Wingfield Diesel Holds Below 253 Cents While South Australia Becomes Australia's Most Expensive Diesel Market
This week's fuel price data uncovers a stark divergence that deserves closer scrutiny. While Western Australia, NSW and Victoria have all cut diesel prices substantially over the past day, South Australia has gone in the opposite direction, lifting prices by 10.3 cents per litre. As of 24th April 2026 8:10am AEDT, SA now sits at 279.8 cents per litre on average, making it the most expensive diesel market in the country.
A closer look reveals the gap. WA dropped 18 cents to 267.3 cents. NSW fell a remarkable 22.9 cents to 274.2 cents. Even Victoria shed 6 cents to land at 271.0 cents. Meanwhile, Adelaide drivers and regional South Australians are watching their pump prices climb while motorists across the border are filling up for noticeably less.
Wingfield Becomes the Refuge
Within South Australia, Wingfield has emerged as the most consistent value option, with three servos averaging 252.8 cents per litre and a price spread of just 0.4 cents between the cheapest and most expensive. That's the tightest competition cluster anywhere in the state, and it raises some interesting questions about why supply economics are working so smoothly in this industrial pocket north of the city while broader SA keeps trending upward.
Balaklava, a regional town in the mid north, sits at 253.9 cents on average, with the cheapest pump down to 239.9 cents. That's actually below the WA state average. Drivers willing to plan a route through the mid north can secure better diesel pricing than many Adelaide suburbs offer. The variation between regions is striking.
Coffin Bay Petrol Hike Raises Eyebrows
Diesel isn't the only story worth investigating. Coffin Bay on the Eyre Peninsula recorded an unleaded jump of 14.8 cents over the previous reading, with five stations now averaging 211.6 cents per litre against the prior 196.8. For a coastal community heavily dependent on tourism and seafood logistics, that's a notable cost shift in a single window.
Digging deeper into the numbers, the SA diesel range tells the wider story. Across 359 stations the cheapest pump sits at 237.2 cents while the most expensive demands 350.0 cents. That's a price spread of 112.8 cents within a single state. Motorists paying the maximum are essentially paying double the price of those who shop around. Price transparency tools are the only practical defence against that gap.
Why the Divergence Matters
The interstate comparison is where the consumer story gets sharp. A driver in Sydney saw the NSW state average drop nearly 23 cents in a single day. A driver in Perth or Melbourne saw similar relief. Adelaide motorists, by contrast, paid more. There's no national supply shock that explains why three states cut prices while South Australia raised them on the same morning.
Wholesale terminal gate pricing in Adelaide tracks closely with Melbourne and Sydney refining margins, which makes the divergence harder to justify on cost grounds alone. When a gap of 12.5 cents per litre opens between the cheapest state (WA at 267.3) and the most expensive (SA at 279.8), and that gap widens on the same morning that other states cut prices, it's worth asking what's driving local margins.
What Motorists Should Do
The practical takeaways are clear. Within Adelaide and surrounding regions, Wingfield and Balaklava currently offer the strongest value for diesel. Drivers with flexibility in their refuelling timing should compare prices across multiple servos before committing, especially when spreads inside a single suburb can exceed 60 cents per litre elsewhere in the country. Use the interactive fuel map to scan current pricing in your area and time fills around the cheapest windows.
South Australian motorists should also be aware that today's increase comes against a clear national downtrend in diesel. If WA, NSW and VIC continue easing, the SA differential will only become more visible at the pump. Armed with this information, motorists can make informed decisions and avoid paying more than necessary.
