Fuel Hub
Diesel prices across Australia
Diesel powers Australia's 4WDs, utes, commercial vehicles, and an increasing share of passenger cars. With diesel typically priced within a few cents of unleaded — and sometimes higher — finding the cheapest diesel station before a fill-up matters, especially for high-mileage drivers and fleet operators.
What is diesel fuel?
Diesel is a petroleum-derived fuel used in compression-ignition engines. Unlike petrol engines that use a spark plug to ignite the fuel-air mixture, diesel engines rely on the heat generated by compressing air to ignite injected diesel fuel. This process is more thermally efficient than spark ignition, which is why diesel vehicles typically achieve better fuel economy than equivalent petrol vehicles.
Standard automotive diesel in Australia — sometimes called “ultra-low sulphur diesel” or ULSD — has a maximum sulphur content of 10 parts per million. This is required for modern diesel particulate filters and SCR emission systems to function correctly.
Diesel vs premium diesel
Many stations also sell premium diesel — marketed under names like BP Ultimate Diesel, Shell V-Power Diesel, and Ampol Amplify Diesel. Premium diesel contains additional detergent and lubricity additives that claim to clean injectors and improve combustion efficiency. It typically costs 10–20 cents per litre more than standard diesel.
Refuelr tracks both standard diesel and premium diesel as separate fuel types. Premium diesel is genuinely distinct — Refuelr does not collapse them together, so you can compare prices for each grade independently at stations near you.
Which vehicles use diesel?
Diesel is the standard fuel for most utes and 4WDs in Australia — Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger, Isuzu D-MAX, Mitsubishi Triton, and Nissan Navara are all primarily sold in diesel variants. Passenger cars with diesel engines include many Mazda CX-5, Volkswagen Passat, BMW 3 Series, and Mercedes-Benz C-Class models. All commercial trucks and many buses and vans are also diesel-powered.
Using petrol in a diesel engine — or diesel in a petrol engine — causes serious and potentially irreversible damage. Always confirm your vehicle's fuel type before filling. See our fuel types guide for full compatibility information.
Finding cheap diesel across Australia
Diesel prices do not follow the same sharp price cycle as petrol in capital cities, but they do vary significantly by station and region. Diesel is typically cheapest at high-volume highway service centres and discount independent stations. Remote and regional areas attract a premium due to transport logistics — the further from a capital city fuel depot, the higher the typical price.
Refuelr tracks diesel prices from official government feeds across NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, and NT — refreshed every 30 minutes. Set a price alert to be notified when diesel drops below a price you set at any station in your area.