Tajikistan’s energy paradox: the region’s most expensive gasoline and some of the world’s cheapest electricity
Tajikistan occupies a unique position in the global energy landscape. While motorists pay the highest gasoline prices in Central Asia, households enjoy some of the world’s lowest electricity tariffs. This contrast helps explain the rapid growth of electric vehicles in the country.
For a typical gasoline-powered sedan in Dushanbe, driving 100 kilometers costs about 80 somoni. An electric vehicle can cover the same distance for roughly 7 somoni.
The difference is not marginal — it is more than tenfold.
The region’s most expensive fuel
A liter of gasoline in Tajikistan currently costs around 10 somoni, making it the most expensive in Central Asia.
The reason is largely structural. Tajikistan produces very little oil and relies heavily on imported fuel. Retail prices therefore depend on transportation costs, transit routes, supplier policies, and exchange rate fluctuations.
For a car consuming 8 liters per 100 kilometers, fuel expenses amount to about 80 somoni per 100 kilometers. For larger vehicles, the figure can exceed 100 somoni.
Electricity tells a very different story.
Since February 1, 2026, the residential electricity tariff has stood at 41.37 dirams per kilowatt-hour, or about 0.41 somoni (approximately 4.5 U.S. cents). Even after recent tariff increases, electricity in Tajikistan remains among the cheapest in the world.
Unlike fuel, electricity is largely generated domestically through hydropower.
A typical electric vehicle consumes around 18 kWh per 100 kilometers. At current tariffs, that translates into approximately 7 somoni for the same distance.
For drivers with average annual mileage, electricity costs can amount to around 1,100 somoni per year — an amount a gasoline vehicle may spend on fuel in just a few weeks.
A gap few countries can match
What makes Tajikistan unusual is not simply cheap electricity or expensive fuel on their own, but the enormous gap between the two.
In the United States, gasoline is relatively inexpensive, but electricity costs are considerably higher. In much of Europe, both fuel and electricity are expensive.
Tajikistan, by contrast, combines the highest gasoline prices in Central Asia with one of the world’s lowest electricity tariffs, creating a powerful economic incentive for electric transport.
For a typical gasoline-powered sedan in Dushanbe, driving 100 kilometers costs about 80 somoni. An electric vehicle can cover the same distance for roughly 7 somoni.
The difference is not marginal — it is more than tenfold.
The region’s most expensive fuel
A liter of gasoline in Tajikistan currently costs around 10 somoni, making it the most expensive in Central Asia.
The reason is largely structural. Tajikistan produces very little oil and relies heavily on imported fuel. Retail prices therefore depend on transportation costs, transit routes, supplier policies, and exchange rate fluctuations.
For a car consuming 8 liters per 100 kilometers, fuel expenses amount to about 80 somoni per 100 kilometers. For larger vehicles, the figure can exceed 100 somoni.
Electricity tells a very different story.
Since February 1, 2026, the residential electricity tariff has stood at 41.37 dirams per kilowatt-hour, or about 0.41 somoni (approximately 4.5 U.S. cents). Even after recent tariff increases, electricity in Tajikistan remains among the cheapest in the world.
Unlike fuel, electricity is largely generated domestically through hydropower.
A typical electric vehicle consumes around 18 kWh per 100 kilometers. At current tariffs, that translates into approximately 7 somoni for the same distance.
For drivers with average annual mileage, electricity costs can amount to around 1,100 somoni per year — an amount a gasoline vehicle may spend on fuel in just a few weeks.
A gap few countries can match
What makes Tajikistan unusual is not simply cheap electricity or expensive fuel on their own, but the enormous gap between the two.
In the United States, gasoline is relatively inexpensive, but electricity costs are considerably higher. In much of Europe, both fuel and electricity are expensive.
Tajikistan, by contrast, combines the highest gasoline prices in Central Asia with one of the world’s lowest electricity tariffs, creating a powerful economic incentive for electric transport.
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