Gas Stations in Georgia: Fuel Prices, Networks and How Filling Up Works

Fuel in Georgia costs around ₾3.70 per litre (≈$1.40): cheaper than in most of Europe, and pricier than visitors from the post-Soviet countries are used to. The upside is that there are no toll roads for passenger cars here, so the entire road budget of a trip is the tank and nothing else — details in the guide to Georgia's “toll” highways. Filling up is unusually comfortable: you don't need to get out of the car, an attendant pumps the fuel, and you can pay by card. The nuances begin where the altitude begins — in the mountains and in a rental car.

How much fuel costs in Georgia

Reference figures as of spring 2026, at the big chain stations:

The gap between the major networks is ₾0.10–0.13 per litre, which comes to a few lari on a full tank. Chasing a cheap pump across half the city makes no sense: fuel quality matters more, and so does the station actually being open when you need it.

For budgeting: Tbilisi to Kazbegi (~150 km one way) costs roughly ₾70–80 round trip in an ordinary crossover. To Batumi (~370 km) it's about ₾85–90.

⚠️ In the mountains consumption goes up by 30–50%: constant climbs, low gears, air conditioning. If your route includes passes, budget fuel with a margin rather than by the car's spec sheet.

Which networks to choose — and why quality beats price

Georgia has several large chains with predictable fuel quality. Stick to them, especially in a rental car:

• Wissol — the widest network, 100+ stations across Georgia. Present everywhere except Tusheti, Racha and Khevsureti. Many stations have a Smart shop attached, where you can get a decent coffee.
• SOCAR — an Azerbaijani brand with plenty of locations in Tbilisi and along the highways. Cards accepted everywhere.
• Gulf — good quality, prices slightly higher. Popular with local drivers.
• Rompetrol — a Romanian company with a reputation for some of the best fuel in the country. A little above average on price.
• Lukoil — broad coverage, consistent quality.

A word on quality, briefly and to the point. In Georgia I stopped picking stations by the lowest number on the price board a long time ago. A few tetri per litre is barely noticeable in a trip budget, but odd fuel is noticeable immediately: the car pulls more sluggishly uphill, consumption creeps up, and in a rental that's one more reason to feel uneasy. At the networks above the fuel is predictable — not perfectly “European”, but consistent. Consistency here matters more than the marketing names Premium and Super.

Small no-name stations are best driven past. If none of the familiar chains are nearby, look at where the taxi drivers and long-haul truckers are parked: these people drive the same route every day and remember bad fuel fast. My own simple rule: when in doubt I take 95 at Wissol, SOCAR, Gulf, Rompetrol or Lukoil and don't run experiments on luck right before a pass. Saving two or three lari isn't worth it.

How filling up works

If it's your first time behind the wheel in Georgia, the sequence is this:

1. Pull up to the pump. An attendant will usually show you where to stop.
2. Say what you need. Either an amount in lari (“thirty lari”), or the grade and volume. Every chain has its own names — Premium, Super, Euro — so it's easier to ask by number: 95, 98, diesel. At the big networks many attendants speak Russian, and where nobody does, gestures work perfectly well.
3. The attendant pumps the fuel. No need to get out. The exception is CNG (methane) stations: there all passengers must leave the car and wait in the safe zone — that isn't a formality.
4. You pay. At the till or directly to the attendant. The big networks accept cards; at small stations and in the mountains it's better to have cash in lari.

💡 Tipping the attendant isn't required. Leaving small change is fine — it's accepted calmly and with thanks.

On currency: dollars and euros aren't accepted at the pump, payment is in lari only. Change money in advance or withdraw from an ATM in town — hunting for an exchange office with a half-empty tank on the way to a pass is not a cheerful pastime.

Fuel on mountain routes

The further you get from the highway, the rarer the pumps become, and CNG disappears first.

Kazbegi (Georgian Military Highway): There are stations in Mtskheta, Gudauri and Stepantsminda. CNG stations are few — roughly up to the Vladikavkaz turnoff, and beyond that it's petrol and diesel only. The most sensible plan is to fill up in Tbilisi before setting off, or in Mtskheta; for the route itself, see the guide Tbilisi to Kazbegi by car.

Tusheti: There are no official stations at all. In some villages fuel is sold from canisters — expensive and unpredictable. People set off for Tusheti with a full tank and, where possible, a spare canister.

Svaneti and Racha: There are stations in Mestia, but not many. CNG and LPG are essentially absent. Fill up in Kutaisi or Zugdidi before you head into the mountains.

Batumi and western Georgia: Simple here: the infrastructure is dense and prices are roughly at Tbilisi level.

The rule that genuinely works for me: in the mountains the tank never drops below half. Not because stations will run out entirely, but because an evening in Stepantsminda or Mestia with a closed pump and three jeeps queueing is an ordinary scenario, and it's a nicer problem to solve with half a tank than with the warning light on.

If the car is a rental

Three things worth clarifying before you drive off the lot — they're also part of the car pickup checklist:

• What fuel the car takes — petrol, diesel, more rarely gas. Check the sticker on the fuel flap instead of relying on memory.
• Return terms. Many companies work on full tank at handover, full tank at return; check the terms in the contract rather than by eye. A shortfall is often billed at the company's own rate, which is above market.
• A canister, if Tusheti or Khevsureti is in the plan.

At MY.DRIVE the fuel type is stated in the documents, so there's no guesswork; and if the route heads into hard-to-reach areas, the managers will tell you in advance where it makes sense to top up along the way.

And separately: the wrong fuel in the tank means a repair at your expense, because the car isn't yours. If you're unsure, ask the attendant and show the documents — that's thirty seconds of conversation.

Electric cars and charging

An electric car in Georgia is no longer exotic: its share of new registrations grows every year and the infrastructure is catching up. The networks in operation are EV Georgia, Charger Plus, DaTene and Moveo — the last one has fast chargers up to 360 kW. In 2025 Tbilisi City Hall announced another 198 stations across the city, some of them free, provided by ProCredit Bank.

Outside the capital there are chargers in Batumi, Kutaisi and Gudauri. Tusheti, Racha and high Svaneti, though, are not places to take an EV yet — there are no chargers there. If you're planning a route in an electric car or a plug-in hybrid, check the map at ev-georgia.net and confirm the details with your rental provider.

The short version

On tourist routes — Tbilisi, Kazbegi, Batumi, Kutaisi — fuel is no problem whatsoever. Stick to the proven networks (Wissol, SOCAR, Gulf, Rompetrol, Lukoil), pay in lari, keep a little cash for mountain stations, and ask for fuel by number rather than by brand name. In the mountains don't let the tank drop below half, and for Tusheti and similar places set off with a full tank and a reserve. Out of the whole list, that's the one thing really worth sticking to.