Foreigners pay the unsubsidised petrol price in Malaysia, which is the price shown on the pump. Since 30 September 2025, the cheap subsidised RON95 that Malaysians talk about (the BUDI95 scheme) has been for Malaysian citizens with a MyKad and a valid driving licence only. Tourists, expats, students and every other non-citizen pay the market rate, which the Ministry of Finance revises every week. The rules below are as at November 2026.
Six assumptions tend to catch visitors out at the pump.
"I'll pay what the locals pay"
You won't. The subsidised price only applies after a Malaysian verifies their MyKad at the pump, at the counter or in an app, and each citizen has a monthly allowance (300 litres since 1 September 2026, after a spell at 200). Without a MyKad there's nothing to verify, so you get the unsubsidised price on every litre.
That includes rental cars. A rental car is registered to the rental company, not to you, so the pump treats it like any other car and you pay the full rate.
The gap is large. Through October 2026 the unsubsidised RON95 price sat at more than double the BUDI95 rate. Budget for fuel at the pump price, not the figure you've read about in a news story about subsidies.
"The local at the next pump paid less, so my pump is wrong"
Every pump shows the unsubsidised price, for everyone. A Malaysian's subsidy is worked out after verification and appears on their receipt, so the number on the pump display is higher than what they pay. For you, the pump figure is the real one.
"RON97 is only for supercars"
RON95 and RON97 are octane grades, not quality tiers for different kinds of driver. The grade your car needs is set by its maker and usually printed inside the fuel flap or in the owner's manual. Some high-performance engines call for RON97; plenty of ordinary cars are made to run on RON95. RON97 isn't subsidised for anyone.
For a Grandpride car, ask at handover which grade it takes CHECK: the fuel grade for each car in the fleet, and whether it is shown on the fuel flap. Diesel is a separate pump and a separate subsidy scheme for eligible Malaysians; never put it in a petrol car.
"I can bring my Singapore car in and fill up with RON95"
No. Cars registered outside Malaysia (Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and so on) can't buy RON95 at all, at any price. They're limited to RON97.
"You fill up first and pay afterwards"
Malaysian stations are self-service, and you pay before the pump starts. There are two simple ways:
- At the pump: tap or insert a card at the terminal, choose a full tank or an amount, then fill.
- At the counter: tell the cashier your pump number and how much you want, pay by cash or card, then go back and fill.
If the pump terminal won't take your card, the counter will. If you paid for more than the tank would hold, go back to the counter for the difference. Locals also pay through the Touch 'n Go eWallet or the Setel app; those work too if you already have them set up.
"The price is fixed"
It changes weekly. The Ministry of Finance announces the RON95 (unsubsidised), RON97 and diesel prices each week, and Malaysian news sites publish them as they come out. Search "harga minyak minggu ini" (this week's fuel price) before a long drive and you'll have the current figures. We don't print a price here, because it would be out of date within days.
Fuel in a Grandpride rental
Return the car with the same fuel level as when you collected it. That's the whole policy. Photograph the fuel gauge at handover along with the mileage; our rental car inspection checklist covers the other photos to take. The rental car fuel policy guide explains how full-to-full works and what happens if you bring it back lower.
Fuel is a real line in a road-trip budget now, so the car matters. A Perodua Myvi at RM 200 a day will use a fraction of what a big V8 does on the same run. For a long drive such as KL to Penang, add the round-trip distance, the mileage package and the fuel together before you choose. Or skip petrol altogether: our guide to EV charging in Malaysia explains how the electric cars in the fleet are topped up instead.
