Australian motorists have been warned that petrol prices will rise in the run-up to the Christmas holidays.
Fuel prices are expected to rise above $2 per liter in coming weeks as millions of Australians hit the road for the holidays.
The average national price for unleaded gasoline was $1.92 per liter in the week leading up to December 3.
The good news is that prices are not expected to reach September's record highs.
According to the NRMA, wholesale prices in Sydney have since fallen by 25 cents per litre.
How much you pay at the pump this Christmas depends on where you fill up.
Rising fuel prices are not on anyone's wish list this holiday season
“Prices will rise in Sydney,” NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury told Ny Breaking Australia.
“We are keeping a close eye on when the peak will hit and when prices will fall, but we hope this will be sooner rather than later.”
'It is difficult to predict when the cycle will peak, but we hope that prices will fall again as people go on holiday.'
“Even as we reach the peak of the cycle, Sydneysiders should not see the highs we would have seen just a few weeks ago.”
The price increase will hit cash-strapped households hardest as the cost of living crisis continues.
“This one really hits hard for families heading out for the holidays,” said Chris Ford of Compare the Market Nine news.
'[There is] a big difference between the cheapest and most expensive fuel in Greater Sydney.”
Queensland is the most expensive state or territory to fill up, with Brisbane motorists currently paying $1.97 per liter at the pump.
Queensland motorists are expected to pay the most at the pump this Christmas
Prices in Queensland could reach $2.20 in the coming weeks.
Also above $2 per liter are the Northern Territory ($2.06) and South Australia ($2.08), according to Compare The Market.
NSW is one of the cheapest states at an average of $1.81 per litre.
But on Wednesday there was still a difference of 68 cents per liter between the highest and lowest prices for petrol in Sydney.
According to Mr Khoury, average prices in Hobart, Darwin and Melbourne are currently around $1.80-$1.89, while Canberra is $1.94.
Meanwhile, petrol prices in New Zealand have fallen to their lowest level in five months.
Prices are likely to continue falling in January due to increased US oil production and a stronger New Zealand dollar.
Prices are not expected to reach the record highs of recent months. Pictured are petrol prices in Sydney in August