MOSCOW, August 5 In June, residents of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug were able to buy the most fuel for their average monthly salaries in the regions of Russia, while residents of the Republic of Ingushetia could buy the least, according to a study *.
Gasoline prices in the Russian Federation are among the lowest in Europe, and in terms of affordability (price-to-wage ratio), the Russian Federation occupies an average position. 
After the sharp fluctuations in prices on the retail market for motor fuel that occurred in the second half of last year, the beginning of this year can be considered perfectly stable. In the first quarter of 2024, prices hardly increased.
In the first three months, prices increased by only 0.7%, while inflation during this period was 2%. However, price increases began to accelerate in the second quarter, driven by seasonal increases in demand and lower domestic production due to unscheduled repairs at large refineries. By the end of the six months, prices reached record levels. Thus, the price of AI-92 rose above 51 rubles per liter, AI-95 — above 56 rubles per liter.
In annual comparison (June 2024 to June 2023), the price of AI-92 gasoline increased by 6.9%, AI-95 — by 7.1%, diesel fuel — by 12.8%. At the same time, consumer inflation during this period amounted to 8.6%. Thus, despite the acceleration in the second quarter, gasoline price increases remain largely below inflation.
At the same time, gasoline prices and their dynamics still differ significantly in different regions of the Russian Federation. In June 2024, average prices for AI-92 gasoline in Russian regions ranged from 48.06 rubles per liter to 65.77 rubles, with the Russian average being 51.69 rubles per liter. At the same time, regional income differentiation also remains high, so the burden on the family budgets of ordinary car owners depends not so much on the price at gas stations as on the ratio of the price of gasoline to wages in a particular region.
Recently, there has been a trend towards increasing wages, which leads to increased availability of gasoline, but availability itself still varies significantly in different regions, experts say.
How the rating was calculated
To assess the availability of automobile fuel, experts calculated the volume of gasoline that residents of different regions of Russia can buy with their average monthly salaries and compiled a rating of regions based on the availability of fuel for the population.
The rating is based on ranking regions by the volume of the most common brand of gasoline in the Russian Federation, AI-92, which a resident of a particular region can purchase for the average salary in the region. The volume of gasoline available for a salary was determined by dividing the average monthly salary in the region minus personal income tax for the period from June 2023 to May 2024 by the average price of gasoline in the region in June 2024.
Rating results
The leaders of the rating, as before, were the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Moscow, the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug and the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, where the average salary can buy more than two thousand liters of AI-92 gasoline per month, with the average Russian level being 1,334 liters. 
In eight more regions – the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug – Yugra, Magadan Region, Kamchatka Krai, Murmansk Region, St. Petersburg, Sakhalin Region, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and Moscow Region – residents can buy more than one and a half thousand liters per month. In twenty-nine subjects of the Russian Federation, drivers can buy from one thousand to 1.5 thousand liters of AI-92 gasoline for the average regional salary.
Residents of nine regions can buy less than 800 liters of AI-92 gasoline per month. At the same time, the low availability of gasoline in most of the Russian regions from the bottom of the rating is explained not so much by gasoline prices as by low salaries, experts explain.
Price Range
The range of prices for motor fuel in Russian regions is very wide: from 48.06 rubles per liter of AI-92 gasoline in the Komi Republic to 65.77 rubles per liter in the Magadan Region. The highest price for gasoline is still in the Far Eastern regions, which is explained by the high costs of its transportation due to specific geographic conditions.
At the same time, in many regions with high gasoline prices, its availability is high due to solid salaries. AI-92 gasoline in June 2024 cost more than 60 rubles per liter in five regions, and in all these regions, the average monthly salary can buy more than 1.5 thousand liters of gasoline. Almost all of these regions are in the top ten in terms of gasoline availability, with the exception of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), which ranks 11th.
As noted above, the minimum cost of AI-92 gasoline in June 2024 was recorded in the Komi Republic (48.66 rubles per liter). It is followed by the Chelyabinsk Region (48.13 rubles per liter) and the Kurgan Region (48.33 rubles per liter). At the same time, it is noted that in a number of regions with relatively cheap gasoline, its availability is low, which is determined by the low salaries of the population in these regions.
In 24 of 43 Russian regions, where AI-92 gasoline in June 2024 cost at or below the Russian average (below 51.69 rubles per liter), residents can buy less than a thousand liters of AI-92 gasoline for an average monthly salary. 
Price growth rate
In the first half of 2024, gasoline prices in the Russian Federation increased, but the growth rate was relatively low. The price of AI-92 gasoline in June 2024 in the country as a whole was 2.8% higher than in December 2023. During this period, the cost of gasoline increased in 76 constituent entities of the Russian Federation, remained unchanged in one, and decreased in eight.
Prices increased most significantly in the Kostroma and Kirov regions — by 4.9% and 4.5%, respectively.
The leader in price reduction was the Republic of Tyva (-2.6%). In addition, prices for AI-92 gasoline decreased by more than 1% in the Magadan Region, the Republic of Dagestan, the Trans-Baikal Territory, and the Sakhalin Region.
Experts believe that maintaining the damping mechanism and reinstating the export ban in August will help keep gasoline prices at the level of inflation in 2024, i.e. around 7-8%.
*The rating was prepared by RIA Rating specialists at the request of the agency.