ACT Fuel Prices – Week of 18 May 2026

Canberra drivers are feeling a slow but steady squeeze at the servo this week. U91 has now climbed for two consecutive weeks, sitting at 184.3 c/L in metro ACT, and the daily trend data shows the rise wasn't a one-day blip. Prices crept upward from Monday through to Thursday before levelling off across the back half of the week.

ACT Weekly Fuel Prices Snapshot: 18–25 May 2026

Rural data was not available this week for ACT.

ACT Petrol Prices in Context: Key Movements This Week

The gradual daily climb in U91 tells an interesting story. Metro prices opened the week at 183.3 c/L on Monday the 18th, nudged up to 184.7 c/L by Thursday, then held steady at 184.6 c/L through Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. There was no dramatic spike, just a quiet, consistent grind upward with no relief in sight by week's end.

Diesel is the one bright spot. Metro diesel dropped 2.2c to 255.1 c/L, though the premium over U91 remains a punishing 70.8 cents per litre. If you're driving a diesel vehicle regularly, that gap is genuinely significant over a full tank.

P95 also edged up 1.6c to 203.0 c/L, meaning premium unleaded drivers are paying close to 18.7 cents more per litre than U91 users this week.

Cheapest ACT Fuel: How Much You Can Save by Shopping Around

The spread between the cheapest and most expensive metro stations this week is striking. The cheapest metro option sits at 172.7 c/L (Costco Canberra Airport, members only), while the priciest hits 199.9 c/L. That's a 27.2 cent gap across the metro area. On a 50-litre fill, that difference works out to more than $13. Worth a detour? For a lot of drivers, absolutely.

Looking at brand averages, Metro Fuel leads the pack at 180.9 c/L across 8 stations, followed by United at 183.3 c/L and Reddy Express at 183.8 c/L. At the other end, Ampol Foodary averages 185.4 c/L and 7-Eleven sits at 185.0 c/L. The roughly 4.5 cent gap between Metro Fuel and Ampol Foodary adds up quickly if you're filling up every week.

Best Day to Fill Up Last Week in ACT

Last Monday (18 May) was the cheapest day to fill up, with metro U91 at 183.3 c/L. Prices climbed from there all week, so anyone who filled up early got the best deal available.

ACT Metro Petrol Price Forecast: What's Coming Next

The short-term outlook isn't particularly encouraging for Canberra motorists. Metro U91 is forecast to reach 185.3 c/L tomorrow (Monday 25 May, 78% confidence), climb further to 186.6 c/L by Tuesday (71% confidence), and push toward 187.9 c/L by Wednesday (65% confidence). That would put prices 3.6 cents above this week's average if the forecast plays out.

ACT is currently sitting 0.5 cents above the national metro U91 average of 183.8 c/L, and well above the cheapest state, South Australia, at 176.8 c/L.

How to Make Your Fuel Dollar Go Further in ACT This Week

With prices likely heading higher over the next few days, filling up sooner rather than later makes sense. If you have access to Costco Canberra Airport, the 172.7 c/L member price is the standout deal in the metro area right now. For non-members, brands like Metro Fuel and Reddy Express are consistently tracking below the metro average. The 30-day range for ACT U91 runs from a low of 161.9 c/L to a high of 209.9 c/L, and at 184.3 c/L, current prices are sitting comfortably in the middle of that range, so there's no need to panic, but there's also no reason to delay filling up.

Download Petrol Smart for live prices on the map, route planning, and price alerts. It's free and has no ads. Knowing which stations are cheapest right now is the easiest way to take the sting out of rising prices.