Cost of Fuel For Hire Cars: Is petrol cheaper in Florida than the UK?

Fuel is cheaper in Florida in comparison to in the UK, even with the current 2026 elevated prices. While many British visitors expect that driving costs will be lower, many struggle to find somewhere to accurately budget fuel costs when hiring a car.

This guide page contains a Florida to UK price comparison to help you budget accurately, and covers what you need to know about fuel cost in the US.

Florida vs UK Fuel Prices: Price Comparison

Current fuel prices are varying considerably given the political situation, and the cost to fill up a car in both the UK and in Florida is increasing. Here is the current difference between average fuel prices per litre in Florida, USA and the UK.

Our calculation only shows the differences in the cost of unleaded fuel because in Florida the majority of hire cars run on unleaded petrol.

Gallons vs litres: The Price Difference At The Pump

In the US petrol is sold by the gallon, not the litre, so the price on the boards can be a bit of a shock if you don’t realise this difference when you come to fill up your hire car.

If you’re looking to do a bit of quick petrol maths in your head, the easiest way is to divide the price you see on the board in the US by 4, (or 3 if you prefer to round down like I do), to get a rough UK approximate cost.

Why is Florida Petrol So Much Cheaper In Florida?

One of the more pleasant surprises for UK visitors is how much cheaper it can be to fill a hire car in Florida. It would be too strong to say the price difference is almost entirely caused by tax; but it is a factor that affects what you pay at the pump, along with:

• crude-oil prices,
• refining costs,
• transport,
• local competition,
• exchange rates

Fuel Tax Costs: UK vs US

Fuel tax varies considerably between the UK and the US, contributing to the reason US petrol costs less.

UK Tax rates per litre of petrol

In the UK there is one tax charged on the fuel you put in your car, and this is called fuel duty opens in a new tab. It is currently charged at 52.95p per litre, plus VAT at 20%. It is the same rate for both unleaded and diesel fuel.

It is worth noting that the cost of standard petrol and diesel fuel duty is also due to rise later in 2026 and into 2027, according to Gov.UK, opens in a new tab in the following increments:

• 1 September 2026: Increases by 1p (to 53.95p) plus VAT
• 1 December 2026: Increases by 2p (to 55.95p) plus VAT .
• 1 March 2027: Increases by 2p (to 57.95p) plus VAT .

This will further increase the amount of tax paid per litre of fuel in the UK.

Florida tax rates per gallon of fuel

The US has two main taxes on fuel: federal fuel tax opens in a new tab and a state fuel tax opens in a new tab, and there are some other taxes charged at a very small rate in Florida. Federal fuel tax is set by the US government and is the same all over the US whereas state fuel tax varies by state. Unleaded and diesel is taxed at different amounts in each state.

The federal fuel tax and state fuel tax amounts amounts per gallon in Florida in 2026 are:

Comparison of fuel tax cost in litres: Florida vs UK

To work out a true comparison you need to turn the cost of tax per gallon into cost per litre. When you do this the cost of US federal fuel tax and state fuel tax in Florida is equivalent to:

This shows that in the UK you pay around 5 times more in tax per litre than you do in Florida, adding roughly 52p more tax to every litre of fuel. This goes some way to explaining why petrol costs less in Florida than in the UK

2026 Price Spikes & 2027 Pricing Forecast

Between summer 2025 and early 2026, UK petrol prices were relatively stable at around 135p per litre. A spike began in March 2026 following the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East, pushing UK prices to the 150p litre point. The same conflict has pushed US prices up too.

In early April 2026, the national US average price for fuel exceeded £3.00 ($4.00) per gallon for the first time since August 2022. The price rise in both countries was driven by increasing crude oil prices, with the cost surpassing per barrel. In April 2026, a report was released opens in a new tabpredicting that fuel prices would be higher than initially though in 2027 because of the conflict, but that peak prices would decrease from what we have seen in 2026.

What this means if you are travelling to Florida and hiring a car?

If you're travelling to Florida and choose to hire a car, fuel is more expensive than it was last year, both at home and in Florida. However, the relative price gap is roughly the same as always; Florida petrol is still dramatically cheaper and the cost of filling your hire car is less than filling the equivalent car at home.

How Much Does It Cost To Fill A Hire Car?

The price of filling up a hire car varies by:

• how far you travel
• type of car you hire,
• fuel economy of the car.

For a two-week hire car trip covering Disney World, Universal, a day trip to Kennedy Space Centre or the Gulf Coast, total fuel spend is likely to be in the region of £90.

Fuel Prices In And Around Orlando & Disney

The most affordable areas of Florida for fuel are in the north and around the panhandle: Crestview and Fort Walton Beach. The priciest stations tend to be in South Florida, particularly around West Palm Beach. For Orlando visitors, Central Florida is typically close to the middle of the state range.

Fuel prices around the Walt Disney World resort area, on International Drive, and near the theme parks tends to be priced at or slightly above the Orlando average. The stations you'll pass on US-192 (the main road running along the south side of Disney property) and on International Drive are convenient, but not always the cheapest.

However, they are cheaper than the fuel stations near Orlando International Airport, (MCO). Slightly better prices can typically be found along US-27 heading north, or on the more residential roads to the east and west but it’s not worth going out of your way for.

If you are looking for averages per county in Florida AAA fuel prices opens in a new taboffer great budgeting insights if you’re interested in saving money on your fuel. You can plan where to fill up if you are doing a fly drive, or even if you are just planning a few days out.

How To Find Cheap Fuel Near Disney World

The best option to get cheap fuel near Disney World if you’re hiring a car and staying on-site is to head to Walmart. Heading to a Walmart Supercentre on Vineland Rd or Old Lake Wilson Rd, (the closest ones to Disney resorts,) will help you get a competitive fuel price. You can pick up cheap drinks and snacks in comparison to on-site prices too. No detour or app needed.

If you’re looking for the most reliable way to find the cheapest fuel as an extremely budget conscious UK visitor use the GasBuddy app. This shows live prices by station and updates frequently, you can put your location in so it brings up prices at stations nearby.

It's free, works on a UK phone and here in the UK if you want a look before you travel. Just make sure you have an esim or free Wi-Fi to avoid roaming charges when using it in Florida. It will typically find you a station 5 to 15 cents per gallon cheaper but the nearest is often more convenient and this is not something most UK visitors need to consider doing.

Fuel in Florida vs the UK

Fuel in Florida is cheaper than in the UK no matter whether you are buying unleaded or diesel and a large contributing fact is down to tax. While there are differences in petrol categories, how you fill the tank at the petrol station, and fuel costs vary within areas, it’s cheaper to fill your hire car in Florida than to fill your car at home here in the UK.

Don’t forget to save this page! And for more information about hiring a car in Florida why not head to the guide to car hire in Florida to find out everything you need to know as a UK visitor next.

Questions UK Tourists Ask About Fuel Prices In Florida