Guide
Petrol Prices in Australia — How They Work
There is no single "petrol price in Australia". On any given day the same litre of 91 can vary by 20–40 c/L between two stations in the same city, and by even more between states. This page explains what drives the price, why it changes so often, and how to check the live price near you.
For live prices, open Petrol Australia — every price on the map comes from an official government feed, covering 8,000+ stations across all eight states and territories.
What makes up the price of petrol?
A litre of petrol at an Australian pump is built from:
- Refined fuel cost — the international refined petrol price (Mogas 95 benchmark) plus shipping, driven by crude oil and the AUD/USD exchange rate
- Fuel excise — a federal tax of roughly 50c/L, indexed twice a year (February and August)
- GST — 10% on the total, including on the excise
- Wholesale and retail margins — terminal, distribution, and station operating margins; this is the part that swings with the weekly discounting cycle
Global oil moves set the level; the local retail cycle sets the day-to-day swing you can actually do something about.
Why is petrol a different price in every state?
- Different price cycles — Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Adelaide run weekly discounting cycles; Perth's is locked to a daily rhythm by law; Hobart, Darwin, and regional towns barely cycle at all
- Distance and competition — freight costs and fewer competing stations keep regional and NT prices higher
- State schemes — every state and territory has an official price-reporting scheme (FuelCheck in NSW, FuelWatch in WA, MyFuel NT, and so on), which changes how and when prices move
See Coverage by state for every state's data source, or jump to your state guide: NSW · VIC · QLD · SA · WA · TAS · ACT · NT
What is the average price of petrol in Australia?
Averages move weekly with the cycle and daily with oil markets, so any number printed on a page goes stale fast. For a live answer:
- Open Petrol Australia's Insights panel
- Pick your state and fuel type
- You'll see the latest average, the cheap and expensive thresholds, and where today sits between them
That's the same question "what's the average price?" is really asking — is today's price good or bad? — answered with live data.
How much is petrol per gallon in Australia?
Australia prices fuel per litre. To convert for comparison with US prices: multiply the per-litre price by 3.785 (1 US gallon = 3.785 litres). A price of 180c/L is about USD-equivalent maths aside — AUD $6.81 per US gallon.
Why do prices jump 20 cents overnight?
That's the price cycle — a deliberate retail pattern where stations discount day by day until margins bottom out, then restore prices in one sharp jump. It's why timing your fill matters more in Australia than almost anywhere else. Full explanation: Petrol price cycle, and see Will petrol go up tomorrow? for what to do about it today.
How do I find the cheapest petrol near me?
- Open Petrol Australia — the map shows live, government-verified prices around you, colour-coded green (cheap) to red (expensive)
- Switch to the Nearby list for a straight price ranking
- Set a price alert on your regular station so the app watches it for you
Related: Petrol price cycle · Insights · Coverage by state
Check live petrol prices now — download Petrol Australia for iPhone and Android at petrolaustralia.com.au.