What is the average fuel consumption for Australian cars?

The average fuel consumption for new passenger vehicles sold in Australia is around 7.5–9.0 L/100km. Small city cars typically use 5.5–7.5 L/100km, medium sedans 7–10 L/100km, SUVs 8–12 L/100km, and large 4WDs 12–16 L/100km. Hybrid vehicles average 3.5–5.5 L/100km. Real-world figures are typically 20–30% higher than official lab test results, especially with city driving, air conditioning use, and heavier loads.

Why do petrol prices vary so much between states?

Petrol prices vary between Australian states because of differences in distance from refineries, supply chain logistics, local competition levels, and whether the state runs a price cycle. Sydney and Melbourne have the most competition and regular price cycles — buy at the bottom and you can save 20–30 cents per litre compared to the peak. Darwin and regional areas consistently pay more due to smaller markets and longer supply distances. Remote areas can sit 50 cents or more above capital city averages.

How do I find my car's official fuel consumption figure?

Check the Green Vehicle Guide (greenvehicleguide.gov.au) — this is the Australian government's official database of vehicle fuel consumption and emissions, using the ADR 81/02 combined city/highway test cycle. Note that real-world fuel use is typically 20–30% higher than the official figure, especially with urban driving, air conditioning, or a heavy load. Your car's onboard trip computer is a better guide to your actual consumption.

Does the ATO reimburse employees for fuel costs?

The ATO cents-per-kilometre rate for 2025–26 is 88 cents per kilometre for work-related car use (up to 5,000 km per year). This rate is designed to cover all car running costs — fuel, registration, insurance, servicing, and depreciation — not fuel alone. Alternatively, the logbook method lets you claim actual vehicle costs based on a 12-week usage diary. Speak with an accountant about which method gives you the better outcome.

Are electric vehicles cheaper to run than petrol cars?

Yes, significantly cheaper per kilometre on energy alone. An EV using 18 kWh/100km at $0.30/kWh costs roughly $5.40 per 100 km to run. A petrol car using 9 L/100km at $1.90/L costs $17.10 per 100 km — more than three times more expensive. Home overnight charging at off-peak rates can reduce EV running costs further. The payback period on the higher purchase price typically runs 5–8 years depending on annual mileage and electricity rate.

How much does fuel cost as a share of total car ownership?

For most Australians, fuel represents 20–30% of total car running costs. The bigger costs are often depreciation, loan repayments, and insurance. A typical medium car costs $10,000–$15,000 per year in total once all ownership costs are included — fuel is a real but not dominant component. If you want to see the full picture, the cost of car ownership calculator breaks down every line item including registration, servicing, tyres, and depreciation alongside your annual fuel spend.

✈️ Travel Calculator

Fuel Cost Calculator Australia 2026

Calculate the petrol or diesel cost for any road trip, your weekly commute, or annual running costs. Uses current ULP 91 and diesel prices by state, with real-world vehicle presets for common Australian car types. If prices have recently spiked — our petrol at $2.40/L guide shows exactly what that costs different drivers per week. For full scenario benchmarks see the average fuel cost per week guide.

Fuel Cost Calculator

Australian ULP 91 and Diesel prices by state · 2026

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Switch to a custom price to calculate immediately.

What can you do?

→Use the vehicle comparison to see how a hybrid or EV would save you

→Find the cheapest servo near you via FuelCheck (NSW), Fuel Prices QLD, FuelWatch (WA), or Servo Saver (VIC)

→Improve fuel economy by 10–15%: maintain tyre pressure, reduce AC use, and avoid heavy acceleration

→Use our cost of car ownership calculator to see total ownership costs including fuel, insurance, and depreciation

Part of✈️ Travelling

How this calculator works

Enter your state, fuel type (ULP 91 or diesel), vehicle efficiency in L/100km, and weekly or trip distance. The calculator uses the current average retail price for your state — sourced from fuelprice.io and updated regularly — alongside your consumption figure to produce a trip cost, weekly cost, monthly cost, annual cost, and cost per kilometre. Vehicle presets use real-world consumption figures from the Green Vehicle Guide (ADR 81/02 test cycle) adjusted upward by approximately 20% to reflect typical Australian driving conditions. You can override any preset with your own figure.

Live average petrol prices - Australia states & territories

State	ULP 91	ULP 91 / 100km*	Diesel	Diesel / 100km*
NSW	Loading…	Loading…	Loading…	Loading…
VIC	Loading…	Loading…	Loading…	Loading…
QLD	Loading…	Loading…	Loading…	Loading…
WA	Loading…	Loading…	Loading…	Loading…
SA	Loading…	Loading…	Loading…	Loading…
TAS	Loading…	Loading…	Loading…	Loading…
ACT	Loading…	Loading…	Loading…	Loading…
NT	Loading…	Loading…	Loading…	Loading…

*Based on 9.0L/100km for an average car. ● (green) = live source data, ● (red) = derived from most recent data, live data currently unavailable.

These state figures are assembled from current official reporting feeds and their public delayed datasets, rather than a manually maintained table. Our Fuel Cost Calculator lets you switch between ULP 91 and Diesel and then apply the price to your own trip distance or annual kilometres.

Live average petrol prices — Australian capital cities

ULP 91 prices across Australian capital cities, updated in real time. Sydney and Melbourne run on price cycles — tracking the cycle and buying at the bottom typically saves $15–$30 per tank compared to buying at the peak:

Data via fuelprice.io. Prices refresh regularly.

Annual running costs by vehicle type

The average Australian drives around 15,000 km per year. At current ULP 91 prices (~$1.90/L), annual fuel costs break down roughly like this by vehicle type:

Vehicle type	L/100km	Annual litres	Annual fuel cost
Small city car (e.g. Yaris, Mazda2)	6.0	900	$1,710
Medium sedan (e.g. Camry, Mazda3)	8.0	1,200	$2,280
Hybrid (e.g. RAV4 Hybrid, Corolla Hybrid)	4.5	675	$1,283
Mid-size SUV (e.g. CX-5, Tucson)	9.5	1,425	$2,708
Large SUV/4WD (e.g. Prado, Fortuner)	13.0	1,950	$3,705
Ute (e.g. HiLux, Ranger — diesel)	10.5	1,575	$2,993

Based on 15,000 km/year (BITRE average annual distance) at $1.90/L ULP 91. Diesel row uses an equivalent diesel price; actual diesel prices may differ. Consumption figures are real-world estimates based on Green Vehicle Guide data adjusted ~20% above official test figures. Results vary with driving conditions.

Fuel is a real but not dominant share of what owning a car actually costs. The bigger items are typically depreciation, loan repayments, and insurance. A typical medium car costs $10,000–$15,000 per year all-in — fuel accounts for roughly 20–30% of that. The cost of car ownership calculator puts your fuel figure in context alongside every other running cost.

If you want to reduce the fuel share rather than just measure it, our fuel-saving scenarios guide shows which changes — driving style, tyre pressure, route timing, vehicle choice — are most likely to make a measurable difference.