Official figures — October 2026. These are the confirmed prices published by the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR), effective Wednesday, 7 October 2026. Petrol 93 rose 312 c/l, petrol 95 rose 333 c/l, diesel 500ppm rose 284 c/l, diesel 50ppm rose 324 c/l and illuminating paraffin rose 358 c/l. The previous official prices took effect on 2 September 2026.
Petrol is cheaper in Durban than in Johannesburg by 87 cents per litre. From 7 October 2026 Petrol 95 costs R30.25 in Johannesburg and R29.38 in Durban.
Petrol Price Johannesburg vs Durban: current price
| Fuel | Johannesburg (zone 9C) | Durban (coastal) | Difference |
| Petrol 95 | R30.25 | R29.38 | 87 c/l |
| Petrol 93 | R29.88 | R29.01 | 87 c/l |
| Diesel 50ppm (wholesale) | R32.80 | R31.93 | 87.2 c/l |
| Diesel 500ppm (wholesale) | R31.95 | R31.08 | 87.2 c/l |
The coastal Petrol 93 price is from the Department’s schedule for 7 October 2026.
Inland, coastal or local zone context
Johannesburg is in the Gauteng zone, with a transport charge of 91.1 c/l. Durban is on the coast, where the charge is 3.9 c/l. Everything else in the price is the same in both cities.
The gap over the last year
| Effective date | Johannesburg | Durban |
| 7 October 2026 | R30.25 | R29.38 |
| 2 September 2026 | R26.92 | R26.05 |
| 5 August 2026 | R25.58 | R24.71 |
| 1 July 2026 | R26.10 | R25.23 |
| 3 June 2026 | R28.06 | R27.19 |
| 6 May 2026 | R26.63 | R25.76 |
| 1 April 2026 | R23.36 | R22.49 |
| 4 March 2026 | R20.30 | R19.47 |
| 4 February 2026 | R20.10 | R19.27 |
| 1 January 2026 | R20.75 | R19.92 |
| 3 December 2025 | R21.41 | R20.58 |
| 3 November 2025 | R21.12 | R20.29 |
| 1 October 2025 | R21.63 | R20.80 |
The difference has been 87 cents throughout. Both cities move by the same amount at each monthly adjustment.
Travel and fill-up decision guidance
The drive between the two cities on the N3 is roughly 570 km. At 8 litres per 100 km that is about 46 litres, costing about R1,379.40 at the Johannesburg price or R1,339.73 at the Durban price. Heading up from Durban, fill up before you leave; heading down, fill up when you arrive.
Why this area differs from other regions
Durban is South Africa’s main fuel import harbour. Fuel for Gauteng travels inland from the coast, and that transport is what Johannesburg motorists pay extra for.
Compare petrol, diesel and other fuels
Diesel shows the same gap at wholesale level. LP gas differs far more between the two zones: R37.81 per kilogram inland against R34.56 at the coast.
Related city, province and calculator pages
- Petrol price Johannesburg
- Petrol price Durban
- Petrol price today
- Inland vs coastal fuel prices
- Inland fuel price
- Coastal fuel price
- Fuel transport cost South Africa
- Trip fuel cost calculator
- Fuel cost calculator
Frequently asked questions
How much cheaper is petrol in Durban?
87 cents per litre.
Does the gap change?
It has been constant over the past year. It changes only if transport tariffs are revised.
When does the price change?
On the first Wednesday of every month. The current prices took effect on 7 October 2026 and the next adjustment is due on Wednesday, 4 November 2026.