What does fuel cost in Portugal?

Average pump prices in Portugal as of 5 October 2026: unleaded 95 (gasolina simples 95) €2.081 a litre, diesel (gasóleo simples) €2.155.

They come from the European Commission's Weekly Oil Bulletin, which publishes consumer fuel prices for every EU country each week; this page refreshes from each new bulletin automatically. For a daily figure, Portugal's Directorate-General for Energy and Geology (DGEG) publishes a daily average for the mainland.

Don't assume diesel is the cheaper fuel per litre: compare the two figures above. Each station sets its own price around the average.

What fuel policy will the rental have?

We read the fuel policy in the rental conditions of the 25 suppliers DiscoverCars listed at Lisbon Airport (LIS) when we checked:

  • 17 hand over a full tank and expect it back full.
  • 8 hand over “a certain amount of fuel” and expect the same level back: Avis, Budget, Drivalia, Drive4Move, Drive on Holidays, GreenMotion, Masterkings and RightCars.
  • 6 take a separate fuel deposit at pick-up: Global Rent a Car, Guerin, Key'n Go, OK Mobility, Record Go and Tangerine.
  • Guerin states the cost of returning it short: the missing fuel per litre plus a €36.90 refuelling service charge.
  • Record Go refunds its fuel deposit only if you return the car full and show the receipt from the station where you filled it.
  • Turisprime also lets you buy a full tank at pick-up and return the car empty. Turisprime, Drivalia and Drive on Holidays all state that unused fuel is never refunded.
  • Electric cars: Avis and Budget charge per kWh for any charge missing on return, plus an admin fee if the battery is below 70%; Drivalia hands them over fully charged and does not require a full charge back.

The conditions attached to the offer you book are the ones that count, so read its fuel line before you pay.

How much fuel does a typical rental car use?

For their smallest classes, the models these 25 suppliers list most often are the Fiat Panda and Fiat 500 (11 suppliers each); one class up come the Peugeot 208 (8), the Opel Corsa and the Volkswagen Polo (7 each). Rentals are “or similar”, so you may get a sister model.

Their official WLTP figures: Fiat now sells the small Panda as the Pandina, hybrid-only, and Fiat Portugal rates its 1.0 Hybrid at 5.0 l/100 km. Peugeot Portugal rates the 208 with the 1.2 PureTech petrol engine at 4.9–5.9 l/100 km.

Lab figures are optimistic. The European Commission compared them with the fuel-consumption meters fitted to cars on EU roads: petrol cars first registered in 2022 used 21.1% more than their WLTP figure, diesels 17.1% more. On that basis, plan on about 6 l/100 km for a Panda and 6–7 l/100 km for a 208 before the weather has a say.

How much does the summer heat add?

Air-conditioning is the main reason consumption rises in hot weather. The US Department of Energy's fuel-economy guidance says that in very hot conditions AC can cut a conventional car's fuel economy by more than 25%, particularly on short trips. Open windows add drag that matters at motorway speeds but little in town.

How hard the AC works depends on where you drive. From IPMA's 1991–2020 climate normals:

  • Évora (Alentejo): average August high 33.5 °C; 86.5 days a year reach 30 °C, 31.9 reach 35 °C.
  • Faro (Algarve): average July high 29.4 °C; 35.5 days a year reach 30 °C.
  • Lisbon: average August high 28.8 °C; 33.2 days a year reach 30 °C.
  • Porto: average August high 24.8 °C; 13 days a year reach 30 °C.

So a summer day in the Alentejo is where the AC works hardest, and Porto's coast is where it works least. The same guidance on keeping the cost down:

  • Park in the shade or use a sunshade.
  • Drive with the windows open for a short time before switching the AC on, to let the hot air out.
  • Don't idle with the AC running before you set off; most systems cool faster while driving.
  • Windows down at low speeds, AC on at motorway speeds.

What will a day of driving cost in fuel?

Fuel per 100 km at the prices above:

  • 5 l/100 km: €10.41 petrol · €10.78 diesel
  • 6 l/100 km: €12.49 petrol · €12.93 diesel
  • 7 l/100 km: €14.57 petrol · €15.09 diesel
  • 8 l/100 km: €16.65 petrol · €17.24 diesel

Example: a 300 km day in a Panda-class car at about 6 l/100 km uses 18 litres, about €37 of petrol. If the AC cuts its economy by a quarter, the same car uses 8 l/100 km: 24 litres, about €50. Motorway tolls come on top — see our tolls guide.

So, how do you keep the fuel bill down?

  • Prefer a full-to-full offer, fill up just before you return the car, and keep the receipt.
  • If the offer says “same level”, photograph the fuel gauge at pick-up.
  • Check whether the offer takes a separate fuel deposit, on top of the rental deposit.
  • Budget about €12–17 per 100 km for a small petrol car in summer, and check the current price above before you go.