Baltic Fuel Prices Reveal New Science: Riga Wins in Gasoline, Loses in Diesel

Circle K gas station analysts have published such a fuel price comparison that even economics professors have started scratching their heads. It turns out that in Riga, gasoline is the most expensive, but diesel fuel is the cheapest. In Vilnius, the situation is completely opposite. Tallinn, as usual, sits in the middle and does nothing special.

At Riga's Circle K stations, 95-octane gasoline broke all records during the week, increasing by 2.8% to 1.864 euros per liter. Meanwhile, diesel fuel is doing the opposite — falling by 4.2%. As Riga drivers say: "Now we have to think whether to get a gasoline car to pay more, or diesel to pay less. My head hurts."

In Vilnius, everything is backwards — gasoline is cheap as onions, but diesel fuel is expensive as the silence of Lake Liepāja after a sea storm. There, diesel fuel already costs 2.264 euros per liter, which is 7.1% more than a week ago. Lithuanian drivers say: "We don't know whether to cry or laugh."

Tallinn's Circle K station managers seem to have chosen the diplomatic path — they change prices by only a few percent, so no one can say they are the most expensive or cheapest. LPG costs different prices everywhere, but no one really understands why. Experts predict that next week prices will change again, but in a different direction.