Ceduna Diesel Drops 17 Cents as Regional SA Servos Hold the Line
Right, so it's Saturday arvo, the footy's on in the background, and I've been having a squiz at the fuel numbers between goals. I reckon South Australia deserves a pat on the back this week. The east coast woke up to a proper diesel rise overnight, but SA servos are quietly doing the right thing by locals. And the town out in front is one that usually cops the worst of it.
Ceduna gets a fair go at last
Ceduna sits out on the far side of the Eyre Peninsula, the last decent stop before the Nullarbor. Anyone who's driven that stretch knows the deal. You fill up where you have to and you cop whatever the board says. Well, this week the board's showing a number worth slowing down for. Diesel across Ceduna's six servos has eased 16.9 cents, down from 228.9 to an average of 212.0 as of 2pm AEST on Saturday 18th Jul 2026.
That's nearly 17 cents in one hit, and you'd be mad not to do the sums on it. Fill a 70 litre tank and that's about twelve bucks staying in your pocket, which is a couple of pints or a decent bacon and egg roll with change. For the grey nomads and truckies rolling through on the highway, it adds up fast over a big trip.
Regional SA holding the line under 196
Here's the thing, right. It's not just Ceduna. Mount Gambier down on the Limestone Coast has the cheapest pump at 189.9, and the town averages 195.9 across its five servos. Balaklava north of Adelaide starts at 192.0, Barmera in the Riverland is pumping from 193.9, and Strathalbyn starts at 194.6.
Then there's Old Noarlunga, where there's barely a cent and a half between the cheapest servo at 195.5 and the dearest at 196.9. Fair dinkum, when every driveway in town is within a whisker of the others and under 197, nobody's taking the mick. You can pull in anywhere and know you haven't been done. That's competition doing its job.
How SA stacks up against the rest
The South Australia state diesel average sits at 208.8 as of this arvo, up a modest 1.9 cents on yesterday. That makes SA the second cheapest state in the country for diesel, just behind Victoria at 208.3.
Compare that with what went on over east overnight. NSW diesel jumped 18.9 cents to a state average of 209.2, and Tasmania climbed 19.2 cents to 212.1. WA is sitting at 214.5, and the Northern Territory is way out at 260.6, same as always. So SA motorists have gone from middle of the pack to sitting pretty in the space of a day. Keep an eye on the diesel prices page over the next few days though, because rises over east have a habit of drifting across the border eventually.
Quick word on the Barossa
Couple of weeks back I wrote about petrol climbing through the Barossa and Clare as SA hit the top of its cycle. Well, unleaded in the Barossa has climbed another 13 cents since then and is now averaging 194.9, so that cycle is still working its way through wine country. If you're heading up from Adelaide for a weekend at the cellar doors, do yourself a favour and check unleaded petrol prices before you leave town. Filling up in the city first will likely save you a few dollars, and I know where I'd rather spend them.
What I reckon you should do
If you're anywhere in regional SA and the tank's under half, this weekend is a good time to top up on diesel. Prices out east moved nearly 19 cents in a day, and there's no guarantee SA stays this sharp for long. Ceduna locals especially, take the win while it's on the board.
And if you're heading out that way anyway, chuck the Petrolmate map on before you leave the house. Ten seconds of checking beats driving past the cheap servo and pulling into the dear one down the road.
Look, end of the day, a bit of planning means more cash in your pocket for the important stuff. Can't argue with that.
