Fuel Cost Calculator
What a drive will cost in petrol or diesel, at today's prices along your route.
Fuel use
Fuel cost
$—
— L × — ¢/L
What popular drives cost in fuel right now
One-way fuel cost, priced at the average in the departure city on 6 November 2026. A medium car at 8.5 L/100km on unleaded 91, and a 4WD or ute at 12 L/100km on diesel.
| Drive | Distance | Medium car | 4WD diesel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney → Canberra | 292 km | $57 | $96 |
| Melbourne → Adelaide | 725 km | $144 | $240 |
| Sydney → Melbourne | 866 km | $169 | $285 |
| Brisbane → Sydney | 916 km | $181 | $305 |
| Perth → Adelaide | 2,695 km | $509 | $864 |
Perth to Adelaide crosses the Nullarbor, where roadhouse prices run well above the city average, so treat that row as a floor. Open any row to price it at the stations actually on the road. The route planner also shows any reported fuel shortages along the way.
Getting an accurate number
The calculator is only as good as the fuel-use figure you give it. Highway driving at 100 to 110 km/h, a full load of passengers and luggage, roof racks, and air-conditioning all push consumption up. If your trip computer says 9 L/100km around town, plan on a similar or slightly higher number for a loaded highway run rather than the lower label figure.
Timing matters as much as the route. Unleaded prices in the big cities move in repeating cycles, weekly in Perth and every few weeks in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide, and the gap between the top and bottom of a cycle can be worth more than the difference between two cars. Check your city's forecast before you fill up for the trip, and read when to buy petrol for how the cycles work.
Questions
How do I calculate the fuel cost of a trip?
Divide the distance by 100, multiply by your car's fuel use in litres per 100 km, then multiply by the price per litre. A 500 km drive in a car using 8 L/100km is 40 litres; at 200¢ a litre that's $80. The calculator above does the same sum and fills in a current average price for you.
Where does the fuel price come from?
From the official state government price feeds PetrolPulse ingests every 30 minutes. When you enter a route, the calculator takes every station within about 6 km of the road with a price from the last 24 hours, splits the drive into stretches, and uses the typical price across those stretches, so a long country leg counts as much as the city at either end. If no station on the route sells your fuel, it uses the latest daily average for the nearest city that has one. If you enter a distance instead, it uses a city average you can change. You can always type your own price over it. Members-only stations (Costco, LMCT+) aren't included, because not every driver can fill there.
How do I find my car's fuel consumption?
Your trip computer is the best source because it reflects how and where you drive. The official label figure (on the windscreen sticker or the Green Vehicle Guide) is measured in a lab and usually reads lower than real-world driving, especially for highway driving at 110 km/h or a loaded car. The vehicle presets above are typical real-world figures, not label figures.
How much more fuel does towing a caravan use?
A lot, and it varies with the van's weight, its frontal area, headwinds and speed, so no single figure fits every rig. Oak Ridge National Laboratory measured a 30% increase in city driving and 50% at highway speed for an SUV towing a 1.6-tonne enclosed trailer, and Australian owner reports for caravans mostly fall between 30% and 50%. Height matters too: in a GORV test the same car used 14.6 L/100km towing a pop-top and 16.7 towing a full-height van. The calculator adds 20% for a trailer, 35% for a camper or pop-top (our estimate from that gap) and 50% for a caravan. If your trip computer has a towing figure from a previous trip, choose "I know my L/100km" and type it in. Towing only applies to estimates, so it's never added twice.
Why might the route be wrong?
The routing engine only uses roads it considers drivable, and it can quietly send you around an unsealed road such as the Gibb River Road or the Tanami Track instead of along it. Check the line on the map. If it isn't your road, switch to Distance and enter the kilometres yourself.
Is it cheaper to fill up before I leave the city?
Usually, yes. Capital-city prices are often lower than highway and remote roadhouse prices, though some regional towns undercut the city at the high point of its price cycle. The route planner shows the cheapest stations along your actual route, and the city forecast pages tell you whether to fill up today or wait a few days.
Does the calculator include tolls or wear and tear?
No. It covers fuel only. Tolls, tyres and servicing are real costs of a long drive but depend on the route and the vehicle in ways a fuel calculator can't see.
Written and reviewed by Mark Schreuder, founder of PetrolPulse · First published 24 March 2026 · Last updated 3 November 2026