FuelWide

BulgariavsGreece

Which side to fill up on · petrol 95 · week of 2026-08-31
Bulgaria is cheaper
€0.47/L

23.2% less than Greece — that is €23.75 on a 50-litre tank.

Per litre Bulgaria GreeceDifference
Petrol 95
€1.57
€2.05
€0.47 · €23.75/tank
Diesel
€1.81
€2.02
€0.21 · €10.50/tank
LPG
€0.64
Pump prices including all duties and taxes · also $6.91 vs $8.99 per US gallon for petrol.

Where the €0.47 gap comes from

Petrol is the same product on both sides of this border, refined from the same crude. Stripping duty and VAT out of both pump prices shows how much of the difference is fuel — and how much is politics.

Difference at the pump
€0.47
what you actually pay
Difference in the fuel
€0.01
before duty and VAT
Difference in tax
€0.46
98% of the whole gap

The fuel itself is more expensive before tax in Bulgaria. It is cheaper at the pump anyway, purely because Bulgaria taxes it less than Greece does.

Bulgaria
Petrol 95€0.95 product + €0.63 taxes = €1.57
product 60%duties & taxes 40%
Greece
Petrol 95€0.94 product + €1.11 taxes = €2.05
product 46%duties & taxes 54%

Is the crossing worth it?

What you save by filling up in Bulgaria, against what the detour costs you at €1.57/L and 7 L/100 km.

Tank filledYou saveWorth a detour of
40 L€19.00up to 173 km round trip
50 L€23.75up to 216 km round trip
60 L€28.50up to 259 km round trip
70 L€33.25up to 302 km round trip
Break-even distance only — it ignores your time, tolls and wear. Detour further than this and you are paying for the privilege of a cheaper price.
All Bulgaria fuel prices →

Trends, tax breakdown, city pages and station maps for Bulgaria.

All Greece fuel prices →

Trends, tax breakdown, city pages and station maps for Greece.

Other borders from here

Frequently asked questions

Is fuel cheaper in Bulgaria or Greece?

Bulgaria is cheaper for petrol 95 — €1.57 per litre against €2.05 in Greece, a difference of €0.47 per litre (23.2%). On a 50-litre tank that is €23.75 saved.

How much do I save filling up in Bulgaria?

€23.75 on a 50-litre tank, €33.25 on a 70-litre one. Weigh that against the detour: if crossing costs you 20 extra kilometres, roughly €2.20 of that saving goes straight back into the tank.

Why is fuel cheaper in Bulgaria than Greece?

Tax, entirely. The fuel itself is actually more expensive before duty in Bulgaria — the pump price is lower purely because excise duty and VAT are lower there.

How current are these prices?

Both sides are 2026-08-31 national averages including all duties and taxes — European Commission, DG Energy — Weekly Oil Bulletin for Bulgaria. Individual stations vary around the average, and forecourts right at a border crossing routinely price above it precisely because they can.