NRMA reveals Australia’s most expensive cities for petrol in 2023

It’s been a tough year on the family budget and some Aussies copped higher prices at the bowser than others.

The year is almost over and one of Australia’s oldest motoring bodies has revealed 2023’s best and worst cities to live in for petrol prices.

For a yearly average of regular unleaded petrol across all capital cities, NRMA shows Brisbane took out the undesirable gong for Australia’s most expensive city.

The Queensland capital recorded an average of $1.93 per litre across the year, a cent higher than second-placed Canberra and two cents higher than Hobart and Melbourne, which both recorded an average of $1.91 per litre.

Australians filling up in Perth scored the cheapest petrol at $1.83 per litre, a 5.2 per cent discount at the bowser from Brisbane.

Adelaide was the second-least expensive city in the country at $1.86 per litre.

NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said 2023 showed Australia’s “painful” exposure to volatility in world oil prices.

“Fuel prices, and in particular diesel, have had a negative impact on the budgets of Australian families and our nation’s economy throughout much of 2023 and only now are we starting to see some relief,” he said.

“Australia’s economy runs on diesel with so much of our goods and services delivered by heavy freight.

“It also drives key industries like agriculture, mining and manufacturing, so higher diesel prices throughout 2023 have reverberated across all sections of our society.”

Australians have suffered a marked jump in prices following the outbreak of war in Ukraine in 2022.

In 2021, Brisbane residents paid an average of $1.51 per litre, a 21.7 per cent price difference.

Motorists in Adelaide have copped an even larger price increase, with petrol moving up about 26 per cent from $1.42 per litre to $1.86 per litre.

Mr Khoury said Australians needed “ongoing transparency” over fuel prices.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to launch a war against Ukraine in February 2022 led to a shock in world energy prices that flowed into Australia. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

“If fuel prices in Australia do not fall according to downward movements in global oil prices then Australian families and the Australian economy ultimately pays the price,” he said.

“The NRMA also welcomes the fact that in 2023 all states and territories across Australia have implemented some form of real-time data reforms.

“These reforms allow families to find the cheapest fuel in their local community and help drive competition among service stations.”

Ranked: Australia’s most-to-least expensive cities for petrol in 2023

1. Brisbane – $1.93

2. Canberra – $1.92

3. Melbourne – $1.91

4. Hobart – $1.91

5. Sydney – $1.90

6. Darwin – $1.87

7. Adelaide – $1.86

8. Perth – $1.83

Originally published as NRMA reveals Australia’s most expensive cities for petrol in 2023