Petrol and diesel prices in Sydney
Wholesale prices from the Australian Institute of Petroleum, updated every weekday. How we work these out
A fair price in Sydney today is about 215c a litre for petrol and 268c for diesel.
That's the wholesale price plus the usual 10–15c retail margin, so anything from 210–215c for petrol and 263–268c for diesel is reasonable. Above 220c for petrol, you are paying well over a normal margin.
Wholesale petrol is 200.3c today. See what that means for you each week with the fuel cost calculator.
Are you being ripped off?
Enter what you paid at the pump to find out.
The last 12 weeks
Other capital cities
Sydney wholesale price history
Terminal gate prices in cents a litre, including GST and excise.
| Unleaded | Diesel | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest, 12 Nov 2026 | 200.3 | 252.6 |
| A week earlier | −17.5 from 217.8 | −8.3 from 260.9 |
| Four weeks earlier | −37.6 from 237.9 | −10.3 from 262.9 |
| A year earlier | +35.9 from 164.4 | +77.7 from 174.9 |
| Lowest in the past year | 147.3 30 Jun 2026 | 156.2 13 Jan 2026 |
| Highest in the past year | 249.0 26 Mar 2026 | 326.6 9 Apr 2026 |
| Rank among the 7 capitals (1st is cheapest) | 5th | 4th |
| Compared with the national average | +1.6 national 198.7 | +2.1 national 250.5 |
| Record high since 2004 | 249.0 26 Mar 2026 | 326.6 9 Apr 2026 |
Average by year
| Year | Unleaded average | Unleaded range | Diesel average | Diesel range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 187.4 | 147.3–249.0 | 221.9 | 156.2–326.6 |
| 2025 | 162.9 | 154.1–172.3 | 168.0 | 155.9–182.9 |
| 2024 | 171.7 | 155.7–190.0 | 174.8 | 157.1–192.2 |
| 2023 | 175.2 | 163.0–197.6 | 184.0 | 163.3–212.0 |
| 2022 | 170.7 | 147.3–201.7 | 192.0 | 145.9–228.1 |
| 2021 | 133.4 | 109.0–157.7 | 130.1 | 108.9–150.9 |
| 2020 | 105.9 | 81.4–136.0 | 108.5 | 92.2–141.5 |
| 2019 | 129.5 | 112.0–140.0 | 135.1 | 121.2–142.2 |
The current year is year to date. Prices from the Australian Institute of Petroleum.
How Sydney compares
Wholesale petrol in Sydney is 35.9c dearer than a year ago, a rise of 22%. Over the past year it has swung between 147.3c in June 2026 and 249.0c in March 2026. Among the seven capitals Sydney is 5th cheapest for petrol today, 1.6c above the national average. Diesel costs 52.3c 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 Sydney
Where Sydney's fuel comes from
Sydney has had no refinery since Shell's Clyde refinery closed in 2012 and Caltex's Kurnell refinery in 2014. Its fuel is imported by tanker, mostly from Asia, into terminals around Botany Bay and the harbour. Canberra and much of regional New South Wales are supplied by road from here.
Over the ten years from 2016 to 2025 Sydney's wholesale petrol averaged 0.1c a litre above the national price, and diesel the same. It is, in effect, the national price. How the capitals compare.
The price cycle
Sydney has a petrol price cycle that the ACCC has measured at about five weeks on average in recent years. Prices jump sharply, usually over a day or two, then slide slowly as servos undercut each other. The difference between buying in the few days after a jump and buying near the bottom is often 20c a litre or more. Diesel does not cycle. How price cycles work.
Checking servo prices in New South Wales
New South Wales has had mandatory price reporting since 2016. Servos must report each price change within 30 minutes, and every price is on the NSW Government's FuelCheck app and website. Canberra servos can appear on FuelCheck too, but reporting has not been compulsory in the ACT.
On FuelCheck, look at the spread between servos rather than only the cheapest. If most are 25c or more above the wholesale price shown here, a cycle has just jumped, and the few that have not moved yet are worth a detour.
Read next
See also Oil prices and the dollar · Fuel price guides · Why fuel price data is hidden