Rosebud Pays Up to 16 Cents More Than Frankston for Unleaded at the Same Brands

Rosebud Pays Up to 16 Cents More Than Frankston for Unleaded at the Same Brands

Unleaded on the Mornington Peninsula has started to ease after last week's lift, but not every postcode is getting the same relief. Petrolmate checked official Victoria fuel price data for 53 servos between Frankston and Rosebud at 2:15pm AEDT on Friday 16th Oct 2026. The figures show the same brand charging 14 to 16 cents a litre more at the southern end of the peninsula than at the northern gateway.

The peninsula picture

Across those 53 servos, the median unleaded price was 236.9 on 4 October, rose to 243.9 by 12 October and has since eased to 239.5. That ease is lopsided. The 22 servos around Frankston, Baxter and Moorooduc now have a median of 235.8, about 2 cents above where they started the month. The 13 around Mornington and Somerville have a median of 242.9, which is still 4 cents above their 4 October level and 7.1 cents above the Frankston end.

Same badge, different bill

The brand figures raise real questions about price transparency.

EG Ampol lists unleaded at 235.9 in Frankston and 251.9 at EG Ampol Rosebud West on Boneo Road, a 16 cent gap between two sites about 32 kilometres apart. Its other Rosebud site, EG Ampol Rosebud on Fourth Avenue, asks 244.9. That is a 7 cent gap between two servos of the same brand just 922 metres apart.

7 Eleven charges 235.8 in Frankston, 242.9 at its two Mornington sites and Karingal, 247.9 in Hastings and 249.9 in Rosebud. That is a 14.1 cent spread within one network on one stretch of coastline.

Shell Reddy Express runs two clear tiers. Its Frankston, Moorooduc and Peninsula Gateway sites are on 235.7, while Mornington, Somerville, Hastings, Langwarrin West and Tootgarook are on 242.8. From 6 to 12 October the gap between the two tiers was exactly 3 cents every night. On 13 October the cheaper tier cut 6.6 cents. The dearer tier eased only 2.5 cents the following night, and the gap has sat at 7.1 cents since.

Dromana and Rosebud: 5.6 kilometres, 10.6 cents

Two 7 Eleven fuel sites show how quickly prices can drift apart. On 12 and 13 October, 7 Eleven Dromana and 7 Eleven Rosebud both listed unleaded at 249.9. Dromana cut to 243.9 on 14 October and then to 239.3 on 15 October. Rosebud, 5.6 kilometres further along the bay, has stayed on 249.9 since 12 October.

Rosebud motorists do have a closer alternative. Liberty Rosebud on Point Nepean Road lists 239.5, about 1.2 kilometres from the 7 Eleven and 10.4 cents cheaper. Liberty cut 4 cents on 14 October, and the 7 Eleven did not follow.

Moorooduc Highway shows the zones clearly

On the Moorooduc Highway, United Moorooduc lists 235.5 and Shell Reddy Express Moorooduc lists 235.7, just 560 metres apart. About 1.5 kilometres north, Ampol Foodary Moorooduc asks 243.4. Four kilometres away in town, Shell Reddy Express Mornington is on 242.8. That is 7.1 cents more than the same brand charges on the highway.

At the cheapest end of the peninsula, Metro Frankston on Cranbourne Road lists 229.7, and United Frankston, about 160 metres away, is at 233.7.

E10 is hard to find here

Only 13 of the 53 servos list E10 at all. Where it is sold, it runs 2 to 4 cents under unleaded: 227.7 at Metro Frankston, 231.5 at United Moorooduc and 235.5 at Liberty Rosebud. Petrolmate shows current E10 prices for each site.

What this means for motorists

Brand loyalty is a poor guide to price on the peninsula. On a 50 litre fill, the 16 cent gap between EG Ampol's Frankston and Rosebud West sites is worth $8, and the 10.4 cent gap between the two Rosebud servos above is worth $5.20. If you are driving from the southern peninsula towards Melbourne, you can also wait and fill at the Frankston end, where the median is about 7 cents lower than around Mornington.

The data raises a fair question for the retailers involved. If a brand can sell unleaded at 235.9 in Frankston, what justifies 251.9 at one of its own sites on the same peninsula? Until someone explains that, the best defence is to check unleaded petrol prices and recent price trends before you leave home.

I will be watching whether 7 Eleven Rosebud follows Dromana down from 249.9. Armed with this information, Rosebud motorists can avoid paying 10.4 cents a litre more for the same unleaded 1.2 kilometres down the road.