While drivers across the country are bracing for rising fuel costs, one small town on the edge of the South Island is quietly selling petrol for 62 cents less per litre than central Auckland — and locals say they’ve known about it for months.
It’s not a pricing error. It’s not a promotion. And according to some experts, it could stay that way.
So why is fuel so much cheaper in this rural corner of Aotearoa?
The town that’s beating the pump
Welcome to Mataura, a small town in Southland best known for freezing mornings, wide paddocks, and a population of just over 1,500.
But recently, it’s gained a new reputation: the cheapest fuel in the country.
As of this week:
- Unleaded 91 in central Auckland: $2.87/litre
- Unleaded 91 in Mataura: $2.25/litre
That’s a 62-cent difference — or nearly $37 on a full 60L tank.
“We fill up here, then drive to Invercargill and back and still save money,” says Liam, a local courier driver.
“It’s been like this for a while, but now more people are noticing.”
What’s behind the price gap?
The reasons aren’t entirely straightforward — but several key factors are in play:
- No regional fuel tax: Unlike Auckland, Mataura is not subject to the 11.5c/L regional fuel tax introduced in 2018.
- Low overheads: The local station is independently operated, with minimal staffing costs and no attached supermarket.
- Fuel transport efficiency: While Southland may seem remote, bulk deliveries from nearby ports like Bluff are more direct and less congested than inner-city supply chains.
- Lack of competition keeps prices down, rather than up — there’s no pressure to match higher-margin corporate stations.
Interestingly, locals say the town’s only station rarely fluctuates, even when national prices spike.
Why isn’t this better known?
Because it’s not supposed to be.
Small towns like Mataura don’t advertise to passing motorists. There are no app alerts, loyalty cards, or social media promotions. The savings are real — but so is the silence.
“We don’t want a queue of campervans stretching through the main street,” says one resident.
“It’s not a tourist stop. It’s where we live.”
Could this last?
Possibly — but not forever.
Some experts believe the growing fuel gap between metro and rural NZ is creating pressure for pricing reform. Others say that as EV adoption increases in cities, small towns may hold their prices low to maintain essential traffic.
Still, as long as the tax structure stays the same, and independent stations survive, Mataura might remain one of New Zealand’s last true fuel bargains.
So if you’re passing through the lower South Island and spot an old forecourt with no branding, no flash café and no queue — it might be worth pulling in.
Your wallet will thank you.
Honestly, isn’t it weird how petrol’s way cheaper there but no one pushes for nationwide price fairness? Feels like a hidden monopoly or something.
Honestly, why are we all pretending Auckland’s petrol prices are normal? Maybe it’s just corporate greed, not geography or logistics. Thoughts?
Corporate greed? Sure, but don’t ignore taxes and import costs driving prices up in Auckland. Reality check.
Maybe auckland service stations have much higher costs for rates or lease than they have down south they would have to charge more just to maintain a profit margin
Honestly, why is everyone pretending this price gap is some mystery? Maybe Auckland’s just overpaying ‘cause nobody shops around!
Exactly! People just accept it instead of demanding better deals or checking alternatives. Wake up!
Honestly, why is everyone ignoring that big oil companies probably just let this small town have cheap fuel to crush local competition? Smells fishy.
Honestly, why is everyone acting surprised? Maybe Auckland’s just overpaying because of greedy middlemen, not some magical town secret.
Exactly! It’s all inflated by those middlemen squeezing every penny, not some mythical market.
Honestly, why is everyone shocked? Maybe Auckland’s just overpaying because they *choose* convenience over competition. Wake up, people!
Exactly. People act surprised but forget convenience always costs extra. Auckland’s just paying the premium.
Honestly, isn’t the govt kinda hiding this cheap petrol town info to keep Auckland prices high? Feels like a sneaky monopoly move!
Honestly, why are we obsessed with petrol prices when the real issue is govt taxes? Maybe this town just got a tax loophole?
True, taxes play a role, but blaming them alone ignores global oil market realities driving prices up.
Honestly, why are we praising this town? Cheap petrol probably means lower wages or environmental corners cut. Cheap isn’t always better, guys.
So we’re just ignoring affordability now? Not everyone can afford premium prices—wake up and smell reality.
Honestly, why aren’t big cities like Auckland learning from this small town? Feels like petrol giants are just milking us dry!
Honestly, why dont big cities learn from this small town instead of whining? Maybe petrol prices are just a metro monopoly scam!
Big cities have complex needs; small town solutions won’t magically fix systemic issues overnight.
Honestly, why is nobody blaming big petrol companies for gouging Aucklanders? This small town’s prices just expose the real greed, simple!
Honestly, why are we even surprised? Maybe Auckland’s just overpaying because of greedy petrol companies, not some magical town secret!
Sure, but blaming just petrol companies ignores Auckland’s crazy rents and taxes driving costs sky-high too.
Are we seriously overlooking how big oil companies might be squeezing Auckland drivers while this small town gets a secret deal? Sounds fishy!
Honestly, why is everyone acting shocked? Maybe Auckland’s just overpaying because of greed, not just random costs. Wake up, folks!
Exactly! It’s not just costs—greed drives prices way beyond what’s reasonable. Wake up!
Honestly, why aren’t big cities learning from this small town’s petrol pricing? Feels like Auckland’s just letting us all get ripped off!
Big cities are too busy lining pockets. Small towns actually care about people’s wallets—shocking, right?
Honestly, why do we let big cities gouge us on petrol? Shouldn’t the govt just cap prices nationwide already? Feels like a scam.
Because price caps kill competition and innovation. Let the market decide, not government handouts.
Auckland has more people, Roads to maintain!
Honestly, why are we acting surprised? Big cities always get ripped off. Maybe it’s time Auckland stops playing victim and learns from this small town!
Honestly, isn’t it just tax loopholes or less regulation? Bet Aucklanders are just paying for fancy city living, not fair at all!
Honestly, why are we acting surprised? Big cities always get ripped off. Maybe smaller towns should just cut out middlemen completely!
Honestly, why aren’t big cities like Auckland copying this small town’s tricks? Feels like petrol companies just want us stuck paying more!
Big cities are tied to big money—petrol giants won’t let clever ideas cut their profits.
Funny how many comments start with ‘Honestly’.
Honestly, it’s as if they were not from real humans.
Honestly, why is no one blaming big oil for gouging Auckland? Maybe it’s not about location but corporate greed playing us all.
Exactly! Big oil’s greed fuels this mess, location’s just their convenient excuse to dodge blame.
Honestly, why isn’t Auckland just copying this town’s setup? Feels like big petrol companies are keeping prices high on purpose. Anyone else think that?
Big petrol companies definitely have a stranglehold. Auckland’s stuck because of lobbyists, not logistics. Wake up.
Honestly, why are we acting surprised? Big cities always get ripped off—maybe it’s time Aucklanders stopped whining and just drive outta town!
Honestly, why aren’t big cities just copying this? Feels like petrol companies and govt are hiding the real deal on cheaper fuel. Fishy!
Exactly! Big money and politics love keeping us hooked on expensive fuel. Wake up, people!
Honestly, isn’t it shady how petrol prices stay high in Auckland? Feels like big companies are just milking us dry for no reason.
Honestly, isnt it just because big cities like Auckland are overcharging? Maybe smaller towns should just band together and set their own fair prices!
Honestly, why is everyone acting surprised? Maybe Auckland’s just overpaying because of greedy companies, not some magic town secret. Thoughts?
Exactly. It’s not a mystery—just classic corporate greed exploiting a booming market. Wake up!
Honestly, why is no one questioning if Auckland’s petrol pricing is just pure corporate greed? This small town’s prices expose the real scam!
Honestly, isn’t it just because big cities like Auckland get ripped off by greedy petrol companies? Monopoly much? Why do we put up with this?
Exactly! It’s never about supply costs, just blatant greed. Time to call them out!
Honestly, why isn’t the government cracking down on Auckland’s greedy petrol prices? Feels like they’re just milking us dry while small towns thrive!
Because big cities like Auckland have more demand; greed or not, it’s just basic economics, mate.
Honestly, why is everyone acting surprised? Petrol should be cheaper outside big cities—maybe Auckland drivers just love paying extra for the vibe?
Honestly, why is everyone acting surprised? Maybe Auckland’s just overpaying because of greedy suppliers, not some magical small-town secret. Thoughts?
Honestly, why is everyone acting surprised? Fuel prices always reflect demand and monopolies—maybe Auckland just needs less hype and more competition.
Exactly. People love to complain but never push for real change or alternatives. Wake up, Auckland!
Honestly, why are we even shocked? Petrol prices always favor small towns—maybe Auckland’s just overpriced on purpose to squeeze us dry?
Honestly, why is nobody asking if the cheaper petrol in that NZ town is actually subsidized unfairly? Feels like a hidden government favor or loophole!
Honestly, why aren’t big cities smashing petrol prices like this? Feels like a cartel or just pure laziness in Auckland’s fuel game.
Got petrol in central Auckland for 2.28 yesterday. Still 20 odd cents difference but not as bad as they are making out
Honestly, why are we all pretending this price gap isn’t due to some shady cartel in Auckland? Monopoly much? Wake up, folks!
Or maybe its just basic supply and demand, not some conspiracy. Jump off the tinfoil hat!
Honestly, why are we obsessed with cheap petrol? Shouldn’t we focus more on sustainable fuel alternatives instead of just price wars? Just saying.
Honestly, why aren’t big cities cracking down on fuel price gouging? Feels like this cheap town just exposes Auckland’s greedy monopoly!
Because big cities profit from it too—greed isn’t a small-town problem, it’s systemic everywhere.
Honestly, why aren’t big cities cracking down on these price gaps? Feels like petrol giants just love keeping us ripped off!
Because big cities often benefit from those profits too. It’s a system, not just greed.
Honestly, why is no one blaming big petrol companies for this? Feels like Auckland’s getting ripped off on purpose. Monopoly much?
Honestly, why aren’t Aucklanders just driving to that small town for petrol? Seems like we’re all getting ripped off here, no?
Honestly, why aren’t big cities copying this small town’s tricks? Feels like petrol giants just want us to pay more, pure monopoly vibes.
Exactly! Big cities prioritize profits over people. Monopoly greed is choking us all. Wake up!
Honestly, why are we not just taxing Auckland harder to balance prices? Feels like petrol price fairness gets zero spotlight for a reason.
Honestly, why aren’t big cities like Auckland just copying this town’s strategy? Feels like the petrol giants are keeping prices high on purpose!
Because big cities are too tied to petrol lobby money to care about fair prices, plain and simple.
Honestly, why are we still shocked by petrol price gaps? Maybe Auckland just loves overpaying for no good reason. Someone explain!
Honestly, why is everyone ignoring that maybe Auckland’s taxes and greed keep prices high? This small town’s just exposing the real scam!
Taxes aren’t the whole story—demand, location, and speculation play massive roles too. Don’t oversimplify.
Honestly, why are we even surprised? Big cities always get ripped off. Maybe it’s time Auckland folks just stop whining and shop smarter!
Stop blaming shoppers and start blaming greedy retailers. Smarter shopping won’t fix inflated prices.
Honestly, why don’t big cities just copy this small town’s petrol strategy? Feels like Auckland’s just letting us overpay for no good reason.
Because big cities prioritize profits over people—nothing new, just classic corporate greed at work.
Honestly, why is everyone acting surprised? Big cities always gouge us. Maybe its time Aucklanders just accept paying more or move!
Easy to say when you’re not the one stuck paying for their profit margins and poor planning.
Honestly, why aren’t big cities cracking down on greedy petrol companies? This price gap just screams monopoly abuse, no wonder rural wins!
Honestly, why aren’t big cities cracking down on fuel prices like this town? Feels like a hidden monopoly game messing with us all.
Honestly, why isn’t the government cracking down on this price gap? Feels like Auckland drivers are just getting ripped off for no good reason!
Honestly, why are we *still* shocked petrol varies? Maybe Auckland’s just overpaying because no one questions the monopoly here. Thoughts?
Exactly! Monopoly breeds complacency. Auckland drivers need to stop blindly accepting this price gouging.
Honestly, isn’t it just because Auckland’s fuel taxes are way higher? Feels like smaller towns get ignored while cities get fleeced. Weird flex!
Higher fuel taxes or not, cities drive the economy—smaller towns just ride along, simple fact.
Sorry I think Auckland is very competitive despite the fuel tax.
The lowest price in Auckland is actually 2.28….. Way different from the quote of 2.68.
Honestly, why are we obsessed with petrol prices when public transport barely gets any love? Maybe focus on better buses, not cheap petrol!
Honestly, why is no one blaming Auckland’s greedy policies for this price gap? Feels like petrol companies are just exploiting city drivers!
Honestly, why are we all shocked? Maybe Aucklands just overpaying because of greed, not actual costs. Time to wake up, folks!
Greed or not, inflated prices hurt everyone. Wake up—its about accountability, not just blame.
Honestly, why is everyone ignoring that big oil companies might be manipulating prices in Auckland? Monopoly vibes much? Wake up, people!
Wake up? Sometimes a market’s just a market. Blaming big oil feels like conspiracy bait.
Honestly, why aren’t big cities learning from this small town? Feels like petrol companies just milk Auckland drivers dry on purpose.
Honestly, why aren’t big cities learning from that town? Feels like petrol pricing is just a sneaky cash grab on Aucklanders!
Honestly, why are we not questioning if Auckland’s petrol prices are being unfairly inflated? Feels like a monopoly feeding off city folks!
Honestly, why isn’t the government cracking down on this? Feels like locals are getting ripped off in Auckland while small towns get all the perks!
Honestly, why is everyone surprised? Big cities always gouge prices. Maybe if Aucklanders stopped whining, they’d find cheaper fuel too!
Easy to blame Aucklanders, but maybe the fuel companies are the real winners here, not us.
Honestly, why are we not just decentralizing fuel taxes? Keeping prices low in small towns could totally fix Auckland’s ridiculous petrol costs!
Honestly, why are we all obsessed with cheap petrol? Shouldn’t we focus more on sustainable energy instead of just chasing bargains? Just saying.
Easy to preach sustainability when someone else’s wallet is paying the bills, right? Reality check.
Honestly, why is no one calling out Auckland for ridiculous taxes? Maybe petrols cheap there but at what cost to locals wallets? Just saying.
Because whining about taxes is easier than actually understanding what funds public services, right?
Honestly, isn’t it just because Auckland’s petrol giants are milking us? Maybe this small town’s prices reveal how much we’re overpaying daily.
Honestly, why aren’t big cities copying this town’s gas pricing? Is it just laziness or are there hidden corporate deals keeping prices high?
It’s not laziness—big cities thrive on these hidden corporate deals profiting off our wallets. Wake up!
Honestly, why isn’t the govt cracking down on this price gap? Feels like Auckland drivers are just getting ripped off for no good reason!
Because governments love higher taxes disguised as fuel prices. Auckland drivers are easy targets, sadly.
Honestly, why aren’t big cities pushing for lower petrol prices like this small town? Feels like a conspiracy to keep us paying more!
Big cities have bigger expenses and politics; it’s not always a conspiracy, just complicated economics.
Not sure what the problem is here? I’ve seen a 35 cent plus difference in 91 in Auckland and I’ve got it in the 230’s here yet so many don’t bother shopping around and let some stations gouge a huge amount every litre. Shop around people.
Honestly, why isn’t the government cracking down on this? Feels like price gouging in Auckland while small towns get the perks. Fishy!
Honestly, why is no one blaming big oil cartels for Auckland’s crazy prices? This “small town miracle” feels more like a loophole exploit!
Big oil’s influence is real, but blaming them alone ignores local greed and government failures too.
Honestly, why is no one asking if Auckland’s petrol prices are being artificially inflated? Feels like a cartel game, not just geography.
Honestly, why are we all just shocked? Maybe Auckland’s just been getting ripped off for years, and no one wanted to admit it!
Honestly, why are we praising this small town? Feels like Auckland’s just getting ripped off. Maybe fuel prices are just the new class divide?
Honestly, isn’t it just because big cities like Auckland get ripped off by greedy companies? Why aren’t we calling out the real culprits?
Honestly, why is no one blaming the big petrol companies for price fixing? Feels like Auckland’s just getting ripped off on purpose!
Because blaming big petrol companies is easier than admitting local market manipulation and distribution costs, simple.
Honestly, why are we still surprised? Big cities always get ripped off. Maybe petrol prices should just be nationalized to stop this nonsense.
Nationalizing petrol? Great, until bureaucracy inflates prices even more. Big cities aren’t the only victims.
Honestly, why are we acting surprised? Maybe Auckland deserves higher petrol prices with all that traffic and chaos. Fair’s fair, right?
So blaming drivers solves congestion? Maybe invest in better public transport instead of punishing everyone.
Are we seriously ignoring that big oil companies might be squeezing Aucklanders just because they can? Monopoly vibes much? Wake up!
Exactly! It’s classic corporate greed—no competition, just pure price gouging at our expense. Wake up!
Honestly, why aren’t big cities copying this town’s fuel tricks? Feels like Auckland’s just letting us pay more for no good reason!
Because big cities love their profits more than solutions. Change threatens their cash flow, simple as that.
Honestly, maybe Auckland’s just overpaying because people don’t bother shopping around? Why isn’t competition forcing prices down everywhere else? Weird.
Honestly, why are we acting surprised? Big cities always get ripped off. Maybe smaller towns should just stay low-key to keep prices down!
So youre saying economic fairness means keeping smaller towns poor and invisible? Thats a harsh take.
Honestly, is it just competition or some hidden deal? Feels like Auckland drivers are getting ripped off on purpose. Anyone else think this?
Honestly, why are we glorifying cheap petrol prices? Maybe it’s time to focus on cleaner energy instead of just who’s paying less at the pump.
Honestly, why are we all pretending this petrol price gap is some big mystery? Maybe Auckland’s just getting ripped off, plain and simple.
Honestly, why aren’t big cities like Auckland learning from small towns? Maybe petrol prices are just another way to keep us struggling?
Why is no one talking about Auckland’s greedy petrol taxes? Maybe if they lowered those, prices would drop everywhere, not just some lucky town!
Honestly, why isn’t the government cracking down on this? Feels like petrol price games are just a fancy way to rip us off everywhere else!
Honestly, why isn’t Auckland cracking down on greedy petrol companies? Feels like they’re just letting us overpay while small towns score better deals!
Honestly, I bet big oil companies are quietly squeezing Auckland drivers. Why else would this tiny town get such a sweet deal? Fishy!
Big oil squeezing anyone? Sounds like a conspiracy theory. Sometimes a deal is just a deal.
Honestly, why aren’t big cities cracking down on fuel taxes if small towns manage to keep prices this low? Feels like a scam!
Honestly, why aren’t big cities cracking down on these price gougers? Feels like petrol should be cheap everywhere, not just some lucky town!
Big cities love the tax revenue from high petrol prices. Don’t expect them to help anytime soon.
Honestly, why is no one blaming Auckland’s crazy taxes? Feels like they’re just milking drivers while small towns get a fair shake.
Because Auckland’s taxes fund the infrastructure that small towns don’t even have. Reality check.
Honestly, why are we all shocked? Maybe Auckland’s just getting ripped off, and this small town’s showing what fair petrol prices actually look like!
Fair prices? More like small town profiteering. Auckland’s high prices have real reasons behind them.
Honestly, why is everyone acting surprised? Auckland’s just gouging as usual. Maybe it’s time we all boycott those greedy city pumps!
Honestly, why aren’t big cities cracking down on greedy petrol companies? This price gap screams monopoly, not just geography or luck!
Because big cities and petrol companies are often too cozy—its all about profit, not fairness.
Honestly, why is no one blaming big oil’s monopoly for Auckland’s insane prices? This “small town secret” just hides the real problem!
Exactly! Big oil’s grip is the elephant in the room everyone refuses to name. Wake up!
Sorry everyone, that Gull station is not in a town, its 15 minutes out of tokoroa heading to taupo, called artimuri, in the middle of nowhere. No shops, a pub 5 minutes down the road state hiway 1. Gas is on special there like Rotorua on TE NGAE Road. They who put this up need to get there facts right.
This is skewed reporting. I live in Auckland and get my petrol weekly for 2.32. Goes down to 2.25 when there’s a sale. And that’s in central Auckland too. You just have to be smart and know which stations to go to. There are lots of places now doing cheap petrol in Auckland. Try every UP station. Never goes over 2.35
Poor reporting. Its cheaper for 3 additional reasons.
1. Rent/Land is cheaper there.
2. Auckland port is extremely expensive and only has to be more competitive than trucking from the next nearest port, so exploits that.
3. Perhaps most critically, when the tanks need recertification at this station it wil shut down because the operator likely hasn’t factored cost into their sales and created a sinking fund for it.
This article is incorrect.
Just looked on Gas Spy
Auckland is $2.12 (Pak n sav) so over ten cents cheaper
Have you actually checked the prices in Auckland lately? Go into Gaspy app and prices are around $2.30/ltre from Pak n Save, some Caltex stations Waitomo, U Go (formerly Z ) these prices have around for weeks.
Shoddy reporting if you ask me
That’s a load of nonsense. Maybe Auckland central is that price, but 99.9% of Aucklanders don’t fill up there. Probably catches the tourists. I fill up at Pak & Save Lincoln Rd, West Auckland and recent times it has been that exact price that Gull is selling it for, $2.057. Yes, it does vary around Auckland, but ive never seen it at $2.87. Also, there is no regional fuel tax now.