Nordic refuelling guide: cheapest diesel between Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and Poland

Poland has the cheapest diesel of the five countries on this corridor and Finland has the dearest, with Sweden the cheapest of the Nordic countries. In the EC Weekly Oil Bulletin for the week of 2026-10-26, national average pump prices with taxes were 1.781 EUR/l in Poland, 2.037 EUR/l in Sweden, 2.298 EUR/l in Germany, 2.502 EUR/l in Denmark, and 2.547 EUR/l in Finland.

The gap between Finland and Sweden is 0.510 EUR/l, about 306 EUR on a 600 l fill, and it is the biggest gap between two Nordic countries. Sweden, Germany, and Poland all carry temporary tax relief at the moment, and the Swedish relief ends on 2026-11-30, so the order of the five countries changes in December and January.

This guide shows the five prices side by side, the saving per 600 l fill on each leg, the reasons behind the gaps, and the dates when each relief ends. It also covers the Öresund, Puttgarden-Rødby, and Baltic Sea routes, and the limits of what a price table can tell you.

Where is diesel cheapest between Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and Poland?

Poland is cheapest at 1.781 EUR/l, Sweden is second at 2.037 EUR/l, and Finland is dearest at 2.547 EUR/l in the bulletin week of 2026-10-26. The table below adds local-currency prices and shows what a 600 l fill saves compared with tanking in Finland.

Table sources: Poland , Sweden , Germany , Denmark , Finland .

These are national averages across all stations, not truck-card prices. Fuel card terms differ by network and by country, so use the table for the direction and size of each gap, then check the station price before you commit to a fill.

The ranking has been steady at both ends. In the five bulletins from 2026-09-28 to 2026-10-26, Poland was cheapest and Sweden second in every week, while Finland and Denmark were the two dearest. Prices still moved: over those weeks Poland fell 0.279 EUR/l, Germany fell 0.139, Sweden fell 0.098, and Denmark fell 0.040, while Finland rose 0.024. Treat every figure here as a dated anchor and read the latest bulletin week before a major planning decision.

How much does a 600 litre fill save between neighbouring countries?

Among the Nordic countries the largest saving is Finland to Sweden, at about 306 EUR on 600 l, and Germany to Poland is slightly larger at about 310 EUR. Here is the same arithmetic for each leg of the corridor, using the 2026-10-26 prices from the table above.

The saving scales with the litres you buy, so a tank larger than 600 l widens each gap in proportion. A gap under about 0.05 EUR/l, as between Finland and Denmark, is small enough that the station price and your card discount matter more than the country.

The practical rule is to fill up in the cheaper country only when the next leg would otherwise start on a tank bought in the dearer one. A planned refuel on the way saves the full gap. A detour made only to tank does not, because the extra kilometres burn part of the saving.

Why are Finnish and Danish diesel prices so much higher than Swedish and Polish ones?

Tax and temporary relief explain most of the gap, more than the oil price does. Before VAT, the bulletin prices work out to about 1.65 EUR/l in Poland, 1.63 EUR/l in Sweden, 1.93 EUR/l in Germany, 2.00 EUR/l in Denmark, and 2.03 EUR/l in Finland. That calculation uses the VAT rates in the bulletin (Finland 25.5%, Sweden 25%, Denmark 25%, Germany 19%) and, for Poland, the temporary 8% rate described below.

Sweden and Poland are level before VAT. The Polish headline lead over Sweden comes mostly from reduced rates that run to 2026-12-31, so it is a temporary lead.

The bulletin's excise sheet shows how far apart the fuel taxes are. Converted at the week's exchange rates, the Swedish diesel tax is about 140 EUR per 1,000 l (1,561 SEK per m3, where one m3 is 1,000 l). The reduced German energy tax is 330 EUR per 1,000 l, the Polish excise plus fuel charge is about 321 EUR (1,413.52 PLN), and the Danish duty plus CO2 tax is about 570 EUR (4,261 DKK).

These rows cover different tax components, so use them to understand why the gaps exist and not to rank countries. The bulletin has no current Finnish diesel tax row, so this guide does not break the Finnish price into tax parts.

What happens to Swedish diesel prices when the tax cut ends on 2026-11-30?

The Swedish price should step up by roughly 3 SEK per litre at the pump if pre-tax prices hold, because the temporary carbon dioxide tax cut ends and the full rate returns on 2026-12-01. Skatteverket confirms that the diesel tax was lowered by 2,400 SEK per m3 (2.40 SEK/l) from 2026-07-01 until and including 2026-11-30. The government estimated in its press release of 2026-05-13 that this cut equals about 3 SEK/l at the pump including VAT, assuming full pass-through.

The tax is 1,561 SEK per m3 for 2026-10-01 to 2026-11-30 (1,150 energy tax plus 411 carbon dioxide tax), according to the bulletin's excise sheet. From 2026-12-01 the rate is 3,961 SEK per m3 (1,150 energy plus 2,811 carbon dioxide) under SFS 2026:1227 , which matches the current 1,561 plus the 2,400 SEK cut that expires, a cross-check we made ourselves. As of 2026-10-31, Skatteverket's 2026 excise news list shows no adopted decision to extend the cut.

The July bulletin shows how large the effect was on the way down. On 2026-07-06, the first bulletin after the cut, Sweden stood at 1.477 EUR/l against 2.141 EUR/l in Finland.

An illustrative calculation, with all else equal: the removal adds 2.40 SEK/l before 25% VAT, which is 3.00 SEK/l, or about 0.27 EUR/l at the bulletin rate of 11.1385 SEK per EUR. That would lift the 2026-10-26 Swedish average from 2.04 to about 2.31 EUR/l. This is arithmetic on flat pre-tax prices, not a forecast, and a government extension would change it.

How do Germany and Poland compare, and when do their temporary cuts expire?

Both countries cut their diesel taxes in October 2026, and both cuts end on 2026-12-31 unless they are extended. Their January prices would then rise by different amounts.

Germany lowered its diesel energy tax to 330.00 EUR per 1,000 l from the regular 470.40 EUR, a cut of 14.04 cents per litre, for three months from 2026-10-01. German customs describes the relief for purchases from 2026-10-01 to 2026-12-31 on its Zoll notice . Adding 19% VAT, the end of the cut would add about 16.7 cents per litre.

Poland reduced diesel excise to 880 PLN per 1,000 l (from 1,160) and VAT to 8% (from 23%) from 2026-10-03 to 2026-12-31. The period appears in the finance and economy minister's regulation of 2026-10-02, published as Dziennik Ustaw 2026 item 1289 , but the 880 PLN excise and the 8% VAT rate come from one secondary source, Polsat News . The Polish bulletin price dropped from 2.060 EUR/l in the week of 2026-09-28 to 1.764 EUR/l in the week of 2026-10-05, which fits the cut taking effect.

The table shows what each end date would do if pre-tax prices stayed at their 2026-10-26 level. It is an illustration for planning, not a forecast, and it assumes no extension.

If nothing is extended, the illustrative January order from cheapest to dearest would be Poland about 2.11, Sweden about 2.31, Germany about 2.47, Denmark 2.50, and Finland 2.55 EUR/l, with the Danish and Finnish figures held at their latest bulletin level. The gaps between Germany, Denmark, and Finland would shrink to a few cents. For the wider winter picture, see our diesel price outlook for winter 2026-2027 .

Which route makes refuelling worth planning: Finland to Sweden, Öresund, Puttgarden-Rødby, or the Baltic ferries?

Finland to Sweden has the largest saving among the Nordic countries, but the other routes decide where the next fill should happen. The gap and the route cost together matter, and the route cost is paid whether or not you tank on the way.

Finland to Sweden. Sweden is 0.510 EUR/l cheaper, about 306 EUR on 600 l. Trucks go by sea from Turku or Helsinki to Stockholm, or by land through Tornio and Haparanda. We do not quote ferry operators, timetables, or prices for the sea crossing, because we could not verify them, so check them with the operator.

Sweden and Denmark over the Öresund Bridge. Sweden is 0.465 EUR/l cheaper than Denmark, about 279 EUR on 600 l. Our Denmark diesel price guide for truck drivers compares Denmark with Germany and Sweden in more detail. The bridge's business price list shows a one-way toll for trucks and vans over 9 m of 66.60 to 78.40 EUR excluding VAT (493 to 580 DKK), depending on the annual volume tier, against a regular toll-station price of 1,324 DKK. The page shows no year, so confirm the current price with the operator. The toll is a cost of the route, not of the fill, so compare it with the saving only when you are crossing anyway.

Denmark and Germany. Germany is 0.204 EUR/l cheaper than Denmark, about 122 EUR on 600 l. The usual choices are the Puttgarden-Rødby ferry or the land route through Jutland. No crossing time or frequency is claimed here, so check the operator's current timetable.

Germany or Poland and Sweden over the Baltic. The ferries from Świnoujście to Ystad and Trelleborg link Poland and Sweden. Poland is 0.256 EUR/l cheaper than Sweden on the headline figure, but level with Sweden before VAT while the Polish 8% rate stands. A sensible rule is to tank in Poland before boarding if the truck can fill there, and to tank in Sweden on arrival only if the return leg is long.

What about AdBlue and Norway?

AdBlue (the urea solution that diesel engines with selective catalytic reduction need) is only verified for Sweden in this guide. Preem and Circle K list prices valid from 2026-10-19 show 11.09 SEK/l including VAT, about 1.00 EUR/l at the bulletin rate. Our Swedish truck-card prices guide has the detail. No country-by-country AdBlue comparison is supported, so fill AdBlue where you buy diesel only when the station lists a price for it.

Norway is outside the EC Weekly Oil Bulletin, and this guide gives no Norwegian price or tax rate. No dated October 2026 Norwegian pump price could be verified. Drivers heading to or from Norway should check the station price on the day.

Frequently asked questions

Which country has the cheapest diesel on the Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and Poland corridor?

Poland, at 1.781 EUR/l in the EC bulletin week of 2026-10-26. That price rests partly on temporary relief that runs to 2026-12-31. Among the Nordic countries, Sweden is cheapest at 2.037 EUR/l.

Is diesel cheaper in Sweden than in Finland?

Yes. In the week of 2026-10-26 Swedish diesel was 0.510 EUR/l cheaper, about 306 EUR on a 600 l fill. The Swedish price includes a temporary tax cut that ends on 2026-11-30.

When does the Swedish diesel tax cut end?

It runs until and including 2026-11-30, according to Skatteverket. From 2026-12-01 the diesel tax is 3,961 SEK per m3 under SFS 2026:1227. No extension had been adopted as of 2026-10-31.

Will German and Polish diesel get dearer in January?

Both countries' reliefs run to 2026-12-31. If neither is extended and pre-tax prices stay flat, the illustrative result is about 2.47 EUR/l in Germany and about 2.11 EUR/l in Poland. Check for an extension in December before you plan around either figure.

Are bulletin prices the same as truck-card prices?

No. The bulletin reports a national average across all stations. Truck-card list prices are set by each fuel network and can differ from that average, so use the bulletin for the gap between countries and the card price for the actual fill.

Does the Öresund toll cancel the saving from tanking in Sweden?

Not when you cross anyway, because the toll belongs to the route. A business toll of 66.60 to 78.40 EUR one way compares with a saving of about 279 EUR on 600 l against Danish prices. It would not justify a crossing made only for fuel.

Is Norway included in this comparison?

No. Norway is not covered by the EC Weekly Oil Bulletin, and no verified October 2026 Norwegian pump price is available for this guide.

Before you plan the next fill on a Nordic or Baltic route, check live station prices on the Logifie diesel price map and country pages and compare them with the bulletin averages above.