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The Price of Gas Around the World
The next time you pull into the station for a fill-up, keep this in mind before you curse the prices: People elsewhere have it a lot worse than we do in America (and we tend to gripe about it the most, it seems!). Take Asia for instance -- Hong Kong averages a whopping $6.30 per gallon, with Seoul, South Korea, not too far behind. Europe also pays well above what we do in America. London, Berlin, Oslo, and Paris are all well above $6 a gallon. On the low end of the spectrum, places in the Middle East like Kuwait City and Tehran, Iran, pay under 79 cents for their gas. Big surprise there!
The lowest, however, is reserved for Caracas, Venezuela. 17 cents per gallon! [via]
Related:
The lowest, however, is reserved for Caracas, Venezuela. 17 cents per gallon! [via]
Related:
Filed under: Asia, Europe, North America
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 15)
ourman Jun 26th 2007 6:00PM
"The next time you pull into the station for a fill-up, keep this in mind before you curse the prices: people elsewhere have it a lot worse than WE do in America"
Can I paraphrase this:
"The next time you post on Gadling can you keep this in mind that not everyone who reads it is American."
None of the Ws in WWW stands for "We" and if it did - that We wouldn't be American.
Can you remember that you are writing not just for Americans?
Sorry, it's my biggest grouch of internet pages originating in America - you forget that people from different countries read it too.
Justin Glow Jun 26th 2007 6:45PM
Criticism noted, thanks.
Dleuxe Jun 26th 2007 8:15PM
I'm from Australia and the petrol price listed above for Sydney is about $2.50 more than what we actually pay. I have never, ever seen petrol that dear in Australia.
Coop May 14th 2008 9:12AM
Post to the Aussie dude....I'm from Australia as well and I think the above price is in GALLONS. And dont know where your from but it was a long time ago that we were paying 1.07 a litre. As for everyone else...as of March 08 the average Sydney price is 1.40Aud per litre, thats 5.29 Aud per Gallon and currently our exchange rate for US dollars is .95 to our dollar. Im from outback Oz and my price is 5.60 a Gallon, hope that clarifies
ubuntu Jun 27th 2007 2:26AM
I have a comment about the criticism: while the audience might not be all American, the author is. And if the author is writing from his/her perspective, then that has to be taken into account.
Personally, I care more about the graphic than nitpicking on one word that's debatable and off topic to the issue. I agree that Americans complain about gas prices far too much, but they don't see graphics like this often (enough).
Who created this image? And has it been published in the mainstream press anywhere on the planet?
jou Jun 27th 2007 3:38AM
About 1.33 EUR per litre here in Finland which translates to something like $6.8 per gallon.
And don't get me started on car prices.. A very basic Toyota Corolla with 1.6 litre engine is about 25000 EUR, or $33500. I don't think they even sell Corollas with 1.6 litre engine in the US.
Average salary is about $3400 a month, of which a roughly 1/3 is taken away in taxes (taxation is progressive). However, everything you buy carries VAT (mostly 22%) so the effective tax rate is close to 50% for most people.
I really do think that when it comes to cost of owning a car Americans have *nothing* to complain about.
tseliot Jun 27th 2007 4:22AM
I really think these diagrams should be shown to more and more people. Americans need to realize that we do have some of the cheapest gas prices in the world. We are very lucky, perhaps spoiled. As gas prices in the states go up, perhaps we will grow to be more like the rest of the world and drive more fuel efficient cars.
kath Jun 27th 2007 10:00AM
Exactly where in NY is gas $2.76 a gallon? Please tell me, because it's $3.19 around here - and I'm not even in the city. We haven't seen $2.76 since last year sometime, although I appreciate that someone is letting us all know how good we have it, price wise compared to the rest of the world. I just wish it was more accurate.
Richard Kimble Jun 27th 2007 1:40PM
These are interesting stats, but the problem with all such stories about gas prices is how they don't take into account other cost-of-living factors that offset the price, so to reach the conclusion "we've got it better than most other countries" is a crock. What's needed is more context.
For instance, average salaries in many of those countries are higher. Most also have far better public transportation than we do, making driving more of an option. In addition, most of those countries are smaller, so trips don't use as much gas.
Here, among other expense influences, our spread-out suburbia demands we drive since mass transit is inadequate. And we drive bigger gas-eaters. The Smart car is only debuting here now; five years ago I saw them all over Paris. Among non-transportation influences, our health care system is far more expensive than almost anywhere else.
Michelle Jun 27th 2007 2:30PM
I agree with Richard Kimble, this is seriously taken out of context....Americans' gas is cheaper but we often have to drive much further & there is little or very poor public transport.
ourman Jun 27th 2007 2:35PM
Awww poor Americans have to drive Hummers and their public transport stinks so they really must have cheap petrol as it's not their fault.
Try not voting for a numbskull with such close links to the oil industry next time. Hmm who was he up against the first time he was elected?
Some dude called Gore, wasn't it? Something tells me he might have spent more time trying to safeguard the environment.
Hmmm May 15th 2008 11:02AM
ourman, you're an idiot.
Karl Jun 27th 2007 6:26PM
Yes , And there are the ones that your chart make it very hard to read that are $0.17 per gl. $0.33 per gl. and so on .
Karl
reab Jun 27th 2007 2:42PM
What everyone seems to forget is that those countries that are paying more are NOT oil producing as we are, and that is why they pay the prices they do. Since we ARE an oil producing country, we SHOULD be lower, but we aren't. That simply means that our government and the oil companies are, as usual, ripping us off.
Pam Jun 27th 2007 2:53PM
DId anyone stop to think that their gallon is bigger than ours and that their cars get better gas mileaage and that we do drive further than they do. Some of those countries you could drive across in a day. Plus, their taxes are in their gas. Ours come out of our paychecks. I think if you took a real good look at this you would find out that it probably pretty much equals itself out. A lot of these Europeans come over here and talk about how cheap everything is and they own homes over here. We Americans are lucky if we own even one home. So tell me who is it that has the more money, and, I get about as tired of them talking about how expensive everything is for them in Europe when they should be us with the rate of exchange. I still say 50,000 pounds in Europe goes just as far for them as $50,00 for us in the United States, so, everybody shut up!
suzie Jun 27th 2007 2:48PM
OK, Paris and London are paying much more in gas than we are. However, the need for a car in either of those cities (in Europe in general) is practically nonexistent. I spent a year living in France and never once wished I had a car. Most people in those cities do not own cars, and those who do still take public transport, it's faster, cheaper, and easier (not to mention better for the environment). Also, due to inflation and the declining American dollar (I am assuming the prices listed are in American dollars), one (1) English Pound is the equivalent of two (2) American Dollars ($6.50 USD=$3.25 GBP). Assuming that on average European salaries are higher than American salaries (especially for lower income jobs like teaching) and they do not have to worry about paying for things like healthcare; I figure they are much better off. I now live in Central Florida. I have to take three highways and commute for 45 minutes to work every day in a town where public transport is virtually nonexistent. On top of that my employer no longer carries health insurance, so I am currently uninsured. I would much rather pay for $6.50 a gallon for gas and have a stellar public transport system and universal health care.
Michelle Jun 27th 2007 2:50PM
Hey Ourman, not everyone drives hummers & SUVs. Our public transport doesn't "stink" it is practically non existent in many suburban areas. I would have no way to travel 30 miles to my job if I had no car.
The majority of people DID NOT vote for Bush. Bush did not win the popular vote.
Try not making comments on something you obviously don't know much about.
siggie Jun 25th 2008 3:57AM
there are a lot of comments on london and paris in these threads note to rest of world london is in england it is the capital city,there is life out side of it as in your countrys.I live 300 miles from london and work in the public transport industry but have to drive upto 60 miles (round trip)each day to enable the train system to run along with hundreds of my collegues in the same role we are paying £5.35=$10.51 so to michelle I share your comute just be glad you don't have my fuel bill
Kevin Jun 27th 2007 2:52PM
I would like to know the amount of tax people in each country are paying per gallon.
Randy Ekanger Apr 12th 2008 4:42PM
ya that's right taxes and government restrictions make a huge difference