Northern Territory fuel prices, October 2026 so far

1. Darwin reported prices averaged 246.2 c/L for U91 in October 2026, up 16.5 c/L on September 2026.

2. Since our records began on 13 April 2026, the day of the week made little difference to U91 prices in Darwin: the cheapest and dearest days were 0.6 c/L apart on average.

3. Filling a 60-litre tank with U91 in Cossack (rural) rather than in Yuendumu saved $74.88 on average in October 2026.

4. Independent service stations in Northern Territory averaged 45.3 c/L more than the major brands for U91 in October 2026, and 4.2 c/L less in Darwin.

5. Diesel cost 42.8 c/L more than U91 in Darwin in October 2026, down from 46.6 c/L in September 2026.

6. Cossack (rural) was Northern Territory’s cheapest town for U91 in October 2026 at 241.2 c/L, 5.0 c/L below Darwin.

7. Darwin was the second dearest of the 8 capital cities for U91 in October 2026 at 246.2 c/L.

8. Since our records began on 13 April 2026, Alice Springs has been Northern Territory’s cheapest regional centre for U91, averaging 226.8 c/L.

1. U91 reported prices in Darwin averaged 246.2 c/L in October 2026, up 16.5 c/L on September 2026.

2. In October 2026, diesel averaged 289.0 c/L in Darwin, up 12.7 c/L on September 2026.

3. Since our records began on 13 April 2026, Darwin's highest daily U91 average was 248.8 c/L on 13 October 2026 and its lowest 161.2 c/L on 1 July 2026. The high was set in October 2026.

4. Darwin's daily U91 average went from 244.6 c/L on 1 October to 245.1 c/L on 29 October, and diesel from 291.8 c/L to 288.2 c/L.

5. The highest daily average in Darwin was 248.8 c/L for U91 on 13 October and 291.8 c/L for diesel on 1 October.

6. Since 1 July 2026 in Darwin: U91 up 83.9 c/L, diesel up 109.5 c/L, P95 up 84.8 c/L and P98 up 84.2 c/L.

7. Darwin ranked seventh cheapest of the 8 capital cities for U91; Adelaide was the cheapest at 233.5 c/L and Hobart the dearest at 247.4 c/L.

8. On 29 common dates in October 2026, Darwin's U91 daily averages had a mean of 246.2 c/L, against 238.9 c/L at the Darwin terminal: a gross spread of 7.4 c/L. Each date counts equally; this is not the station-day-weighted headline mean or a profit estimate.

9. The Darwin terminal gate price averaged 238.9 c/L for unleaded and 271.3 c/L for diesel, up 14.9 c/L and up 5.3 c/L on September 2026.

10. Wholesale unleaded averaged 238.9 c/L at the Darwin terminal, a record: the dearest wholesale month since AIP's series began in January 2004 (the previous high was September 2026 at 224.0 c/L); the cheapest of the last ten years was April 2020 at 86.7 c/L.

11. Our margin-based rule detected no U91 price-cycle hike in Darwin in October 2026. This does not establish why retail prices changed.

12. Of the towns we ranked, Cossack (rural) had the cheapest U91 at 241.2 c/L, 5.0 c/L below Darwin.

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Cents a litre. Change is on September 2026. Difference is the rest of the state against Darwin.

Cents a litre. Each month is the station-day average of the days it has in the period. An area’s months count the same stations as its month.

Cents a litre. Each month is the station-day average of the days it has in the period. An area’s months count the same stations as its month.

Each common date counts once. Retail is the mean of the saved daily capital averages, not the station-day-weighted headline mean. TGP uses the same dates and carries the last published value for at most six subsequent calendar days. Retail prices can already include carried station prices. Means and spreads are rounded separately. The gross spread is not profit or a causal explanation. Retail carry limit: 30 days. Unmatched dates are excluded; common days are not a station or sales coverage percentage.

Worked out the same way as the table above.

Excise is charged on fuel as it leaves the terminal, so it is already in the terminal gate price; GST is then charged on top.

Source: ATO: Excise duty rates for fuel and petroleum products

Cents a litre, cheapest first. Each capital is its ABS urban area, worked out exactly as in its own state’s report. The margin is against its own terminal’s gate price (Canberra uses Sydney’s). Period-average margins are omitted here: comparable daily inputs and weights are not retained for these rows.

Cents a litre, cheapest first. Each capital is its ABS urban area, worked out exactly as in its own state’s report. The margin is against its own terminal’s gate price (Canberra uses Sydney’s). Period-average margins are omitted here: comparable daily inputs and weights are not retained for these rows.

Cents a litre, cheapest first. Darwin’s U91 average was 246.2 c/L. A town’s margin is against Darwin’s terminal gate price. Period-average margins are omitted here: comparable daily inputs and weights are not retained for these rows.

Cents a litre, cheapest first. A town is ranked with at least two stations reporting through the period and a price on most days; 66 smaller places were left out. The cheapest station’s figure is its own average over the period.

Cents a litre, cheapest first. A town is ranked with at least two stations reporting through the period and a price on most days; 68 smaller places were left out. The cheapest station’s figure is its own average over the period.

Fewer stations sell these fuels, so fewer towns are ranked.

Cents a litre; negative is cheaper than Darwin. The areas are Darwin’s ABS SA4 areas and the regional centres of 50,000 people or more.

A suburb or town is the ABS locality a station sits in, ranked within its SA4 by the same rule as the towns.

1 of the 18 towns we ranked averaged less than Darwin for U91.

Each day’s average against the seven days centred on it, averaged by weekday, so a steady rise or fall does not favour one end of the week. A place needs four of each weekday with prices from five stations or more; a month usually shows the year so far only.

The major brands are 7-Eleven, Ampol, BP, Caltex, EG, Mobil, On The Run (OTR), Reddy Express, Shell and United; every other brand, and a station without one, is independent. Stations with a price on a quarter of the days; a brand is listed with five or more.

Brent: Europe Brent spot price FOB (US Energy Information Administration). Exchange rate: the Federal Reserve’s noon buying rate in New York. Both via FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, averaged over the days each is published; the Australian-dollar figures use each day’s rate. A litre is a barrel divided by 158.987. We use these free benchmarks because the refined-petrol and diesel benchmarks Australian wholesale prices follow (Singapore) are sold by subscription.

FuelRadar’s published forecast for Darwin, the same one the app shows. An estimate, not a guarantee.

Wholesale and crude prices as at 23 October 2026. Crude oil forecast: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Short-Term Energy Outlook, October 2026.

The listed count is the inventory used at build time, not a historical census of every operating station. One station selling two fuels on one day contributes two station–fuel–days. Fuel-specific counts must not be added to obtain a distinct station total. Distinct stations contributing eligible prices for this fuel and period. Calendar days describe the window, not new observations.