An hour at the minimum wage in Europe buys 8.5 litres of petrol in Luxembourg but 2.2 in Bulgaria, and fewer litres than a year ago in 20 of 22 EU countries.

Which country in Europe has the cheapest petrol?

Malta has the cheapest petrol in the EU, at 1.34 euros a litre on 12 Oct 2026, unchanged from earlier in the year. At the other end of the scale, Denmark is the most expensive at 2.658 euros a litre, and the Netherlands is the priciest for Euro 95 among the 22 countries in this chart at 2.462 euros a litre.

Earlier in 2026, when prices were lower, Malta was already the outlier at the bottom. According to Euronews, as of 30 March 2026 Euro 95 cost 1.34 euros a litre in Malta, with Bulgaria the next cheapest at 1.44 euros.¹

Why are EU petrol prices so high right now?

EU fuel prices are high because crude oil and refining capacity have both been squeezed by the Middle East conflict and Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian refineries. According to Euronews, crude oil climbed from around 70 dollars a barrel just before hostilities began at the end of February to about 100 dollars by September 2026, pushing EU petrol prices about 15% higher and diesel around 30% higher compared with late February.^{1, 4}

Refinery disruptions are making the problem worse. Skip York, a nonresident fellow at Rice University's Center for Energy Studies, told DW that "the oil bottleneck has shifted from 'not enough crude' in March/April to 'not enough refining capacity' since August," with Ukrainian drone strikes and the Hormuz conflict "knocking out working refining capacity faster than anyone can replace it."² Georg Zachmann, a senior fellow at Bruegel, noted that Europe is "structurally long on gasoline, which it exports, and short on diesel, which it must import," leaving the continent especially exposed.² Julien Mathonniere, an economist at Energy Intelligence, added that heavy EU fuel taxes, which often make up more than two-thirds of the pump price, amplify the effect of any rise in pre-tax costs.⁴

How much does Europe pay per hour at minimum wage?

Minimum wage in Europe varies enormously, from 15.99 euros an hour in Luxembourg to 3.58 euros in Bulgaria, based on the July 2026 rates used in this chart. Ireland (7.1 litres an hour) and Belgium (6.5 litres) follow Luxembourg at the top; Bulgaria sits at the bottom at 2.2 litres.

According to Euronews, around 12.8 million workers across 22 EU countries earn a minimum wage or less.³ The five highest hourly rates in the EU are Luxembourg at 16.02 euros, the Netherlands at 14.99 euros, Ireland at 14.15 euros, Germany at 13.90 euros and Belgium at 12.54 euros, according to connexion-emploi.com.⁶ Bulgaria, Latvia, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia have the lowest rates, all below 5 euros an hour.⁶ Experts at the European Trade Union Institute noted that higher productivity is the basis for sustainably higher wages, with stronger industrial or financial activity and high-tech industries tending to produce better pay.³

Will European governments extend fuel tax cuts into 2027?

Ireland has already confirmed an extension well into 2027. According to RTE, the Irish government announced in its Budget that the temporary reduced fuel excise rates, which had lowered petrol by 27 cents a litre and diesel by 32 cents, will be extended until the end of February 2027 and then restored gradually in four phases, with full restoration by the end of June 2027.⁵ Minister for Finance Simon Harris said the extension will "continue to lower inflation, reduce the cost of doing business and keep more money in people's pockets."⁵

For other EU governments, the picture is less certain. Spain confirmed on Oct 14 that its 20-cent-a-litre cut runs through November, and Germany's 17-cent cut covers the rest of the year. Whether either extends into 2027 has not been confirmed in the sources available. France 24 reported that Portugal and Romania have also cut fuel taxes directly, while Bulgaria opted for targeted cash payments to vulnerable citizens rather than a blanket tax reduction.⁴ Whether any of these measures carry into 2027 will depend in part on whether Middle East tensions ease and refinery capacity recovers, possibilities that analysts have flagged but not resolved.^{2, 4}