Petrol and diesel prices in Adelaide
Wholesale prices from the Australian Institute of Petroleum, updated every weekday. How we work these out
A fair price in Adelaide today is about 213c a litre for petrol and 265c for diesel.
That's the wholesale price plus the usual 10–15c retail margin, so anything from 208–213c for petrol and 260–265c for diesel is reasonable. Above 218c for petrol, you are paying well over a normal margin.
Wholesale petrol is 197.7c today. See what that means for you each week with the fuel cost calculator.
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The last 12 weeks
Other capital cities
Adelaide wholesale price history
Terminal gate prices in cents a litre, including GST and excise.
| Unleaded | Diesel | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest, 12 Nov 2026 | 197.7 | 249.8 |
| A week earlier | −17.8 from 215.5 | −8.1 from 257.9 |
| Four weeks earlier | −37.7 from 235.4 | −10.1 from 259.9 |
| A year earlier | +33.2 from 164.5 | +74.8 from 175.0 |
| Lowest in the past year | 146.8 29 Jun 2026 | 155.7 13 Jan 2026 |
| Highest in the past year | 249.8 26 Mar 2026 | 326.0 9 Apr 2026 |
| Rank among the 7 capitals (1st is cheapest) | 2nd | 2nd |
| Compared with the national average | −1.0 national 198.7 | −0.7 national 250.5 |
| Record high since 2004 | 249.8 26 Mar 2026 | 326.0 9 Apr 2026 |
Average by year
| Year | Unleaded average | Unleaded range | Diesel average | Diesel range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 186.7 | 146.8–249.8 | 220.7 | 155.7–326.0 |
| 2025 | 163.0 | 154.3–172.5 | 168.1 | 156.0–183.1 |
| 2024 | 172.2 | 155.9–190.8 | 174.9 | 157.1–192.5 |
| 2023 | 176.0 | 163.2–198.7 | 184.0 | 163.0–212.1 |
| 2022 | 170.6 | 147.5–201.8 | 191.9 | 146.1–228.2 |
| 2021 | 133.1 | 108.7–157.2 | 130.3 | 109.1–151.1 |
| 2020 | 105.6 | 80.8–135.8 | 108.6 | 92.2–141.5 |
| 2019 | 129.6 | 112.0–140.2 | 135.4 | 121.4–142.5 |
The current year is year to date. Prices from the Australian Institute of Petroleum.
How Adelaide compares
Wholesale petrol in Adelaide is 33.2c dearer than a year ago, a rise of 20%. Over the past year it has swung between 146.8c in June 2026 and 249.8c in March 2026. Among the seven capitals Adelaide is 2nd cheapest for petrol today, 1.0c below the national average. Diesel costs 52.1c a litre more than petrol at the terminal gate.
What is a terminal gate price?
It is the wholesale price of fuel collected from a terminal. It already includes crude oil and refining costs, shipping, fuel excise and GST, so the gap between the terminal gate price and the price on the sign is the retail margin. The Australian Institute of Petroleum publishes the average of the major suppliers' prices each weekday.
Why the price on the sign moves
Retail prices in the larger capitals move in cycles, so the same servo can be fair one week and expensive the next. Wholesale prices follow international prices for refined petrol and diesel, which track Brent crude, converted at the exchange rate. See oil and currency markets for what is driving them now.
Buying fuel in Adelaide
Where Adelaide's fuel comes from
South Australia has had no refinery since Port Stanvac closed in 2003. Adelaide's fuel is imported by tanker and stored at terminals around Port Adelaide, which also supply most of regional South Australia by road.
Over the ten years from 2016 to 2025 Adelaide's wholesale petrol averaged 0.1c a litre above the national price and diesel 0.2c above. How the capitals compare.
The price cycle
Adelaide's petrol price cycle is short, about two and a half weeks on average in recent ACCC figures, so there are usually two or three jumps a month. A short cycle means you rarely have to wait long for the bottom. Diesel does not cycle. How price cycles work.
Checking servo prices in South Australia
South Australia's Fuel Pricing Information Scheme has required every retailer to report its prices since March 2021. Prices are published through approved apps, including the RAA's, that use the state's data.
With a cycle this short, a half tank bought at the right time is often better than a full tank bought on the wrong day. Check the price against the wholesale figure here before you fill.
Read next
See also Oil prices and the dollar · Fuel price guides · Why fuel price data is hidden