Diesel exceeds 10 RON/litre in most cities, despite excise duty reduction

Fuel prices remain very high and continue to weigh heavily on Romanians' budgets, including those of elderly families who use their car daily or rely on transport for shopping and medical appointments. On Thursday, 3 September 2026, the cheapest standard petrol in Bucharest costs 9.55 RON/litre, whilst standard diesel starts from 9.97 RON/litre, according to data published by PretCarburant.ro.

For premium variants, the threshold of 10 RON per litre has already been exceeded: Premium petrol in the capital costs a minimum of 10.03 RON/litre, whilst Premium diesel reaches at least 10.74 RON/litre. LPG is available from approximately 4.60 RON/litre.

At these levels, a 50-litre tank of standard petrol costs approximately 477.50 RON, whilst 50 litres of standard diesel comes to around 498.50 RON.

Marginal differences between major cities

For 95-octane petrol, the lowest prices are found in Arad, Cluj-Napoca, and Târgoviște, where the price per litre starts from 9.49 RON. These are followed by Craiova and Baia Mare (9.51 RON/litre), Brăila (9.53 RON/litre), and Satu Mare (9.54 RON/litre). In București, Timișoara, Constanța, Oradea, Brașov, Iași, Pitești, Ploiești, Buzău, Târgu Mureș, Sibiu, Bacău, and Râmnicu Vâlcea, the minimum listed price is 9.55 RON/litre.

For diesel, the lowest price is in Cluj-Napoca – 9.96 RON/litre. In nearly all other major cities analysed (București, Arad, Timișoara, Constanța, Craiova, Oradea, Brașov, Iași, Pitești, Satu Mare, Ploiești, Baia Mare, Buzău, Târgu Mureș, Sibiu, Bacău, Târgoviște, Râmnicu Vâlcea, and Brăila), standard diesel also starts from 9.97 RON/litre – a difference of just one ban compared to the lowest price.

Premium fuel and LPG prices

For Premium petrol, the lowest price is in Arad – 9.84 RON/litre, followed by Târgoviște and Brăila at 9.99 RON/litre. In most other major cities, the minimum price is 10.03 RON/litre.

Premium diesel starts from 10.54 RON/litre in Craiova, Cluj-Napoca, and Baia Mare, from 10.59 RON/litre in Arad and Satu Mare, whilst in many other cities it reaches a minimum of 10.74 RON/litre.

For LPG, the lowest price is in Târgoviște – 4.43 RON/litre. In Cluj-Napoca, the minimum price is 4.59 RON/litre, whilst in București, Brașov, Ploiești, Buzău, and Sibiu it reaches approximately 4.60 RON/litre. In the remaining major cities, prices range between 4.61 and 4.64 RON/litre.

Impact on household budgets

With petrol prices at 9.55 RON/litre and diesel approaching 10 RON/litre, every fill-up becomes a significant expense – a 50-litre tank costs nearly 500 RON. For those who use their car every day, monthly fuel costs can become very difficult to manage.

Rising fuel prices do not only affect drivers directly: higher transport costs can also influence the prices of goods and services on the market, meaning the impact can be felt throughout the entire supply chain, including in everyday shopping baskets.