Newsroom
If you feel like you’re paying more at the pump lately, you’re not imagining it.
According to the Cyprus Consumers' Association (CCA), Cyprus is paying more for diesel and heating oil than the European Union average, even before taxes are added. While petrol prices remain more or less in line with the EU, diesel is currently 7 cents more per liter and heating oil a whopping 11 cents more.
So what gives?
That’s exactly what the Consumers’ Association wants to know. In a report released Monday, the association pointed to “significant discrepancies” in how oil importers price their fuel, not just compared to the EU, but also across Cyprus’ own provinces.
“Why is 95-octane petrol tracking EU prices closely, while diesel and heating oil are so much higher?” the Association asked, suggesting that local fuel pricing seems to move more freely when international oil prices drop, but not so quickly when they rise, a pattern that raises eyebrows.
These price differences aren’t just a matter of cents; they’re driving thousands of consumers to take their business across the Green Line.
In just the first three months of 2025, Cypriots bought an estimated 6.47 million liters of petrol and diesel from the occupied territories. The result? An estimated €13.5 million in lost tax revenue and nearly €564,000 in losses for petrol station owners in the government-controlled areas.
