Overview
On a long drive from Ukraine into the European Union, two costs decide your budget: what you pay at the pump and what you pay for road access. In Week 33, the cheapest diesel among the countries we track is in 🇭🇺 Hungary at €1.684 per litre, while the most expensive is in 🇳🇱 the Netherlands at €2.414 per litre. The single most effective habit is simple: fill the tank in the cheaper country immediately before you cross into a more expensive one. These fuel prices are updated weekly, so the ranking can change from one week to the next — always check the live page before you set off.
Where fuel is cheapest right now
The table below shows the twelve cheapest countries in our current data set, ranked by diesel. All figures are approximate and converted to EUR so that countries can be compared directly.
| # | Country | Diesel €/l | Petrol 95 €/l | LPG €/l |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇭🇺 Hungary | €1.684 | €1.556 | €0.856 |
| 2 | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | €1.743 | €1.532 | — |
| 3 | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | €1.75 | €1.71 | €0.79 |
| 4 | 🇪🇸 Spain | €1.794 | €1.687 | €1.06 |
| 5 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | €1.824 | €1.453 | — |
| 6 | 🇨🇿 Czechia | €1.844 | €1.743 | €0.92 |
| 7 | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | €1.852 | €1.707 | — |
| 8 | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | €1.864 | €1.649 | — |
| 9 | 🇭🇷 Croatia | €1.889 | €1.691 | €0.78 |
| 10 | 🇵🇱 Poland | €1.918 | €1.765 | €0.726 |
| 11 | 🇵🇹 Portugal | €2.048 | €1.981 | — |
| 12 | 🇦🇹 Austria | €2.049 | €1.838 | — |
Note: prices are approximate and EUR-converted for comparison; the live fuel prices page shows current native-currency numbers per country and city. In Hungary, for example, diesel is listed locally at 665.5 HUF, and in Poland at 8.16 PLN. If you want to know what those local amounts mean in hryvnia or euro before you pay, the currency calculator converts UAH, PLN and EUR at live rates.
Smart fuelling strategy
The most reliable saving comes from timing your refuel to the border. Compare the two countries on either side of your next border crossing, then fill up in the cheaper one. Diesel in 🇵🇱 Poland is listed at €1.918, so drivers heading on towards Germany usually fill the tank on the Polish side first. The same logic applies before entering France at €2.216 or Italy at €2.089.
If your route does not pass through one of the cheaper countries in the table, top off the tank to maximum before you leave Ukraine. That single decision often covers the first several hundred kilometres at a lower rate.
Two more habits reduce the total. First, gas stations located directly on motorways charge roughly 15–20% more than stations away from the motorway. A five-minute detour into a nearby town is usually worth it on a full tank. Second, in Western Europe, supermarket-attached stations are almost always the cheapest option in the area, so plan a refuel around a shopping stop rather than a service area.
Drivers running on autogas should check availability separately, because LPG is not sold everywhere in our data set. Where it is listed, the spread is wide: €0.726 in Poland against €1.06 in Spain. Prices for markets outside the EU follow their own pattern, and readers who want the current figure for diesel in North Macedonia will find it on that country's page.
Tolls and vignettes across Europe
Vignette countries — buy a digital pass before you cross
A vignette is a pre-paid digital road pass tied to your license plate. You buy it online before the border crossing, and roadside cameras then scan the license plate to confirm that a valid pass exists. There is no sticker to display and no booth to stop at. Buying from the official site listed below avoids resellers that add a service charge on top of the toll price.
| Country | Cheapest transit pass | Buy online |
|---|---|---|
| 🇷🇴 Romania | 3.5 EUR — 1 day | roviniete.ro |
| 🇲🇩 Moldova | 4 EUR — 7 days (no 1-day option) | evinieta.gov.md |
| 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 4.09 EUR — 1 day | bgtoll.bg |
| 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 8.1 EUR — 1 day | eznamka.sk |
| 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | 9.2 EUR — 1 day | edalnice.cz |
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 9.6 EUR — 1 day | shop.asfinag.at |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | 14 EUR — 1 day | nemzetiutdij.hu |
| 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 16 EUR — 7 days (no 1-day option) | evinjeta.dars.si |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 42.5 CHF — annual only (no 1-day option) | e-vignette.ch |
Most of these countries sell a 1-day pass, which is enough for a single transit. Three do not: 🇲🇩 Moldova and 🇸🇮 Slovenia start at 7 days, and 🇨🇭 Switzerland sells an annual vignette only. Plan those three into the budget as a fixed cost even for a few hours of driving. Professional drivers calculating heavy-vehicle charges separately can use the truck toll calculation tool for German routes, and the driving time calculator to keep driving time and rest periods within the legal limits.
Pay-per-kilometre (toll booths)
In ticket-system countries you take a ticket at the entry point and pay at a booth when you exit. Nothing is bought in advance. 🇮🇹 Italy operates one of the most expensive networks in Europe. 🇫🇷 France uses a ticket and barrier system on most autoroutes and is also expensive, so budget accordingly. 🇭🇷 Croatia charges on entry and exit with higher tariffs in the summer season. 🇷🇸 Serbia takes payment on exit in cash or by card. 🇵🇹 Portugal mixes classic booths with electronic-only motorways, so a Via Verde transponder is useful there. In 🇵🇱 Poland, state motorways are free for cars, while the private A1, A2 and A4 concessions charge at booths or through the Autopay application.
Toll-free for cars
Three countries charge passenger cars nothing for motorway use: 🇩🇪 Germany, 🇧🇪 Belgium and 🇳🇱 the Netherlands. Rare tunnel and bridge exceptions still apply, but there is no vignette and no ticket for ordinary cars. Note that fuel in Germany and the Netherlands is not cheap, which is why many drivers arrive with a full tank.
Plan your trip
Build the refuelling stops into the route before departure rather than deciding at the wheel. Identify the cheapest country your route actually passes through, then plan a full tank there. The route planner helps you place those stops along the real road you intend to drive.
Buy every vignette online the evening before you travel. A pass bought in advance is active the moment you cross, which helps you avoid border queues at sales points and removes the risk of a camera recording an unpaid road toll.
Finally, add fuel and tolls together before you go. The trip cost calculator combines both into one total, so you can compare a shorter toll route against a longer free one and see which is genuinely cheaper.
Useful tools
- Live Fuel Prices Across Europe — country & city prices, updated regularly
- European Vignettes & Tolls — e-vignette prices and official links
- Route Planner — plan your drive with fuel and toll stops
- Car Drivers Portal — all driving tools in one place
- Trip Cost Calculator — estimate fuel, toll and total trip expenses
- Currency Calculator — UAH, PLN, EUR and more live rates
Source: nakordoni.eu — Fuel Prices & Tolls | Updated: 12.08.2026