Got a pain in the gass when it comes to fueling up? You're not the only one. Gas prices around the world are all hitting record highs. Believe it or not, the United States actually has lower gas prices than many other countries. Drivers in some European cities are paying as much as three to four times more than those in the United States.

If you're wondering what causes the tremendous disparities in gas prices around the world, you can thank government policy. According to AirInc, many European countries are to blame for as much as 75% of the cost of a gallon of gas simply because they impose such high taxes on gasoline.

The effect that expensive gas has had on Europe is that residents there now drive less. They do not work far away from their homes, so they can walk to work. Many people there use more public transportation.

In the United states, driving is cheaper than in other countries. Despite the rise in fuel costs in the US in 2008, gas still costs less here than many other places. But if you want to talk cheap, talk about Venezuela where you can fill up for as little as 17 cents a gallon.

In many countries, gas prices around the world the government subsidies gasoline and other petroleum products. This reduces the cost of transportation of goods and people. Fuel subsidies are common in oil rich countries such as Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Burma, Malaysia, Kuwait, India, China, Taiwan, South Korea, Brunei, Queensland Australia and Nigeria.

In Latin American and some Middle-East nations, the government owns the companies which produce the oil. The result is local gasoline prices are kept low, to benefit the nation's cities.

Here's a list of gas prices around the world:

Tehran, Iran: $0.33/gallon
Despite massive oil reserves, limited refinery capacity forces Iran to import much of its gasoline. Still, government subsidies keep it cheap.

Lagos, Nigeria: $1.92/gallon
In a country where the per capita daily income is $3.84, $2-a-gallon gasoline is no bargain, leading thieves to tap oil pipelines in the delta.

Beijing, China: $2.44/gallon
An economic boom — coupled with the middle class's growing appetite for vehicles with four wheels — is likely to drive gas prices higher.

Oslo, Norway: $6.48/gallon
Norway is the world's third-largest oil exporter, but hefty taxes aimed at reducing CO2 emissions mean high prices for petrol.

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