On Friday 4 September, Romania found itself among the countries with the highest fuel prices compared with almost all its neighbours. Only in Serbia was diesel slightly more expensive. Otherwise, prices in Romania are higher than in all its neighbours, for both petrol and diesel, including Ukraine – which is unable to produce oil at full capacity due to the war – as well as Serbia and the Republic of Moldova, countries with a high degree of dependence on imports that are not members of the European Union, writes ziare.com.
List of the lowest prices for petrol and diesel in Romania and neighbouring countries:
Romania: Petrol – 1.83 euros per litre. Diesel – 1.93 euros per litre.
Hungary: Regular petrol – €1.61 per litre. Regular diesel – €1.86 per litre.
Serbia: Regular petrol – €1.72 per litre. Regular diesel – €1.97 per litre.
Bulgaria: Regular petrol – €1.49 per litre. Regular diesel – €1.76 per litre.
Ukraine: Standard petrol – €1.53 per litre. Standard diesel – €1.72 per litre.
Republic of Moldova: Regular petrol – approximately €1.54 per litre. Regular diesel – approximately €1.58 per litre.
The highest price increase
In the first four months of 2026, Romania produced around 49,000 barrels of crude oil per day, second only within the European Union to Italy (85,000 barrels per day) and Denmark (76,000).
At the same time, it outperformed countries such as Germany (28,000 barrels per day), Hungary (25,000) and Poland (16,000). However, fuel prices in Romania are 10–15 per cent higher than in Bulgaria, where excise duty accounts for half the price, and 6–16 per cent higher than in Serbia or the Republic of Moldova, countries that import a significant proportion of their fuel requirements.
According to Eurostat, in July this year Romania recorded the highest year-on-year increase in prices for fuel and lubricants for private transport among all European Union member states – 24.2 per cent compared with July 2025, whilst the European average stood at 16.9 per cent. This price rise affects not only motorists but also businesses, as fuel represents a direct transport cost and can influence the prices of other goods and services.
In the European ranking, Romania is followed by Germany and Lithuania, each at 22.9 per cent, Bulgaria at 22.2 per cent, the Netherlands at 22 per cent and Finland at 20.5 per cent. It is important to emphasise that the figure of 24.2 per cent reflects the difference between prices in July 2026 and those in July 2025, rather than a sudden price rise over the course of a single month.
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