Consumer Council NI 1 Oct 2026 · EU bulletin 28 Sep 2026
Fuel prices: Northern Ireland vs the RepublicDiesel €2.282 in the North, €2.123 in the South; petrol €1.974 against €1.972.
| 193.3pNI diesel, = €2.282 | 167.2pNI petrol, = €1.974 | +€7.94NI minus Republic, 50 L diesel | +€0.09NI minus Republic, 50 L petrol |
Petrol in Northern Ireland averaged 167.2p a litre on Thursday 1 October 2026, which is €1.974 at the ECB rate; the Republic's average on Monday 28 September 2026 was €1.972. Diesel told a different story: €2.282 in the North against €2.123 in the South, a gap of +15.9c a litre.
Over a 50-litre tank, the North is +€7.94 for diesel and +€0.09 for petrol relative to the Republic, a sign of plus meaning dearer north of the border. A detour also uses fuel: 2.4 litres for a 40 km round trip in a car doing 6 L/100 km.
The border towns in the Council's survey are the figures that matter for a fill: Newry (7 km from the border) diesel €2.354, petrol €2.005; Strabane (1 km from the border) diesel €2.312, petrol €1.970; Derry (5 km from the border) diesel €2.297, petrol €1.978; Enniskillen (16 km from the border) diesel €2.299, petrol €1.969; and Armagh (9 km from the border) diesel €2.342, petrol €1.982. Each is published as an average of the forecourts the Council checks in that town.
The gap is political arithmetic as much as wholesale cost. UK fuel duty and VAT at 20% apply in the North; in the Republic the excise cuts of 2026 removed 25 cent from petrol and 30 cent from diesel, and the restoration timetable will put that back by February unless the Budget changes it.
Station-by-station prices for Northern Ireland, drawn from the UK retailers’ open feeds, are listed on the sister site Northern Ireland fuel prices. To weigh a trip, the fuel cost calculator nets the saving against the fuel burnt getting there.
Twenty-eight Northern towns in euro
| Northern town | Diesel £ | Diesel € | vs Republic | Petrol £ | Petrol € | vs Republic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dungannon | 184.9p | €2.183 | +6.0c | 165.9p | €1.958 | −1.4c |
| Bangor | 188.6p | €2.226 | +10.3c | 164.9p | €1.946 | −2.6c |
| Lisburn | 188.9p | €2.230 | +10.7c | 167.6p | €1.978 | +0.6c |
| Ballymena | 189.9p | €2.241 | +11.9c | 165.9p | €1.958 | −1.4c |
| Cookstown | 190.8p | €2.252 | +12.9c | 164.8p | €1.945 | −2.7c |
| Belfast | 191.6p | €2.262 | +13.9c | 167.2p | €1.974 | +0.2c |
| Craigavon | 192.9p | €2.277 | +15.4c | 164.9p | €1.946 | −2.6c |
| Newtownabbey | 193.4p | €2.283 | +16.0c | 166.9p | €1.970 | −0.2c |
| Coleraine | 193.5p | €2.284 | +16.1c | 168.5p | €1.989 | +1.7c |
| Omagh | 194.3p | €2.293 | +17.1c | 168.3p | €1.986 | +1.5c |
| Portadown | 194.3p | €2.293 | +17.1c | 167.8p | €1.981 | +0.9c |
| Derry/Londonderry · border | 194.6p | €2.297 | +17.4c | 167.6p | €1.978 | +0.6c |
| Enniskillen · border | 194.8p | €2.299 | +17.6c | 166.8p | €1.969 | −0.3c |
| Magherafelt | 194.8p | €2.299 | +17.6c | 169.2p | €1.997 | +2.5c |
| Ballycastle | 194.9p | €2.300 | +17.8c | 167.9p | €1.982 | +1.0c |
| Limavady | 194.9p | €2.300 | +17.8c | 166.9p | €1.970 | −0.2c |
| Carrickfergus | 194.9p | €2.300 | +17.8c | 167.2p | €1.974 | +0.2c |
| Larne | 194.9p | €2.300 | +17.8c | 166.9p | €1.970 | −0.2c |
| Ballymoney | 194.9p | €2.300 | +17.8c | 167.4p | €1.976 | +0.4c |
| Downpatrick | 194.9p | €2.300 | +17.8c | 168.9p | €1.994 | +2.2c |
| Newtownards | 195.9p | €2.312 | +18.9c | 167.9p | €1.982 | +1.0c |
| Antrim | 195.9p | €2.312 | +18.9c | 167.4p | €1.976 | +0.4c |
| Banbridge | 195.9p | €2.312 | +18.9c | 167.4p | €1.976 | +0.4c |
| Newcastle | 195.9p | €2.312 | +18.9c | 168.9p | €1.994 | +2.2c |
| Strabane · border | 195.9p | €2.312 | +18.9c | 166.9p | €1.970 | −0.2c |
| Ballyclare | 197.2p | €2.328 | +20.5c | 168.6p | €1.990 | +1.8c |
| Armagh · border | 198.4p | €2.342 | +21.9c | 167.9p | €1.982 | +1.0c |
| Newry · border | 199.4p | €2.354 | +23.1c | 169.9p | €2.005 | +3.3c |
Border counties
The stations on the southern side of the border, with the Northern towns nearest to each, are listed county by county: where to fill up in Cavan, petrol stations in Donegal, Leitrim forecourts, petrol stations in Louth, the Monaghan station list.
More of the accounts
North and South: questions
Is fuel cheaper in Northern Ireland?
Not this week for diesel: the North averaged €2.282 against €2.123 in the Republic. Petrol was €1.974 in the North and €1.972 in the Republic. The 2026 excise cuts in the Republic narrowed the old gap.
Which exchange rate is used?
The European Central Bank’s reference rate for 5 Oct 2026: 0.8472 pounds to the euro. Card payments in sterling may be converted at a slightly different rate by the bank.
Where do the Northern prices come from?
From the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland, which publishes average prices for 28 towns each week, together with a Northern Ireland average.