Diesel vs petrol price: which car costs less to run now
In the diesel vs petrol price contest, 500 ppm diesel costs R30.86 wholesale in Gauteng against R30.24 for petrol 95. Enter your distance to compare running costs.
Example: 1,500 km a month· change a figure to see yours
Diesel car saves a month
R620
petrol R3,629, diesel R3,009 (diesel at the wholesale price)
| From 2 December 2026 (estimate): petrol | R3,350 |
| From 2 December 2026 (estimate): diesel | R3,133 |
| Saving then | R217 |
Compiled by Radif Partners · How the estimate is made
For most of the period since 2024, diesel was cheaper per litre than petrol in South Africa: in April 2024, 500 ppm diesel cost R22.45 wholesale in Gauteng against R25.12 for petrol 95. That changed in April 2026, when international diesel prices rose faster than petrol and diesel became the dearer fuel per litre. In November 2026 it costs R30.86 wholesale against R30.24 for 95 at the pump, before the station adds its diesel margin. A diesel car still uses less fuel for the same distance: at 1,500 km a month, a petrol car using 8 litres per 100 km spends R3,629, a diesel car using 6.5 litres R3,009 at the wholesale price. If the December estimates hold, petrol falls by +232c and diesel rises by +128c, and the diesel saving shrinks to R217 a month. The station’s own margin on diesel reduces it further.
Diesel vs petrol price since 2024
The table shows, at a few moments since April 2024, the Gauteng price of petrol 95 at the pump and of 500 ppm diesel wholesale, and the gap between them. A negative gap means diesel was cheaper.
| From | Petrol 95 (pump) | Diesel 500 ppm (wholesale) | Diesel minus petrol |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 April 2024 | R25.12 | R22.45 | -267c |
| 7 August 2024 | R23.11 | R20.38 | -273c |
| 4 December 2024 | R21.47 | R19.21 | -226c |
| 2 April 2025 | R21.62 | R19.32 | -230c |
| 6 August 2025 | R21.59 | R20.00 | -159c |
| 3 December 2025 | R21.41 | R19.79 | -162c |
| 1 April 2026 | R23.36 | R25.91 | +255c |
| 5 August 2026 | R25.58 | R26.17 | +59c |
| 4 November 2026 | R30.24 | R30.86 | +62c |
Diesel became dearer than petrol per litre with the change of 1 April 2026, and has stayed dearer in 6 of the 8 changes since. The comparison is not quite fair to petrol: the diesel figure is wholesale, before the station’s margin, while the petrol figure already includes the regulated retail margin of +320c a litre.
Why the two moved apart in 2026
Three things set diesel apart this year. First, its landed cost rose more: for the April change the under-recovery was +1,013c a litre on diesel against +582c on petrol. Second, the levy reliefs were not the same size: the government cut more from diesel than from petrol in May, June and November, which softened the rises but also means a larger step up when relief ends, +300c on 2 December against +150c on petrol. Third, the slate levy is the same in cents on both fuels.
How a weaker rand moves each fuel
Example: rand weaker by 5% for a whole window· change a figure to see yours
Effect on diesel 0.05% (500 ppm)
+106c a litre
+R53 on 50 litres, oil price unchanged
| Basic Fuel Price on 11 November 2026 | +2,123c a litre |
| Rand on that day | R16.53 to the dollar |
Choosing between a diesel and a petrol car
The fuel bill is only one line. Diesel cars often cost more to buy and to service, and the cleaner 50 ppm diesel that modern engines need costs +74c more than 500 ppm. Where you drive matters too: diesel engines save most on long highway distances and towing, petrol engines are often cheaper for short town trips. Run the calculator at the top with your own distance and both consumptions, then add the finance cost on the prime rate page. The diesel page and the petrol 95 page carry each fuel’s own December estimate.