Cheapest Way to Get ETH for Gas Fees

Compare the cost of getting ETH for gas: CEX withdrawal vs bridge vs Fluel. Find the cheapest option for small gas amounts.

The real cost of getting gas

When you need $2 of ETH for gas on Arbitrum, the acquisition cost often exceeds the gas itself. A CEX withdrawal might cost $5–15 in fees. A bridge costs gas on the source chain plus bridge fees. And DEX swaps have slippage on small amounts.

Option 1: Centralized exchange

Buy ETH on Coinbase/Binance, withdraw to L2. Cost: $5–15 withdrawal fee + time (10–30 minutes). Works but expensive for small amounts. You're paying $15 to get $2 of gas.

Option 2: Bridge from another chain

Use a bridge like Hop or Stargate. Cost: gas on source chain + bridge fee (usually $1–5) + 1–10 minute wait. Better than CEX but still requires gas on the source chain — which is the problem you're trying to solve.

Option 3: Fluel

Deposit USDC once, get gas on any chain via Telegram. Cost: 1.5% fee on a $10 swap = $0.15. Gas arrives in seconds. No source chain gas needed — fluel covers the transaction fees. For small gas amounts ($1–20), this is the cheapest option.

When to use what

Need $100+ of ETH? Use a CEX — the flat withdrawal fee becomes negligible.

Need $10–50? A bridge is reasonable if you have gas on the source chain.

Need $1–20 of gas and you're stuck? Fluel. The percentage fee on small amounts is lower than any flat fee alternative.