gasoline is Denmark. This placement is probably unsurprising to most people, given the country’s notoriety for being extremely expensive. However, Denmark produces most of its own energy and has considerable oil reserves thanks to Greenland.
The steep prices are actually a conscious decision taken by the government and citizens, with high taxes aimed at increasing social safety nets and reducing oil consumption. Despite having enough oil, the country aims to be independent of fossil fuels by 2050.
Unlike many other countries, most Danish citizens support high taxes, including fuel ones. They perceive that their quality of life is tangibly improved by them.
4. Finland
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Price of gasoline per liter: $1.81 ($5.66)
Average monthly salary: $5,733.17
Market affordability: 4.2 percent
Bottom Line: Finland
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As with Denmark, high taxes are the main culprit for making Finland an expensive country for fuel.
Unlike in Denmark, many of its citizens are not too happy about it. In fact, a social movement has been started to protest high fuel taxes. The movement is less physical than the ones in countries like France and is geared more toward signing petitions and concentrating on elections.
A Facebook group dedicated solely to pushing for lower fuel taxes has 557,900 followers at the time of writing.
3. Norway
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Price of gasoline per liter: $1.91 ($5.98)
Average monthly salary: $6,112.66
Market affordability: 2.8 percent
Bottom Line: Norway
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Norway has the highest fuel prices in Scandinavia and the third highest in the world.
To its defense, however, it is also the 11th country in the world for market affordability. The average citizen only needs 2.8 percent of their monthly income to fill up an 80-liter tank — much, much less than the more than 440 percent that citizens in the most expensive country pay.
That is not to say that paying $1.91 per liter of gasoline isn’t inconvenient for Norwegian people or that this isn’t a common complaint you will hear from anyone with a car. It’s more that Norwegians take this as a part of life and, in most cases, it does not hinder their ability to have basic needs met.
2. Netherlands
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Price of gasoline per liter: $1.97 ($6.16 per gallon)
Average monthly salary: 5,961.55
Market affordability: 4.2 percent
Bottom Line: Netherlands
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The Netherlands has the highest prices of gasoline in all of Europe, with Amsterdam being the most expensive city on the continent for it.
As with other European countries, the reason for steep prices is high energy taxes, with over 50 percent of the gas price consisting of taxes. This is the highest percentage out of all European Union member countries.
Now you can see why Dutch people love bikes.
1. Central African Republic
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Price of gasoline per liter: $2.03 ($6.35 per gallon)
Average monthly salary: $806.15
Market affordability: 446.3 percent
Bottom Line: Central African Republic
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A series of conflating and unfortunate factors are why the Central African Republic has the most expensive gas in the world.
The first of these factors is geography. As a landlocked country, the CAR does not have easy trade routes. Fuel has to be transported either through the Oubangui River or overland, which makes it costly.
Then you have the issue of political instability, not just in the CAR but in its neighboring countries. Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon sometimes interferes with the routes through which fuel is transported, leading to fuel shortages and higher prices.
The country also has infrastructure issues, with less than 300 miles of paved roads. Corruption and government mismanagement are the cherry on top of this toxic cocktail, and the most impacted are the residents of the CAR.
What’s worse, the market affordability for fuel is 446.3 percent, the second-lowest in the entire world after Burundi.