Why doesn't fuel cost the same everywhere?

A large part of the price is the same everywhere: the energy tax per litre, the CO₂ price and value-added tax of 19 per cent. On top come the purchase price of the fuel, transport and storage, and the margin of the oil company and the petrol station. Differences between stations arise almost entirely in this last part – and that depends heavily on competition.

Petrol stations watch their neighbours closely. Where several stations sit on the same arterial road, they quickly follow price cuts. A single station with no competition nearby can hold higher prices. That is why it pays not to head only for the nearest station: on every city page, the price map shows which corners are cheap, and the statistics compare the city centre with the outskirts.

In its 2011 sector inquiry into fuels (Sektoruntersuchung Kraftstoffe), the Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt) described five large suppliers as market-dominating: Aral, Shell, Esso, TotalEnergies, JET. Alongside them there are supermarket stations, smaller brands and independent stations. Independent stations are often somewhat cheaper – but not everywhere and not at all times.

We work this out for every city from the prices currently loaded: the statistics section of a city page shows how far the big chains there are above or below the other stations. That is our own calculation across all open stations – not a ranking and not a recommendation for any brand.

At motorway stations, fuel is usually considerably more expensive than in the town next door: the lease costs are high and customers have hardly any alternative. If you can, fill up before you join the motorway or leave it briefly for your fuel stop. How big the premium is is covered in the guide Filling up on the motorway.

Since 1 April 2026, petrol stations may only raise their prices at 12 noon. Fuel is therefore usually cheapest in the morning and most expensive right after 12 noon. More in the guide The best time to fill up.

From 1 May to 30 June 2026, the energy tax on fuels was cut by 14.04 cents per litre, or 16.7 cents including value-added tax. According to the Federal Cartel Office, about 83 per cent of this reached the pump for diesel and about 78 per cent for Super E5; the authority explains the rest mainly by higher margins at petrol stations. Such analyses are only possible because every price change is reported to Germany's Market Transparency Unit for Fuels (Markttransparenzstelle für Kraftstoffe, MTS-K) – the same data you see here.

• Federal Cartel Office: quarterly report of the Market Transparency Unit, 10 July 2026 (in German)
• Federal Cartel Office: results of the sector inquiry into fuels, 26 May 2011 (in German)