Cheapest fuel stops from Melbourne to Canberra
Plan your drive below with Melbourne and Canberra already filled in. Add your car and fuel level to see stops you can reach. View route prices and details.
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This drive is about 668 km and takes roughly 6h 58m before stops. The prices and sample-car estimates below are a corridor snapshot.
Latest listed price report: . Individual stations may have older reports.
Filling 60 litres at the cheapest station on this route instead of an average one saves about $8.58 — before you count the detour to reach it.
The long stretch on this drive
The longest gap between listed stations on this corridor is about 70 km, between Holbrook, NSW and Tarcutta, NSW, starting about 385 km in. Most cars clear that on a full tank, so it is a stretch to be aware of rather than one to plan around.
Reported ULP 91 prices on this road range from $2.25/L at Epping, VIC to $3.00/L at Ascot Vale, VIC — a spread of 74.4c a litre. On a 60 litre fill that is $44.64 between the best and worst place to stop.
Fuel options along this drive
These are the lowest fresh ULP 91 reports in each third of the drive, among stations listed within 5 km of the route. They show where a cheaper stop falls in the journey; the lowest pump price is not always the best stop after a detour.
Early drive
Astron Epping in Epping is about 30 km from Melbourne. Its reported price is $2.25/L, about 3.2 km off the route.
Middle of the drive
Pearl Energy Albury in David St North Albury is about 325 km from Melbourne. Its reported price is $2.29/L, about 1.2 km off the route.
Final approach
Mobil Coolac in Coolac is about 520 km from Melbourne. Its reported price is $2.35/L, about 0.5 km off the route.
Where the fuel gets dearer on this drive
Fuel on this road is averaging about 8.1c a litre more in the last third of the drive than in the first. Leaving Melbourne with a full tank buys the cheaper fuel while it is still around you, and the stops near Canberra become a top-up rather than a fill.
| Part of the drive | Average ULP 91 | Stations listed | Cheapest in it |
|---|---|---|---|
| First third | $2.38/L | 201 | $2.25/L at Epping, VIC |
| Middle third | $2.41/L | 46 | $2.29/L at David St North Albury, NSW |
| Last third | $2.46/L | 34 | $2.35/L at Coolac, NSW |
Towns selling fuel between Melbourne and Canberra
81 towns on this corridor had a fresh price report at the last check. Listed below are 20 of them, spaced along the drive in the order you reach them. Where a town shows a range, that is the gap between its own stations — worth knowing before you pull into the first one you see.
| Town | Into the drive | Stations | ULP 91 reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fitzroy NorthVIC | 0 km | 2 | $2.31 – $2.32/L |
| South MelbourneVIC | 0 km | 5 | $2.38 – $2.44/L |
| Port MelbourneVIC | 0 km | 5 | $2.40 – $2.41/L |
| WindsorVIC | 0 km | 1 | $2.43/L |
| Ascot ValeVIC | 5 km | 3 | $2.34 – $3.00/L |
| Moonee PondsVIC | 6 km | 5 | $2.41 – $2.43/L |
| Coburg NorthVIC | 10 km | 2 | $2.29 – $2.36/L |
| Keilor ParkVIC | 15 km | 2 | $2.40 – $2.41/L |
| NiddrieVIC | 15 km | 2 | $2.43/L |
| Gladstone ParkVIC | 20 km | 2 | $2.32 – $2.36/L |
| FawknerVIC | 25 km | 3 | $2.30 – $2.40/L |
| WollertVIC | 35 km | 5 | $2.25 – $2.42/L |
| MicklehamVIC | 45 km | 2 | $2.41 – $2.42/L |
| TallarookVIC | 100 km | 2 | $2.40/L |
| Violet TownVIC | 180 km | 1 | $2.42/L |
| ChilternVIC | 290 km | 1 | $2.68/L |
| WodongaVIC | 318 km | 12 | $2.40 – $2.50/L |
| North AlburyNSW | 325 km | 1 | $2.38/L |
| ThurgoonaNSW | 330 km | 1 | $2.46/L |
| MurrumbatemanNSW | 620 km | 1 | $2.40/L |
Brands you will pass on this road
A discount docket or a loyalty card is only worth carrying if the brand turns up where you are going. These are the brands with a fresh report on this corridor, cheapest average first — averages across a handful of sites, not a verdict on the brand.
- Solo1 station listed$2.25/L
- Costco Fuel1 station listed$2.27/L
- APCO5 stations listed$2.29/L
- Liberty9 stations listed$2.30/L
- U-Go2 stations listed$2.30/L
- Metro Petroleum14 stations listed$2.32/L
- Pearl Energy2 stations listed$2.36/L
- Mobil3 stations listed$2.39/L
- Shell7 stations listed$2.39/L
- Caltex4 stations listed$2.40/L
- Independent15 stations listed$2.40/L
- Ampol Foodary33 stations listed$2.41/L
- BP46 stations listed$2.41/L
- United Petroleum10 stations listed$2.41/L
- Shell Reddy Express52 stations listed$2.41/L
- 7-Eleven43 stations listed$2.41/L
- EG Ampol24 stations listed$2.42/L
- Ampol10 stations listed$2.44/L
Will your tank make it?
Range here uses real-world consumption — about 20% above the lab figure most cars are advertised with — and holds back a reserve rather than running you to the last drop.
| Vehicle | Real range | Fuel used | One tank? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small car45 L tank, 6.5 L/100km | 513 km | 52 L | No — 1 stop |
| Mid-size SUV60 L tank, 8.0 L/100km | 563 km | 64 L | No — 1 stop |
| Ute or 4WD80 L tank, 9.5 L/100km | 632 km | 76 L | No — 1 stop |
Your car is not one of these three. Use your actual make and model in the planner above and OTW works it out from the manufacturer's figures and how much fuel you have right now. If you have measured your own fuel use, you can calculate your L/100 km.
Cheapest ULP 91 on this route
281 stations within 5 km of the road, averaging $2.40/L.
| Station | Price | Into the drive | Off the road |
|---|---|---|---|
| Astron EppingIndependent · Epping · VICReported | $2.25/L | 30 km | 3.2 km |
| APCO EppingAPCO · Epping · VICReported | $2.25/L | 30 km | 3.3 km |
| Solo WollertSolo · Wollert · VICReported | $2.25/L | 35 km | 4.4 km |
| Metro Brunswick WestMetro Petroleum · Brunswick West · VICReported | $2.27/L | 5 km | 1.2 km |
| Liberty BenallaLiberty · Benalla · VICReported | $2.27/L | 210 km | 3.9 km |
| Metro Petroleum BenallaMetro Petroleum · Benalla · VICReported | $2.27/L | 210 km | 4.2 km |
| Costco Epping (Members only)Costco Fuel · Epping · VICReported | $2.27/L | 30 km | 2.3 km |
| U-Go CoburgU-Go · Coburg · VICReported | $2.27/L | 5 km | 3.7 km |
| Speedway Pascoe ValeIndependent · Pascoe Vale · VICReported | $2.27/L | 10 km | 2.0 km |
| Liberty CoburgLiberty · Coburg · VICReported | $2.27/L | 10 km | 3.6 km |
Cheapest Diesel on this route
142 stations within 5 km of the road, averaging $2.82/L.
| Station | Price | Into the drive | Off the road |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty CoburgLiberty · Coburg · VICReported | $2.60/L | 10 km | 3.6 km |
| Metro Brunswick WestMetro Petroleum · Brunswick West · VICReported | $2.62/L | 5 km | 1.2 km |
| Pearl Energy AlburyPearl Energy · David St North Albury · NSWReported | $2.65/L | 325 km | 1.2 km |
| APCO AlburyAPCO · Albury · NSWReported | $2.65/L | 325 km | 1.9 km |
| Sinopec ThomastownIndependent · Thomastown · VICReported | $2.69/L | 25 km | 2.4 km |
| Metro BroadmeadowsMetro Petroleum · Broadmeadows · VICReported | $2.69/L | 20 km | 0.7 km |
| United Melbourne Market UfillUnited Petroleum · Epping · VICReported | $2.69/L | 30 km | 0.7 km |
| Liberty CraigieburnLiberty · Craigieburn · VICReported | $2.69/L | 40 km | 2.1 km |
| Liberty CampbellfieldLiberty · Campbellfield · VICReported | $2.69/L | 30 km | 2.2 km |
| Astron EppingIndependent · Epping · VICReported | $2.69/L | 30 km | 3.2 km |
Common questions
- How far is it from Melbourne to Canberra?
- It is about 668 km by road, roughly 6 hours 58 minutes of driving before stops.
- Can you drive Melbourne to Canberra on one tank?
- A small car (45 L tank, 6.5 L/100km) has an estimated real-world range of about 513 km, so it needs at least 1 stop. A mid-size SUV (60 L tank, 8.0 L/100km) has an estimated real-world range of about 563 km, so it needs at least 1 stop. A ute or 4WD (80 L tank, 9.5 L/100km) has an estimated real-world range of about 632 km, so it needs at least 1 stop. These use real-world consumption, about 20% above the lab figure, and hold back a reserve.
- Where is the cheapest fuel between Melbourne and Canberra?
- In the latest fresh reports, the cheapest ULP 91 on this corridor is $2.25/L at Astron Epping in Epping, about 30 km into the drive. Prices can change before you arrive.
- How far off this road is cheap fuel worth driving for?
- At the 74.4c spread currently listed between Epping, VIC and Ascot Vale, VIC, a 60 litre fill at the cheap end saves about $44.64. For a car using around 9.6 L/100km that pays for roughly 105.7 km each way off the route before the detour has eaten the saving — and that is fuel only, not the time.
- Should you fill up before leaving Melbourne?
- On current reports, yes. Fuel averages about 8.1c a litre more in the last third of this drive than in the first, so leaving Melbourne on a full tank buys the cheaper fuel while it is still around you.
- Is diesel cheaper than petrol on this drive?
- No. Along this corridor diesel is averaging about 42.0c a litre more than ULP 91 in the latest fresh reports.