Petrol is not low-priced, it’s a fact. However, you should not be too quick to feel down when you plan travelling by car in this small yet beautiful country. On the first hand, “not low-priced” does not necessarily mean “hugely expensive”; on the second hand, you will be able to save on other things, such as taxi and time spent.
Petrol prices in Georgia
Local filling stations sell unleaded petrol and diesel. You will find leaded petrol in Georgia. Petrol prices as of August 2023:
- 92 (Regular) — 2,65 lari (~1,02$)
- 95 (Premium) — 2,90 lari (~1,11$)
- 98 (Super) — 3,59 lari (~1,38$)
- Diesel — 3,00 lari (~1,15$)
- LPG — 1,80 lari (~0,69$) (is not available at some petrol station)
Most fuel stations are open 24/7.
Please note that you should exchange your currency in advance. You can pay only with lari in Georgia.
When calculating your fuel consumption, please remember that Georgia is a mountainous country, and petrol consumption is much higher on highland roads than on lowland roads.
The most popular cities for car hire in Georgia
Fuel gas and diesel
There are enough methane gas filling stations nearly everywhere across the country. They are few and far between on the Georgian Military Road, with the last gas filling station located right after the turn to Vladikavkaz when you drive from Tbilisi. There’s no methane in Tusheti, Svaneti, and Racha.
In places where gas is sold its quality is the same at both large and small fuel stations.
Propane is less frequent. So, you’d better not count on it. If propane is unavailable, fill up your vehicle with petrol.
Diesel is offered at every filling station.
Where to fill up
All drivers would like to know which petrol stations are the best. And nobody wants to be fooled into buying less or worse fuel than expected, that is why we prefer familiar network filling stations.
We advise buying petrol from Lukoil, Gulf, Socar, Wissol, and Rompetrol. Of course, there are other brands in Georgia, but their fuel is not always of high quality. Therefore, you'd better fill up your hire car at network petrol stations. We recommend that you opt for "premium" fuel.
Network filling stations are frequent in large cities like Tbilisi, Batumi or Kutaisi. You don’t need to get out of your car to fill up the tank, a filling station attendant will do the job. You can pay by a bank card.
What should you do if there are no familiar petrol stations nearby? It’s simple. Look where taxi and truck drivers fill up. They know which stations sell the best petrol.
How to act on roads in Georgia
- Tourists travelling by car find it challenging to drive on the road section with the "speaking" name — Cross Pass (between Kobi and Gudauri). Indeed, the road is of poor quality here, and low-clearance vehicles can damage the undercarriage. Please take into account if your route leads through Cross Pass.
- Serpentines are rather steep in Georgia, so you should drive on them slowly.
- You can often encounter animals on the road, and while you can scare away the sheep but cows don’t usually react to honking and drivers have to use the opposite lane to overtake the cattle or wait till the herd goes away.
- Air density decreases at an altitude of over 2,500 metres above sea level, which can cause the engine to lose power. So, drivers must control gears.
- Please note that engine braking should be used on long descents from the mountains.
Telephone hotlines
- Rescue Service – 112
- Patrol Force – + 995 322 418 502
- Roads Department of Georgia – + 995 322 313 07
On the whole, the atmosphere in the country is calm, and the people are well-disposed. You can travel by car with your kids. If something goes wrong, e.g. if you run out of fuel, get a flat tyre or lose your way, feel free to turn to the police for help, it's a common practice here, and police officers consider such requests an essential part of their job.