Market Update
Tuesday 11 August 2026
Unleaded 91 and diesel · Brent crude, AUD/USD, capital pump prices, and city-by-city 4-week outlook
Produced automatically from PetrolPulse's live pricing data and forecast model — how our forecasts work. Methodology by Mark Schreuder · Data as of 11 August 2026
What moved this week
As of Tuesday 11 August 2026, the national average for Unleaded 91 across Australia's capital cities sits at 203.8c/L, down 2.0c on last week. Diesel averages 246.1c/L nationally, with the cheapest reported bowser at 224.9c/L. Wholesale import costs lifted 6.6% over the past week to an estimated 152.0c/L — the input that flows through to pump prices over the following one to two weeks.
Wholesale market signals
Brent Crude
US$89.13
per barrel
Singapore MOGAS tracks Brent with ~1 week lag
AUD/USD
0.7063
exchange rate
A lower AUD raises the cost of imported fuel
Import Parity
152.0
cents per litre
Estimated wholesale cost before excise and GST
What this means for pump prices
Brent crude climbed 12.2% over the past week to US$89.13 per barrel, while the Australian dollar held flat 0.2% against the US dollar. These are the two inputs that, together with refining and shipping margins, determine the wholesale cost of fuel landed at Australian terminals.
The four-week outlook is leaning lower. Retail margins elevated — correction likely Petrol stations are earning 24c/L more than their historical average margin. This level of profitability tends to attract competition and compress prices over time — even if crude stays flat. Prices may ease in the coming weeks.
Historically, moves in import parity take about 10-14 days to show up at the bowser. With wholesale increases this week, you can expect the pressure to filter through to pump prices over the next two weeks — earlier in metros that follow a tight price cycle, later in regional markets where retailers smooth changes out.
Capital city pump prices
Average and cheapest reported pump prices in each capital on Tuesday 11 August 2026, with the change vs 7 and 30 days prior.
| City | U91 avg | U91 cheap |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 199.9c | 186.5c |
| Melbourne | 205.4c | 189.5c |
| Brisbane | 203.4c | 187.9c |
| Adelaide | 201.2c | 187.9c |
| Perth | 193.5c | 183.3c |
| Canberra | 204.6c | 189.9c |
| Hobart | 209.9c | 191.9c |
| Darwin | 212.1c | 198.0c |
Averages computed from stations within a metro radius of each capital. 7d and 30d deltas apply to the U91 average.
City-by-city cycle outlook
Where each capital sat in its local discounting cycle on Tuesday 11 August 2026, and what the model was telling drivers to do.
Shared signal — Sydney, Canberra, Darwin
No sharp moves expected in the next few days — if your tank allows, there's no rush to fill up today.
Sydney
Cycle position unclearYou have timeMelbourne
Cycle position unclearFill when you need toNo clear timing signal right now. Fill up when you need to.
Brisbane
Cycle position unclearYou have timeFri–Sat is historically the cheapest day to fill up in Brisbane. That's 2 days away. If your tank allows, waiting could save up to 4.0¢/L.
Perth
Cycle position unclearYou have timePrices here follow a strong weekly pattern — Tuesday is usually cheapest, about 9¢/L below the week's peak. Worth waiting ~6 days for the weekly low.
Adelaide
Cycle position unclearFill when you need toNo clear timing signal right now. Fill up when you need to.
Canberra
Cycle position unclearYou have timeHobart
Cycle position unclearYou have timeFri–Sat is historically the cheapest day to fill up in Hobart. That's 2 days away. If your tank allows, waiting could save up to 3.7¢/L.
Darwin
Cycle position unclearYou have timeLooking ahead
If your tank can wait, the next predicted price low is approaching in Sydney (around 0 days away from the next trough), Perth (around 6 days away from the next trough), Canberra (around 0 days away from the next trough).
Layered over the local cycle, the macro signal is biased downward for the next four weeks based on the wholesale cost trajectory. That doesn't always change the day-to-day call, but it does shift where each city's cycle is likely to land relative to recent history.
How this update is generated
Each day at 6:00am AEST, PetrolPulse fetches the latest Brent crude spot price and AUD/USD exchange rate, then combines them using the standard Singapore MOPS import parity formula to estimate the wholesale cost of fuel delivered to Australian terminals.
Capital city averages are computed from live station-level data within a metro radius of each capital — not state-wide aggregates — so regional outliers don't skew the headline number. Comparisons against 7 and 30 days prior show whether the city was trending up or down on the day, separate from the wholesale signal.
The city-by-city cycle outlook combines local cycle-position analysis with the forward-looking macro signals above. When import parity moves significantly relative to current retail prices and the recent margin, the directional call updates automatically.