Romania fuel prices July 2026: Diesel 9.43, gasoline 8.65 — NRG-IA

Fuel prices in Romania are no longer moving in tandem. On the morning of July 12, 2026, standard gasoline cost an average of 8.65 lei per liter, while standard diesel had reached 9.43 lei per liter. The 78-bani difference translates to nearly 39 lei more for a 50-liter tank of a diesel passenger car. Gasoline prices remained unchanged from the previous day and were 15 bani cheaper than a month ago. Diesel was also stable compared to Saturday, but 30 bani more expensive than 30 days prior. Romania is thus experiencing two opposing trends at the same pump: gasoline has dropped from 8.80 to 8.65 lei per liter, while diesel has climbed from 9.13 to 9.43 lei. A full tank of diesel has surpassed 470 lei At the current national average, 50 liters of gasoline cost approximately 432 lei. The same amount of diesel costs around 472 lei. The difference becomes more pronounced for commercial vehicles, agricultural machinery, and transport companies, where monthly consumption is much higher. For 1,000 liters, the gap between diesel and gasoline reaches approximately 780 lei. Diesel is the dominant fuel in road freight transport, agriculture, and a significant portion of passenger transport. Its price increase filters into transport costs, and from there, it can gradually impact the prices of food, materials, and goods distributed over long distances. Bucharest, Cluj, Timișoara, and Oradea show very similar prices Differences between major cities are minimal. Bucharest had an average of 8.65 lei per liter for gasoline and 9.43 lei for diesel. At a Petrom station on Barbu Văcărescu Street, both products could be found below the city average: gasoline at 8.62 lei and diesel at 9.39 lei. In Cluj-Napoca, averages stood at 8.66 lei for gasoline and 9.44 lei for diesel. DHR stations on Frunzișului and Plopilor streets displayed 8.59 lei for gasoline and 9.39 lei for diesel, among the lowest values identified in a major urban center. Timișoara was at 8.68 lei for gasoline and 9.45 lei for diesel. Petrom stations in the city, including the one on Calea Aradului, displayed 8.62 lei and 9.39 lei per liter, respectively. Iași, Constanța, and Brașov had averages nearly identical to the national ones, at approximately 8.65 lei for gasoline and 9.43 lei for diesel. Ploiești stood at 8.66 lei and 9.43 lei, while Oradea reached 8.69 lei for gasoline and 9.45 lei for diesel. Among the averages of the eight analyzed cities, the difference was only four bani per liter for gasoline and two bani for diesel. The market is therefore relatively uniform geographically. The city matters less than the retail network, station location, and the level of local competition. Even proximity to refineries does not automatically guarantee cheaper fuel. Ploiești, Romania's main refining hub, had prices close to those in Bucharest, Brașov, and Constanța. The pump price is determined within a broader supply chain that includes international product prices, taxes, transport, storage, and the retail network's commercial policy. Petrom and SOCAR have the lowest averages among major retail networks On July 12, Petrom had a national average of 8.62 lei for standard gasoline and 9.39 lei for diesel. SOCAR stood at approximately 8.63 lei and 9.40 lei, while Rompetrol was at 8.66 lei and 9.44 lei. OMV displayed averages of 8.68 lei for gasoline and 9.45 lei for diesel. MOL reached 8.69 lei and 9.45 lei, while Lukoil was at 8.63 lei and 9.45 lei. The highest averages in the comparison were recorded at Gazprom stations: 8.99 lei for gasoline and 9.60 lei for diesel. The difference between retail network averages thus reaches 37 bani per liter for gasoline and 21 bani for diesel. For a 50-liter tank, the choice of network can alter the cost by approximately 18.5 lei for gasoline and 10.5 lei for diesel. Extreme prices should be viewed as isolated cases. The national minimum identified for gasoline was 8.59 lei per liter, and for diesel, 9.25 lei. At the other end of the spectrum, values reached 9.25 lei for gasoline and 9.60 lei for diesel. These extremes may belong to independent stations or locations with different commercial conditions and do not, on their own, describe the entire market. The return of the excise duty pushed diesel prices up A significant portion of the diesel price hike in July stems from fiscal changes. During the declared crisis situation in the oil market, the Government temporarily reduced the excise duty applied to standard diesel from 2,804.29 lei to 2,504.29 lei per 1,000 liters. The reduction was 300 lei per 1,000 liters, equivalent to 30 bani per liter before VAT. The measure was tied to the crisis period, which was set until June 30, 2026. The cap on the average commercial markup practiced by each operator also remained in effect until June 30. The regulation did not set a fixed pump price but limited the average markup to the level practiced by the operator in 2025. Following the end of this period, this limitation is no longer…