The Cost of Gas Everywhere

Ouch! It hurts to fill up that gas tank. But maybe it will ease the pain a bit to put those oucherific prices in perspective. The New York Times goes so far as to say the U.S. has a bargain, when we compare our prices at the pump against those of other industrialized nations. One thing we having going for us is low taxes. Pity countries like Spain, Sweden, and the Netherlands where taxes alone double the price. Out of 27 countries, the U.S. ranked ninth cheapest, at $4 per gallon.

Here are the countries who came in even cheaper:

• Venezuela: $0.25
• Iran: $0.41
• Saudi Arabia: $0.60
• Iraq: $1.74
• Indonesia: $2.46
• Mexico: $2.54
• China: $2.84
• Russia: $3.79

Among the countries topping U.S. prices are:

• Japan: $4.72
• Spain: $7.30 ($3.37 in taxes)
• Sweden: $8.60 ($5.11 in taxes)
• The Netherlands: $10.05 ($5.57 in taxes)

And if we thought $104 was a lot for filling the 26-gallon tank of a 2008 Chevy Tahoe, check out these tank equivalents:

• Ireland: $191.88
• Poland: $209.82
• Italy: $230.10
• Belgium: $239.98
• The Netherlands: $261.30

Here’s the complete list, along with a breakdown of taxes and the tally for Tahoe fillups in other countries.