Where are the cheapest places to fuel your car in Germany?

Filling your car up with fuel is an expensive business. But car owners will be glad to hear that prices have dipped.

According to Germany's ADAC motoring association, a litre of Super E10 currently costs an average of €1.715 nationwide - 1.8 cents less than in the previous week. Diesel is also slightly cheaper than last week: a litre costs an average of €1.59 - that is 1.3 cents less than in the previous week and the lowest level since June 2023.

The cost of fuel at the pump is heavily influenced by the price of crude oil on the international markets. At the moment, Brent crude oil has fallen in price and currently costs around 77 US dollars per barrel. Furthermore, the euro is significantly stronger against the US dollar and has reached an annual high of over $1.11 per euro. These factors tend to lead to lower petrol prices.

According to the ADAC, diesel is still too expensive despite the renewed fall in price. The price of Super E10 is considered "reasonable", according to experts. 

Where is it cheapest - and most expensive - to fill up in Germany?

You will pay more or less for fuel depending on where you are in Germany. 

According to an analysis by ADAC, a litre of Super E10 in the northernmost federal state of Schleswig-Holstein costs the most nationwide at an average of €1.739. The most expensive federal state for diesel drivers is Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where a litre costs an average of €1.621.

The price situation at gas stations in the west of the country is different. Saarland has the cheapest petrol. For a litre of Super E10, you have to pay an average of €1.682 in Germany's smallest state, which is 5.7 cents less than in Schleswig-Holstein.

For diesel drivers, Rhineland-Palatinate is currently the cheapest - the average price per litre here is €1.557, a whopping 6.4 cents less than in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Saarland is again in second place with €1.568.

The full list of fuel prices compared from lowest to highest prices for a litre is below. Super E10 petrol on the left, with diesel on the right. 

According to the ADAC, there have only been minor changes in the ranking of federal states in recent months. The price differences between the states in the current evaluation for petrol are at a similar level to the July study, while they have increased for diesel.

The ADAC recommends that motorists in Germany make consistent use of all opportunities to save money when filling up.

"This strengthens competition on the fuel market and is only to the benefit of all consumers," says the ADAC. The motoring association recommends opting for inexpensive petrol stations at convenient refuelling times whenever possible.

"As a rule, petrol prices are lowest in the evening, whereas fuel is several cents more expensive at almost every petrol station at 7 o'clock in the morning," says the ADAC.

For the study, the ADAC analysed price data from more than 14,000 petrol stations registered with the market transparency office for fuels and allocated them to the 16 states. The prices determined represent a snapshot as at 11 am on August 20th.