What a full tank costs in South Africa
Fuel prices effective 7 October 2026
Inland (Gauteng) pump prices for 95 petrol and the regulated wholesale diesel 0.05% price. Coastal petrol is lower, currently about R0.87/L less than inland 95.
- Inland 95 petrol is R30.25/L now and rose by about R8.62 per litre (40%) versus a year ago.
- Diesel 0.05% (regulated wholesale) is R31.95/L now and rose by about R12.61 per litre (65%) versus a year ago.
Price per litre
95 petrol
R30.25/L
now
- A year ago
- R21.63/L
- October 2016
- R12.60/L
- vs a year ago
- +R8.62 (+40%)
- vs 2016
- +R17.65 (+140%)
Diesel 0.05%
Regulated wholesale price
R31.95/L
now
- A year ago
- R19.34/L
- October 2016
- R10.72/L
- vs a year ago
- +R12.61 (+65%)
- vs 2016
- +R21.23 (+198%)
Then and now: 2016, a year ago and today
| Vehicle | Fuel | Tank | 2016 | A year ago | Now | vs year ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VW Polo Vivo | Petrol | 45 L | R567 | R973 | R1,361 | +R388 (+40%) |
| Toyota Hilux Double Cab | Diesel | 80 L | R858 | R1,547 | R2,556 | +R1,009 (+65%) |
The Toyota Fortuner has the same 80 L diesel tank, so a full tank costs the same as the Hilux.
Best-selling vehicles: what a full tank costs
Ten of the best-selling vehicles in Q3 2026 (July to September): what a full tank costs now versus a year ago.
| Rank | Vehicle | Fuel | Tank | Q3 units | A year ago | Now | vs year ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toyota Hilux Double Cab | Diesel | 80 L | 11,839 | R1,547 | R2,556 | +R1,009 (+65%) |
| 2 | VW Polo Vivo | Petrol | 45 L | 7,388 | R973 | R1,361 | +R388 (+40%) |
| 3 | Ford Ranger Double Cab (2.0 diesel) | Diesel | 80 L | 6,938 | R1,547 | R2,556 | +R1,009 (+65%) |
| 4 | Chery Tiggo 4 Pro (1.5T petrol) | Petrol | 51 L | 6,658 | R1,103 | R1,543 | +R440 (+40%) |
| 5 | Isuzu D-Max Double Cab (1.9 diesel) | Diesel | 76 L | 6,525 | R1,470 | R2,428 | +R958 (+65%) |
| 6 | Suzuki Swift (1.2 petrol) | Petrol | 37 L | 6,080 | R800 | R1,119 | +R319 (+40%) |
| 7 | Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8 (petrol) | Petrol | 47 L | 5,079 | R1,017 | R1,422 | +R405 (+40%) |
| 8 | Hyundai Grand i10 (1.0 petrol) | Petrol | 43 L | 4,407 | R930 | R1,301 | +R371 (+40%) |
| 9 | Toyota Starlet (1.5 petrol) | Petrol | 37 L | 4,385 | R800 | R1,119 | +R319 (+40%) |
| 10 | Haval Jolion (1.5T petrol) | Petrol | 55 L | 3,744 | R1,190 | R1,664 | +R474 (+40%) |
Sales are Lightstone/naamsa model totals for the whole model line, summed from monthly figures. Tank sizes are for the variant shown.
Sales figures: BusinessDay (July 2026), BusinessDay (August 2026) and TimesLive (September 2026).
What R500 buys
R500 buys about 16.5 L of inland 95 petrol now, about 23.1 L a year ago, and about 39.7 L in October 2016.
Now
16.5 L
A year ago
23.1 L
October 2016
39.7 L
Calculator
Pick a vehicle from the table, or enter a fuel type and tank size, to see the fill cost now versus a year ago.
Cost now
R2,556
A year ago
R1,547
Difference: +R1,009 (+65%)
Does fuel efficiency matter? The same car, petrol vs hybrid
Running costs on Toyota's claimed consumption at the current inland 95 price.
Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8 (petrol)
6.7 L/100km · 47 L tank
- Per 100 km
- R203
- Claimed range
- about 700 km
- Per 1,250 km (about a month of average driving)
- R2,533
Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8 HEV
4.3 L/100km · 36 L tank
- Per 100 km
- R130
- Claimed range
- about 840 km
- Per 1,250 km (about a month of average driving)
- R1,626
On Toyota's claimed consumption, the hybrid costs about R907 less per 1,250 km.
This compares fuel only. It does not include the price difference between the two models, servicing or battery replacement.
Context
A full tank in the Toyota Hilux Double Cab costs about R2,556 now, versus about R1,547 a year ago. It rose by about R1,009 (65%).
Since October 2016 (R12.60/L), inland 95 petrol has risen by about 140% and is now R30.25/L.
South Africa's annual CPI inflation was 4.4% as of 31 August 2026 (Stats SA).
Compare running costs
How we calculated
- Tank sizes from manufacturer specification sheets: VW SA Polo Vivo spec sheet (dated 2026): VW Polo Vivo. Toyota SA spec sheets (dated 2026): Hilux Double Cab, Fortuner, Corolla Cross. Ford SA Ranger XLT 2.0L single turbo diesel specification (Ford South Africa website) (checked 18 October 2026): Ford Ranger Double Cab. Isuzu D-Max Double Cab brochure (dated June 2026): Isuzu D-Max Double Cab. Hyundai SA Grand i10 specification table, MY18 (checked 18 October 2026): Hyundai Grand i10.
- Tank sizes from published road tests and reviews: cars.co.za, Chery Tiggo 4 Pro DCT (2024) review (checked 18 October 2026): Chery Tiggo 4 Pro. Suzuki SA blog review roundup (checked 18 October 2026): Suzuki Swift. IOL, 2022 Toyota Starlet review (dated 15 July 2022): Toyota Starlet. cars.co.za listing for a 2025 Jolion 1.5T City Plus (checked 18 October 2026): Haval Jolion.
- Cost is a full tank from empty at the inland price shown above. Real fills vary.
- Petrol is the inland (Gauteng) 95 pump price. Diesel is the regulated wholesale 0.05% price, so pump prices vary slightly.
- The 2016 prices come from the FIASA fuel price archive (Gauteng, effective 5 October 2016).
- Fuel price changes are effective from 7 October 2026.