Note: This story was corrected to reflect the prices will increase, not stay the same. The ministry had posted different information on its English and Arabic sites.

The cost of petrol in Qatar will rise by five dirhams a liter next month, the Ministry of Energy and Industry has announced.

August prices for 91-octane premium petrol will cost QR1.35/liter, up from QR1.30 a liter this month.

Meanwhile, Super 95-octane gasoline will cost QR1.45 per liter, up from QR1.40 previously. Diesel remains unchanged at QR1.40/liter.

The announcement comes as residents are already paying between 40 and 52 percent more to fill up their cars than at the start of the year.

Cost of living up

That’s following a big increase in January, as Qatar prepared to run its first budget deficit in 15 years.

Motorists saw another increase this month, after officials said in April that it would start setting fuel prices monthly to reflect changes in global energy markets.

Meanwhile, new government figures show the cost of living here has risen some 2.5 percent in the past year.

The increase was mostly due to rising tuition and housing costs, though the latter is finally starting to flatten out.

Thoughts?