Greece is one of the more expensive places to fill up in Europe, and where you do it inside the country matters more than in almost any other holiday destination. A tank on a Cycladic island can cost noticeably more than the same tank in Athens, for one simple reason: the fuel arrived by boat. If you are renting a car for the islands this summer, a little planning at the pump is worth real money.
Start with the live picture. As of 22 July 2026, petrol in Greece averages 1.98 €/L and diesel 1.95 €/L, against an EU average of 1.88 €/L and 1.96 €/L. Here is how Greece compares with the countries a road-tripper typically drives through or weighs up on the way south:
| Country | Gasoline (€/L) | Diesel (€/L) |
|---|---|---|
| 🇬🇷 Greece | 1.98 | 1.95 |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | 1.99 | 2.15 |
| 🇭🇷 Croatia | 1.74 | 1.97 |
| 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 1.66 | 1.86 |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | 1.66 (598.17 HUF) | 1.72 (618.36 HUF) |
Live national averages, cheapest per fuel in bold. Non-euro countries also shown in local currency.
Why the islands cost more
Greece supplies its islands the only way it can, by sea. There is no fuel pipeline to the Cyclades or the Dodecanese, so every litre is shipped in, and that logistics bill lands on the pump price as a special distribution cost that applies to island areas only. The result is a persistent island premium. In May 2026 the Hellenic Fuel Observatory recorded unleaded at around 2.26 euros a litre in the Cyclades and above 2.20 in the Dodecanese, against roughly 2.11 in Athens and Thessaloniki: a gap of about 15 cents, and on the priciest islands closer to 20. Crete, Corfu, Zakynthos and the other big holiday islands sit between the two.
A government cap keeps the retail margin in check. Since a March 2026 ministerial decision, stations may add no more than 5 cents a litre in margin on petrol and diesel, islands included. That controls profiteering, but it cannot erase the shipping cost, which is why island fuel stays structurally dearer than the mainland even when the wider market is calm.
What you pay is mostly tax
The bigger reason Greek fuel is expensive has nothing to do with islands. Taxes make up close to 60 percent of the pump price. The excise duty is high by European standards, and Greece then applies its 24 percent VAT on top of the excise, so you pay tax on a tax. That compounding is why Greece regularly ranks among the most expensive fuel markets in the world despite modest pre-tax costs.
One nuance is worth knowing. A cluster of smaller Aegean and Dodecanese islands, among them Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Kos and Leros, carry a 30 percent reduced-VAT regime reinstated for 2026. It lowers VAT on many goods and services there, but it does not rescue you at the pump: the transport premium on fuel outweighs any VAT relief, and these islands remain among the priciest places in the country to fill up. Treat the reduced-VAT islands as a shopping perk, not a fuel discount.
Filling up smart this summer
The practical playbook writes itself. If your trip runs through the mainland before the islands, fill the tank before you board the ferry: Athens, Thessaloniki and the big ports of Piraeus and Rafina are consistently cheaper than anything you will find on Mykonos or Santorini. On the islands themselves a rental rarely needs much, distances are short, so top up little and often rather than paying island rates for a full tank you will not use.
Prices vary across the mainland too. The Ministry's Fuel Price Observatory publishes averages per prefecture, and in mid-July 2026 more than a dozen regions had petrol back above 2 euros a litre, so even off the islands it pays to compare. Petromap tracks Greek stations live: check the live map for the cheapest pump near you, or the Greece country page for today's national and city averages. Developers can pull the same data from our free API.