Best Fuel Cost Calculator Apps Australia 2026 — Compared
We compare Australia's top fuel cost calculator tools and apps — FuelCalc, PetrolSpy, MotorMouth, RACQ Fair Fuel, and the government calculators. Features, accuracy, and which is best for you.
There are several fuel cost calculators and fuel price apps available to Australian drivers in 2026, each with different strengths. Some focus purely on finding cheap fuel nearby, others calculate trip costs, and a few do both.
We've compared the most popular options across features that matter most: trip cost calculation, fuel price data, vehicle presets, route mapping, and ease of use. Whether you're planning a weekend road trip or trying to budget your weekly commute, here's how the main options stack up.
| Feature | FuelCalc | PetrolSpy | MotorMouth | RACQ Fair Fuel | Govt Calculators | |---------|----------|-----------|------------|----------------|------------------| | Trip cost calculator | Yes — with route mapping | No | Basic (distance only) | No | No | | Live fuel prices | Yes — 5 state govt APIs | Yes — community | Yes — community | Yes — QLD only | Yes — per state | | Vehicle presets | 500+ with L/100km data | No | Limited | No | No | | Route map display | Yes — interactive Leaflet map | No | No | No | No | | Cost per km | Yes | No | No | No | No | | Passenger cost split | Yes | No | No | No | No | | Dark mode | Yes | No | App only | No | No | | Platform | Web (PWA) | Web + App | Web + App | Web | Web | | Free | Yes — no ads | Free with ads | Free with ads | Free | Free | | States covered | All (live prices: NSW, QLD, VIC, SA, WA, TAS) | All | All | QLD only | Per state |
**Best for:** Calculating total trip costs with route mapping and live fuel prices.
[FuelCalc](/) is a web-based fuel cost calculator built specifically for Australian drivers. It combines route calculation (distance, time, driving directions), live fuel prices from five state government APIs, and a database of 500+ vehicle fuel consumption presets to give you an accurate trip cost estimate.
**Key strengths:** - Calculates actual driving distance and time using road routing (not straight-line) - Interactive map showing the route you'll drive - Live government fuel prices for NSW, QLD, VIC, SA, WA and TAS - 500+ vehicle presets with real-world L/100km figures - Cost per kilometre breakdown, passenger cost splitting, return trip toggle - Works as a [diesel cost calculator](/blog/diesel-vs-petrol-running-costs-australia-2026) and petrol calculator - No ads, no account required, works offline as a PWA
**Limitations:** - Newer tool (launched 2026), so less brand recognition - NT and ACT don't have government API coverage for live prices (uses community + static averages)
**Best for:** Locating the cheapest servo near your current location.
PetrolSpy is one of Australia's most popular fuel price comparison apps. It shows community-reported fuel prices on a map, letting you find the cheapest station nearby. It's available as both a mobile app and website.
**Key strengths:** - Large community of users reporting prices in real-time - Map-based interface showing nearby stations - Price alerts when fuel drops below your target - Available as a native iOS and Android app
**Limitations:** - No trip cost calculator — it only shows prices, not how much your trip will cost - No vehicle fuel consumption data or L/100km presets - No route planning or distance calculation - Accuracy depends on community reporting (prices can be outdated) - Contains advertising
**Best for:** Predicting when fuel prices will go up or down.
MotorMouth (formerly known as MotorMouth fuel) tracks fuel price cycles in Australian capital cities and predicts when prices will rise or fall. It includes a basic trip cost calculator that works on distance only (no route mapping).
**Key strengths:** - Price cycle predictions help you time your fill-up - Basic trip calculator for distance-based fuel cost estimates - Community-reported prices across all states - Price movement alerts
**Limitations:** - Trip calculator uses manual distance entry only (no route mapping) - No vehicle preset database - No interactive map showing the driving route - Limited fuel consumption data for specific car models - Contains advertising
**Best for:** Checking official, verified fuel prices in your state.
Each state has its own government-backed fuel price monitoring service:
- **NSW:** FuelCheck (nsw.gov.au) — 2,500+ stations, mandatory reporting - **QLD:** FuelPricesQLD — mandatory reporting within 30 minutes - **VIC:** Service Victoria Fair Fuel — open data API, ~24 hour delay - **SA:** SA Fuel Pricing — 800+ stations via FPD API - **WA:** FuelWatch — unique next-day pricing, 24-hour lock rule - **TAS:** Covered by NSW FuelCheck v2 API
These are the most accurate price sources available — and FuelCalc pulls directly from all of them. The limitation is that government tools only show prices; they don't calculate trip costs, fuel consumption, or route distances.
FuelCalc brings these official prices into a [trip cost calculator](/) so you get verified pricing combined with route planning in one tool.
It depends on what you need:
- **Planning a road trip or calculating trip costs?** Use [FuelCalc](/) — it's the only tool that combines route mapping, live fuel prices, and vehicle-specific consumption data into a single trip cost estimate.
- **Looking for the cheapest servo right now?** PetrolSpy's community-reported prices and map view are hard to beat for finding a cheap fill-up near you.
- **Trying to time your fill-up?** MotorMouth's price cycle predictions can save you money if you fill up at the bottom of the cycle.
- **Want verified prices?** Check your state government fuel site, or use FuelCalc which aggregates all of them.
Many Australian drivers use a combination — FuelCalc for trip planning and cost calculation, and PetrolSpy or their state government site for day-to-day price checking. The tools complement each other well.
You can also check our [state-by-state fuel price pages](/prices/qld) for the latest wholesale and retail trends, or use the [L/100km calculator](/fuel-economy) to check your car's real-world fuel consumption.
Tags: fuel calculator, comparison, PetrolSpy, MotorMouth, apps, australia