Are Petrol Prices Making Your Car Too Expensive to Keep?

Q: How much does petrol cost an Australian driver per year?

It depends on your real fuel use. A car doing 12,000 km a year at a true 8 L/100km burns about 960 litres — roughly $1,700 a year at an average of $1.80 a litre, and more in regional areas. Track your actual litres rather than the sticker figure to know your real number.

Q: Why is my real fuel use different from the sticker?

The sticker figure is a laboratory ADR number. Real Australian driving — urban traffic, air conditioning, hills, roof racks, a heavy driver's foot — pushes consumption well above it, often by 20–40%. Measuring your own litres over 5–6 fill-ups is the only reliable number.

Q: How do I find the cheapest petrol near me?

Use a live fuel price map that shows station prices you can sort by distance and price. AutoBrain's Petrol Price Map pulls the WA FuelWatch government feed and the QLD fuelpricesqld partner feed — WA and QLD are live today, with more states added as their feeds open — and is included on paid hosted plans.

Q: Should I sell my car if petrol is too expensive?

Not on fuel alone. Fuel is only part of running cost — servicing, tyres, rego, insurance and depreciation usually add more. Run the true monthly total through the Ownership Advisor and decide against all of it, not just the petrol line.

Q: Is it worth driving to a cheaper station?

Often yes. Ten cents a litre across 960 litres is about $96 a year, and it can be more where regional spreads are wider. Weigh the saving against the extra kilometres driven to reach the cheap station, which is often the same as just filling up when you're already nearby.

AutoBrain Team · 13 October 2026 · Fuel & Cost Tracking

Every litre went up, the odometer keeps climbing, and the fuel bill is the line you notice. Here's the arithmetic on your real fuel cost — and the three things that matter more than it.

What does petrol actually cost you per year?

Work it out from your real consumption, not the sticker. A car doing 12,000 km a year at a true 8 L/100km burns about 960 litres. At an average of $1.80 a litre that's roughly $1,730 a year; regional drivers and high-kilometre commuters pay considerably more. If your car is a 12 L/100km ute doing 25,000 km, double it.

None of that is a verdict on the car. It's just the number to start from — and you can only trust it if you measure your own litres, which is exactly what a car fuel tracker does at every fill-up.

Why your real fuel use beats the windscreen sticker?

The ADR figure on your windscreen is a laboratory number. Real Australian driving — stop-start traffic, air conditioning, hill climbs, roof racks, a heavy right foot — pushes real consumption 20–40% above it. Real-world fuel consumption in Australia breaks down exactly which conditions cost you the most.

Measure over five or six fill-ups, then compare the L/100km against that sticker number. Most drivers discover a gap they didn't know they had.

Can you buy cheaper petrol nearby?

Yes, and the maths is simple. Ten cents a litre across 960 litres is about $96 a year — more where regional spreads are wider. The Petrol Price Map shows live station prices you can sort by price and distance. Current coverage is WA via the FuelWatch government feed and QLD via the fuelpricesqld partner feed, with more states as their feeds open; it's included on paid hosted plans.

Keep it honest: filling up on the way past a cheap station beats deliberately driving eight kilometres to save five cents a litre.

Is fuel the reason to sell the car?

Usually not. Fuel is one line in a running-cost total that usually includes servicing (car service costs in Australia run $600–$1,200 a year), tyres, rego, insurance and depreciation — and depreciation is often the largest of all. A car that feels expensive on fuel is frequently one that is fine overall, or one that is expensive on everything.

The Ownership Advisor puts keep, repair, upgrade, finance or sell on one screen so the decision is made against the whole total, not the last petrol receipt.

Three fixes that beat chasing fuel prices

Fix the real consumption. Under-inflated tyres, a dirty air filter and short trips that never reach operating temperature all inflate your L/100km — usually more than a few cents at the pump.
Track every fill-up. Cost per kilometre is the number that decides the rest, and you need real data to calculate it.
Service on time, not on symptoms. Catching a small fault early is cheaper than replacing the part it ruined.

Frequently asked questions

How much does petrol cost an Australian driver per year?

A car doing 12,000 km a year at a true 8 L/100km burns about 960 litres — roughly $1,700 a year at $1.80 a litre, more in regional areas. Track your own litres to know your real figure.

Why is my real fuel use different from the sticker?

The sticker is a laboratory ADR number. Urban traffic, air conditioning, hills and a heavy driver's foot add 20–40%. Measure across five or six fill-ups for a number you can act on.

How do I find the cheapest petrol near me?

Use a live fuel price map you can sort by price and distance. AutoBrain's Petrol Price Map pulls the WA FuelWatch government feed and the QLD fuelpricesqld partner feed — WA and QLD are live today, with more states as their feeds open — on paid hosted plans.

Should I sell my car if petrol is too expensive?

Not on fuel alone. Servicing, tyres, rego, insurance and depreciation usually add more. Run the whole total through the Ownership Advisor before deciding.

Is it worth driving to a cheaper station?

Ten cents a litre across 960 litres is about $96 a year, but the extra kilometres can eat the saving. Fill up where you're already passing, and treat the price map as a bonus.

Track your real fuel cost and running costs in one app? Try the live demo or see hosted plans.