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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 3 of 15)
Lori Jun 27th 2007 3:08PM
When was the last time someone in England or France had to drive 60 miles to work? I'd love to be able to take the train to work. There aren't any. I can't afford to live in the town where I work unless I live in the ghetto. I don't want to. I want to live somewhere relatively safe. So, that makes me a bad person. I'm glad to know it. I'm also glad to know that everyone else in the entire world is better than people in the US. Fight your own wars, grow your own food and leave us alone.
San Jul 3rd 2007 12:17PM
I never got where they get these prices from..I always read that is "under 3.00 dollars a gallon in CT, WHERE???All around me its been 3.50 + agallon for the last year!
Jess Jun 27th 2007 3:08PM
Dear Pam:
A gallon is a gallon. Yes, normally they purchase by the litre, but I'm going to assume that these prices reflect an equal amount between the different countries.
And clearly you've never been to Europe. Your buck goes a lot farther in the United States than a euro does in Europe. And this is coming from someone who lives in the United States. So maybe YOU should just shut up.
San Jul 3rd 2007 12:18PM
As for public transporation...we have none within 20 min of my home! I wish there was a bus line, Id use it!
Jess Jun 27th 2007 3:12PM
Ourman - get a life. Seriously you think that the people of the US actually elect the president? Get a clue! Its the electoral college. Every single friggin person in the US could have voted for Gore and it wouldnt make a piss a** difference because the votes that matter are those of the people. And for the record it has happened in the past that the people voted one way and the electoral college has voted another. And the average person doesnt drive a hummer genius. You may have this disillusioned vision that we are all sitting here in air conditioned houses, driving luxary cars and eating lobster every night but I gotta tell ya - it aint so. These gas prices are hurting the low - middle income families who already have parents working. You guys have a national health system, we dont. Insurance can be excessively expensive with premiums around $250 a month. Sure we have medicare but that is for the indigent.. not familes who are above the requirements but are barely scraping by.
Reab is right. We have the Gulf Coast which produces a lot of oil. After Katrina happened gas prices skyrocketed and havent been the same since. Even now when almost 98% of all the oil refineries in the region are up and running at full production we are still get slammed with the prices climbing ever higher.
Another thing about cost of living (COL) is that the food prices are going up BECAUSE of the gas. John Stossil on ABC reported that people arent outraged that the price of an apple has gone up something like 40 cents. Well the answer as to WHY its gone up is because the average peice of fruit sitting on an American table has traveled over 1500 miles to get to your store in chilled compartments. And that is why, ladies and gentlemen why our food is so expensive.
Lastly,
Gas in NY hasnt been $2.76 in over a year. Gas in Chicago hasnt seen it that low either. How do I know? I lived in both places. Someone (the author) didnt check with the local GasBuddy prices...
Lisa Jun 27th 2007 3:14PM
I'd like to know WHERE on God's green earth these folks got their figures for gas prices! Because Chicago is WAY off!!! $2.69?? They WISH their gas was that low. I'm in Virginia & my sister just visited here from Chicago - she almost drove off the road in amazement when she saw how CHEAP our gas was.... that was about $2.97 They pay closer to $3.50/gallon in Chicago... maybe more.
BUCK Jun 27th 2007 6:39PM
TAXES ARE THE REASON THEY PAY MORE THAN WE DO, THEY PAY THE SAME FROM THE OIL COUNTRIES AS WE DO. BUSH GOT MORE VOTES, HE WON, GORE DOES NOT KNOW STINK. THE ELETORAL COLLEGE ONLY ONCE WENT AGAINST THE POPULAR VOTE
Ken Smith/Houston Jun 28th 2007 4:01AM
We're paying $2.54 a gallon for regular? Where in Houston? WE WISH. We're currently paying anywhere from %2.76 at Valero to $3.01 at some Chevrons. Guess again. Why don't we get off our duffs and find other sources? My hats off to the Aussies for having that solar car race. Now that's a keen idea. Doesn't matter now who's in office as were all being taken for a ride by the middle East. I would love to see Al Gore run again. I think people are beginning to listen to global warming..Those Greenland photos made MY ears perk up...Thanks Nat'l Geographic!!!
e tate Jun 27th 2007 3:56PM
None of you get it. Gas prices in Europe are about the same as they are in the USA. The difference in price is because of high taxes levied on gasoline in these countries. The US federal tax is about 18%. Tax on gas in France is 70%.
kevindixit Jun 27th 2007 3:56PM
FIRST FIGURE OUT THE AVERAGE PAY OF THE AMERICANS AND THEN THE SAVINGS AND THEN COMPARE THE GAS PRICES OF OURS AND OTHER COUTRIES.
MY PRESENT PAY IS 5% MORE THAN 2002, AND THE SAVINGS 35% DOWN. IT HAS HAPPENED BECAUSE OF GAS PRICE. SO IMAGINE THE EFFECT OF THE HIGHER GAS PRICE ON MONTHLY EXPENDITURE AND SAVINGS.
e tate Jun 27th 2007 4:18PM
Gas costs about the same in any of these other countries as it does in the USA. The difference in price there is derived from higher taxes. ie, France has a 70% tax on gasoline. The USA has a 18% federal tax.
lindsey Jun 27th 2007 4:04PM
I can honestly say that the gas prices listed for NY are way off, well over $3.00 per gallon. I, however, live in NJ and I paid $2.79 per gallon today, which is one of the lowest prices that I have seen in the state.
Laura Jun 27th 2007 4:08PM
gas in kentucky can be as low as $2.73 and it just keeps going down,
clay Jun 27th 2007 4:23PM
well we do live in the usa but maybe some one in those other places havent driven across montana or texas mmm i think montana is about 12 hrs to drive across hell in other places you would be in 3-4 different countries not crossing one state, just a thought
Bill Mc Minn Jun 27th 2007 4:23PM
These comments about are true, but none of them have commented about how much of the price is taxes. I think you will see a big difference once you take away the taxes.
Ava Jun 27th 2007 4:24PM
I completely agree that prices in many countries are significantly higher, however, we do need to look at the public transportation issues. While some cities in the United States have good public transportation systems, that is not the case for most of them. Also, we have a significant percentage of our country spread out over massive land areas that require a car to get anywhere. Additionally, our cost of living, housing, etc. is rising at a dramatic rate while our salaries are not. Most of the people I know are making only slightly more than they were 20 years ago yet my neighbor who paid $110,000 for his house 20 years ago just sold it for 1.5 million dollars. A car that we could have purchased for $10,000 20 years ago is $70,000 now. Yet, as an example, a salary 20 years ago of $10/hr. is now $20/hr. You can see the problems that this causes for most people. Also, most people cannot afford to buy a home anywhere near where they work and spend hours each day communting by car to their jobs since the public transportation system is so poor. To suddenly double the cost of gas while your salary stays the same means going without in some other area of your budget. For some people, that could be a serious sacrifice while for others it may just mean that all the fun has been taken away and now they work merely to exist.
Life is hard, the "gasoline crisis" is making it much harder for many, but it is the overall problems with inflation we are facing in this country that have really hurt us all. As always, the have's have more and the have nots have even less.
Ava
bntherdunitall Jun 27th 2007 4:25PM
As an American, I am often embarressed by many of our citizen's attitude of "entitlement". If we choose to drive gas guzzling vehicles unlike most Europeans and Asians, we as the wealthiest country in the world should pay for it. We should utilize and develop better mass transportation. We should car pool more. We are spoiled and whiney when we it comes to gas prices. We are not "entitled" to low cost for fuel just because we are American.
MikeJones Jun 27th 2007 4:32PM
I get annoyed when people think Bush controls the price of gas the same way a pot dealer controls the price of an ounce of smoke. I would like to think, and I am sure I am right, the oil industry is a bit more complex than dealing. The reason gas prices are going up is because of a thing called supply and demand. We are running out of oil and more people need it now than ever before. This is why the prices go up during the Summer and fall during the Winter. More people drive in the Summer than any other time.
As for the public transportation system. People forget America LOVES their cars. It is in us from the day we are born. This is why a public transportation system is taking longer to develop. But they are popping up more than ever before.
Jon Jun 28th 2007 11:05AM
This isn't very surprising. The areas where petroleum refineries are prevalent are those where the prices are miniscule. The Middle East, Venezuela, and Argentina have the largest amounts of oil production in the world.
So when I hear other Americans complaining about gas prices, it makes me think of their ignorance, because at least we are not paying near $6.00 for gas like most European countries. If anything, we should be greatful for our oil prices... because we don't have it so bad after all!
LINDA Jun 27th 2007 4:49PM
Try not voting for a numbskull with such close links to the oil industry next time.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I COULDN'T OF SAID IT BETTER MYSELF. I DIDN'T VOTE FOR BUSH, TRIED TO TALK PEOPLE OUT OF IT AND NOW THEY COMPLAIN.