Australia Fuel Prices – Week of 18 May 2026

Diesel is the headline story this week. While petrol prices drifted upward almost everywhere, diesel dropped hard across both metro and rural Australia, with rural drivers seeing the biggest relief yet still paying more at the register than their city counterparts. Here's what the national numbers look like for the week of 18 to 25 May 2026.

Australia Fuel Prices Snapshot: Metro vs Rural

Fuel-by-Fuel Breakdown: Diesel Prices Australia Lead the Week

Diesel was the clear mover in a positive direction. Metro diesel shed 4.6 cents to land at 231.0 c/L nationally, while rural diesel fell an even steeper 6.6 cents to 237.0 c/L. That rural drop is meaningful for truckies and regional drivers who've been copping elevated prices for weeks. Despite the fall, diesel remains the most expensive common fuel type by a considerable margin.

P98 told the opposite story. Metro P98 jumped 3.5 cents to 209.0 c/L, though rural P98 barely moved, up just 0.1 cents to 212.7 c/L. If you're running premium, city drivers felt that increase more sharply than anyone else this week.

LPG had an unusual split. Metro LPG was virtually flat, adding just 0.3 cents to sit at 152.1 c/L, making it comfortably the cheapest fuel nationally for those with compatible vehicles. Rural LPG, though, swung 10.1 cents lower to 185.8 c/L, a sizable shift that rural LPG users will welcome.

U91 crept up 1.9 cents in metro areas to 183.8 c/L, while rural U91 held almost steady at 191.6 c/L, up just 0.1 cents. P95 followed a similar trajectory, with metro adding 1.9 cents to 200.5 c/L and rural gaining 1.1 cents to 205.4 c/L.

Cheapest State for Petrol Australia: SA Leads, NSW Trails

South Australia continues to be the standout for metro U91 affordability. At 176.8 c/L, SA is the cheapest state for petrol in Australia this week, and it actually dropped 0.7 cents while everyone else went up. That's a gap of nearly 11 cents compared to NSW, which sits at the expensive end of the table at 187.6 c/L metro.

WA climbed 3.3 cents to 181.3 c/L but remains the second-cheapest metro option. VIC had the sharpest weekly rise among the states, up 3.8 cents to 187.1 c/L metro. The ACT sits at 184.3 c/L after a modest 1.4-cent increase. QLD came in at 185.8 c/L, up 2.2 cents on the week.

One supply note worth flagging: P98 out-of-stock stations dropped from 67 to 53 nationally, a noticeable improvement. LPG availability is moving the other way, with 118 stations currently without stock, up slightly from 116 last week. Victoria, SA and Queensland account for the bulk of all out-of-stock pumps across every fuel type, so drivers in those states should check availability before heading out.

What This Means for Australian Drivers

If you're filling a diesel vehicle, this is a better week than last. Lock in a fill if you can, particularly in rural areas where the drop was sharpest. Petrol drivers face a small but real increase across most grades, with P98 users in the city hit hardest. SA drivers are in the best position nationally for U91 right now, while NSW and VIC drivers are paying the most. LPG remains an attractive option if your vehicle supports it, especially in metro areas where it's sitting 30-plus cents below U91.

State Reports

For a deeper look at local trends, check out our detailed New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia reports for a full breakdown.

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