Fuel Costs and Long Drives in New Zealand

How much is fuel in New Zealand?

Fuel is sold by the litre. In the first week of September 2026, the national average was about NZ$2.97 a litre for regular petrol and NZ$2.67 for diesel, according to MBIE’s weekly fuel price monitoring. Prices are usually higher in remote areas and lower in the big cities.

Diesel cars and vans also pay road user charges. With a rental, these are normally included in the price — check the Rental Terms.

What popular drives cost in fuel

Estimates only: real use depends on the car, hills, speed and load. Use the trip calculator on this page with your own figures.

Rental fuel policies

• Full to full — you get a full tank and return it full. You pay only for what you use, at pump prices. Usually the best value.
• Same to same — return it with the same level you collected. Take a photo of the gauge at pick-up.
• Pre-purchase — you pay for a tank up front and can return it empty. Convenient for an early flight, but you pay for any fuel you leave in it.

If you return a full-to-full car short of fuel, the company refuels it at its own, usually higher, price plus a service fee.

Where to fill up before you go

• Te Anau before the Milford Road — there’s no fuel on the way to Milford Sound.
• Haast or Wānaka before the Haast Pass, and on the West Coast generally: towns are far apart and stations may close early.
• Omarama or Twizel / Cromwell around the Lindis Pass on the Queenstown – Mount Cook route.
• Before a late ferry arrival in Picton, if you’re driving on that night.

Most stations take cards at the pump and are self-service; some rural ones close in the evening. A good habit: fill up when you drop below half a tank in the South Island.

Other running costs

There are only three toll roads, all in the North Island (Northern Gateway north of Auckland, and two in Tauranga), each a couple of dollars for a car. See toll roads with a rental car. Parking in city centres is the other common extra.