Due to supply issues and depleted stocks, the price of petrol/gasoline is soaring in many parts of the planet. The average price is $1.20 (89p) per litre, according to GlobalPetrolPrices.com, but this varies wildly depending on where you are in the world. Read on as we reveal the nations where petrol is outrageously expensive and the countries where it costs next to nothing, based on recent data from GlobalPetrolPrices.com. 

Although there are several notable exceptions, petrol tends to be more expensive in affluent developed countries where goods and services are charged at a premium and fuel is slapped with high taxes. It's often cheaper in oil-rich developing nations where the cost of living is lower and governments subsidise the commodity. Let's start with the 20 most expensive places to fill up your tank. 

At $1.82 (£1.35) a litre, gasoline prices in the wealthy microstate of San Marino are way above average. According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), the Italian enclave imported $11.8 million (£8.7m) of petroleum gas from Italy in 2019. Despite being an otherwise car-friendly nation (San Marino is the only country in the world where there are more cars registered than people), the price of petrol is high because Italy slaps large taxes on crude oil. Data from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) shows that 60% of the average price of one litre of crude oil in Italy is tax, well above the average 49% tax rate. 

Gasoline prices in Germany are $1.84 (£1.36) per litre. This is a sharp increase from June 2021, when prices were around $1.75 (£1.29) a litre. Like the UK, Germany has also faced lorry driver shortages that have made it difficult to fill up pumps, and at 54%, its crude oil tax rate is much higher than average. 

Mayotte, a small French-administered island located between Madagascar and the coast of Mozambique, has steep gasoline prices averaging $1.84 (£1.36) per litre. According to the OEC, 'refined petroleum products' including gasoline were Mayotte's top imports in 2020, costing $67.3 million (£49.5m) in total. The island imports the majority of its fuel from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Singapore, and India. Tight supplies of liquified petroleum gas has caused prices to spike across Asia, translating to rising fuel costs that have prompted social unrest in Mayotte. 

The issue of excessively high fuel prices acted as a catalyst for France's gilets jaunes ('yellow vests') protests. Gasoline prices remain very high at $1.85 (£1.37) a litre, although the French government is set to block rises in gas and electricity prices until April 2022 to avoid a repeat of past unrest. Crude oil in France is taxed at 59%.

The German-speaking principality Liechtenstein, which is located between Austria and Switzerland, has an average gasoline price of $1.86 (£1.38) per litre. Data from the United Nations shows that crude oil and non-crude oil are among Liechtenstein's biggest imports. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, Liechtenstein's environmental taxes include charges on motor vehicles, mineral oil tax surcharges on motor fuels, automobile taxes, and more. Together, these taxes account for 3.9% of the country's total tax income and are passed on to drivers at the pumps. 

The average fuel price in the UK is $1.87 (£1.38) per litre. Many economists believe that these prices could continue to surge, reaching record highs. The country's current fuel crisis is a result of global shortages as well as supply chain issues caused by Brexit. As lorry drivers have left the UK in droves, there are no longer enough people to fill up pumps, leaving many petrol stations completely dry. The UK also has one of the world's highest oil taxes at 61% per litre, according to OPEC. 

Filling up your vehicle in Sweden is expensive, with gasoline prices averaging $1.95 (£1.44) per litre. Sweden levies high environmental taxes on fuel, which is subject to both a carbon tax and energy tax. It became the second country in the world to implement a carbon tax after introducing the surcharge in 1991. 

Like many other European countries, fuel prices are soaring to all-time highs in Portugal. As in Sweden, average gasoline prices are $1.95 (£1.44) per litre. According to The Portugal News, in October 2021 the country's Energy Services Regulatory Authority (ERSE) announced that the majority of the average sale price "corresponds to the tax component, followed by the value of the international price and freight, which increased in line with the behaviour of international markets." 

Yet another European country to be hit by surging fuel prices, Italy currently charges $1.96 (£1.45) for a litre of gasoline. This is an increase from $1.90 (£1.40) back in June. Global supply issues are to blame for the recent hike, but fuel prices have always been steep in Italy due to the 60% tax rate and high median wealth per adult, which was $118,880 (£87.3k) in 2020.

Barbados might be a Caribbean island paradise, but it can be hell on earth for anyone with a gas-guzzling vehicle. With a litre of gasoline costing $1.97 (£1.45) on average, it's no wonder that Barbadians have become one of the world's biggest users of electric vehicles. According to Aldo Ho-Kong-King of the Petrol Dealers' Association of Barbados, high taxes are to blame for the island's excessive fuel prices. Surcharges include a fuel tax that increases the cost by 40 cents a litre and an excise tax that adds a whopping 99.3 cents a litre, as reported by Barbados Today. 

In 2018, Iceland was the priciest place in the world to buy petrol but has since fallen down the ranks. It still costs a hefty $1.97 (£1.46) per litre though, due to the high cost of living and surcharges that include a special petrol tax, general petrol tax, carbon tax, and VAT. 

Finland may boast some of the happiest (and richest) people in the world, but even the most cheerful Finnish motorist must get a little down over the country's high petrol prices. Averaging $1.97 (£1.46) per litre, petrol in Finland is heavily taxed, with transport fuel taxes accounting for more than 1% of the economy between 2015 and 2019, according to Statista. Crude and refined petroleum are some of the country's biggest imports and are mainly sourced from Norway and Russia. 

Motorists in Greece have to pay $1.99 (£1.47) on average for a litre of petrol. The government has imposed high taxes on the commodity to boost revenue in the austerity-hit country. Greece also has one of the highest tax rates on gasoline in Europe. 

The cost of living in Monaco is almost four times higher than average, so it's no surprise that gasoline costs around $1.99 (£1.47) a litre. Fortunately, more affordable petrol in France is only a short drive away. 

Like other countries in Scandinavia, Denmark sells petrol at a premium price. The average gasoline cost is a staggering $2.02 (£1.49) per litre and is taxed more heavily than diesel. This price includes a carbon tax and fuel excise tax to offset the environmental effects.

Unlike other countries in the Middle East, Israel has introduced a high fuel tax, with the average litre of gasoline costing a budget-busting $2.03 (£1.50). It's been reported that the petrol itself accounts for around 32% of this price, while the remaining cost covers refinery prices, VAT, and excise taxes. 

Despite being one of Europe's biggest oil producers, Norway has chosen to tax petrol rather than subsidise it – making it one of the only oil-producing countries in the world to do so. As a result, motorists are paying an average of $2.11 (£1.56) for a litre of pterol. This is a notable surge from June 2021, when filling up your tank would have cost $2.05 (£1.51) per litre. 

Because it produces no oil or natural gas of its own, the Central African Republic relies on imports. This means that fuel prices are much higher than in neighbouring countries, at an eye-watering cost of $2.14 (£1.58) per litre. OEC data shows that the country imported $57.7 million (£42.4m) of refined petroleum in 2019, but global shortages and supply chain issues are making it hard for the Republic to match this investment in 2021. 

Dutch people pay a small fortune for fuel. Back in June 2021, it cost an eye-watering $2.11 (£1.56) per litre and now prices have climbed even higher. As of September 2021, motorists have to pay a whopping $2.18 (£1.61) per litre, making the Netherlands the priciest place in Europe to fill up your tank. But it's not just the recent shotages that are responsible for the increase in prices. The country has long implemented some of the highest fuel taxes in the world, including an explicit carbon tax and fuel excise tax, according to the OECD. 

The Hong Kong authorities pile heavy taxes on petrol to discourage car ownership in favour of public transport in the special administrative region. Motorists need deep pockets if they wish to drive, as the price of petrol is a staggering $2.56 (£1.89) per litre. 

Now read on to discover the 20 countries where it's cheapest to fill up your car. 

Oman has plenty of oil, which means the government can afford to bankroll lavish subsidies that keep the price of petrol low. On average, gasoline costs just $0.61 (45p) a litre. 

Gasoline comes at a very low cost of just $0.59 (43p) a litre in Colombia, but it's not all good news. According to a report by Oilprice.com, a staggering $3 million (£2.2m) of cheap fuel is smuggled into the country every day to sustain the illegal drug industry. 

Gasoline prices in Azerbaijan are regulated by the government, which keeps them nice and low. Although prices have risen slightly over the last few years, a litre of petrol will set a motorist back just $0.58 (43p) at the time of writing, despite global shortages. According to the OEC, Azerbaijan exported around $17.6 billion (£12.9bn) of crude petroleum, petroleum gas, and refined petroleum in 2019. 

Although prices in Egypt have risen over the past couple of years, its fuel costs are still some of the cheapest in the world. A litre of gasoline comes in at only $0.57 (42p). 

The price of petrol at the pumps in oil-rich Qatar is a minuscule $0.56 (41p), an increase of just four cents from June 2021. Despite global shortages, state-owned Qatar Petroleum has signed seven international sales deals since February 2021 and seen high levels of investment to increase its production capacity. 

Generous government subsidies keep the price of gasoline extremely affordable for motorists in socialist Bolivia. The official set price of $0.54 (40p) per litre has remained stable throughout the global fuel shortage. 

The island country of Bahrain, located near the Persian Gulf, has incredibly modest gasoline prices. Although the government has lowered its fuel subsidies in a series of cuts from 2014, the price remains low at just $0.53 (39p) per litre. 

Filling up your tank in Haiti costs pennies. Tying with Bahrain, a litre of gasoline is only $0.53 (39p). The government announced plans to raise the price of fuel in 2018, with proposed increases of up to 50%. But it abandoned the idea after the announcement sparked violent protests throughout the country. Haiti had previously benefitted from cheap fuel from Venezuela.

Iraq holds the world's fifth-largest proved crude oil reserves, which means fuel prices are seriously cheap. Motorists can fill up their tanks for the bargain price of just $0.51 (38p) a litre. 

Good news for Malaysian motorists. Despite the global fuel crisis, gasoline prices have remained steady throughout 2021, with a litre costing just $0.48 (35p). 

Ethiopia is an oil-producing country, which helps to keep the cost of fuel way below global averages. Gasoline costs only $0.46 (34p) per litre. 

Turkmenistan has the cheapest gasoline prices among the 'Stans, but prices were even more affordable in 2017. The cost of petrol per litre in the Central Asian country is now $0.42 (31p), up from just $0.29 (23p) four years ago.

Nigeria is Africa's premier oil-producing nation. Luckily for motorists there, the country's government caps the price of gasoline in the country, which at the moment stands at $0.40 (30p) per litre. But that could potentially change. According to OPEC's 2021 Annual Statistical Bulletin, Nigeria's crude oil reserves have dropped by 543 million barrels over the last five years.

A litre of gasoline in Kuwait is set at the astonishingly low average price of just $0.40 (30p), thanks to the country's oil reserves. 

The Algerian government previously had plans to increase fuel costs but, like officials in Haiti, backed out of the unpopular decision. Gasoline is still incredibly cheap in the country, costing just $0.33 (24p) a litre. 

The Angolan oil industry is rebounding under President João Lourenço's administration. The increase in production is translating to lower prices at the pumps, with a litre of gasoline currently costing a wallet-friendly $0.26 (19p). 

Filling up your tank in Syria will only set you back pennies. A litre of gasoline costs the tiny sum of $0.23 (17p). 

Iran has a massive crude oil reserve that accounts for 12% of reserves worldwide. It's no surprise then that gasoline comes at the shockingly low price of just $0.06 (4p) a litre. 

Cheaper than a bottle of water, a litre of gasoline costs next to nothing in oil-producing Venezuela. The cheapest gasoline in the world is priced at $0.02 (1p) per litre – but not many people can take advantage of it. Estimates suggest that just 145 people out of 1,000 own a car in Venezuela, partly because the country doesn't have the infrastructure that's required to untap its huge reserves of oil. 

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