(Last updated: 1 September2026)
If your last few trips to the petrol station have left you staring at the pump in disbelief, you're not imagining things. Petrol prices in Singapore have surged to record highs in early 2026, leaving drivers like you and me scrambling to make sense of it all. Will gas prices keep rising? When will they get back to normal? Is this just my life now?
So let's break it down together. Below is everything you need to know what’s up with petrol prices in Singapore, why they've climbed so steeply, and (most importantly) how to ease the pinch on your wallet.
What petrol prices look like right now
As of 8 September 2026, here's how prices stack up across Singapore's major petrol stations (in SGD per litre, before any discounts):
A few things stand out from this table. If you're on RON 95 or Ron 98, Cnergy is your cheapest option at $2.54, with Shell close behind. And if you drive a diesel vehicle, you'll notice something unusual: diesel is now more expensive than petrol almost across the board, which is a first for Singapore.
Thinking about downgrading your petrol to save a few bucks? Be sure to read up on our guide to choosing the right petrol to see if it’s safe to do so.
How to pay less at the pump
The good news is that with the right combination of credit cards and loyalty programmes, you can knock a significant chunk off your effective petrol price, even at current highs. The best combinations can bring your effective RON 95 cost down to around SGD$2.66–$2.71 per litre, saving over 20%.
Here's a quick breakdown of the top pairings:
- Caltex/Esso/Sinopec + OCBC 365 Card: Up to 29.5% off, bringing RON 95 to approximately $2.66/litre — the deepest discount available right now
- Esso + DBS Esso Card: Up to 26.2% off, effective RON 95 around $2.68/litre
- Shell + UOB One Card + Shell GO+: Up to 21.15% off with the free Shell GO+ loyalty programme stacked on top
- SPC + POSB Everyday or UOB One: Up to 20.1% off, effective RON 95 around $2.68/litre
If you prefer to skip the card game altogether, Smart Energy stations (at Mandai and Jalan Buroh) offer some of the lowest net RON 95 prices in Singapore at around $2.48/litre for members through a prepaid top-up system.
Why are petrol prices so high?
The short version: ongoing conflict between America and the Middle East has disrupted the flow of oil globally, and Singapore (which sources over 70% of its crude oil from that region) is feeling the impact directly.
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway that carries roughly one-fifth of the world's daily oil supply, has seen severely reduced tanker traffic since early March. That's led to a sharp drop in global oil supply, sending crude prices surging. Brent crude, the global benchmark, hit a peak of around US$119.50 per barrel in mid-March, compared to around US$65–$73 before the conflict escalated.
Here in Singapore, pump prices reflect global crude costs almost in real time, as retailers set prices based on the Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS) — the regional benchmark for refined oil products. The government doesn't cap or subsidise petrol prices, so when crude costs spike, pump prices follow. By mid-March, RON 95 prices had already surpassed the previous record of SGD$3.42 set during the Ukraine crisis in June 2022.
Will petrol prices keep rising?
The past few months have been a wild ride, with oil prices lurching up and down so often that even seasoned analysts have struggled to keep pace.
- Late February to March: conflict erupts and the Strait of Hormuz, which carries about a fifth of the world's oil, is effectively closed to shipping. Brent rockets from the US$65 to US$73 range to a peak near US$119, above even the 2022 Ukraine-crisis records.
- 8 April: a two-week ceasefire is announced. Brent plunges below US$100.
- Mid-June: a peace deal is signed and the strait reopens. Brent slides toward US$72, close to pre-war levels.
- July: fighting flares up again and Brent spikes near US$102, before a pause in strikes eases it back into the low US$90s.
- August: prices seesaw as deal hopes rise and fade, and fresh attacks on shipping push Brent back toward US$90.
- Late August: Iran and Oman agree on a temporary shipping corridor through the strait, and Brent eases into the high-US$80s.
- Early September: US strikes on Iranian tankers and Tehran's threat of an exclusion zone push Brent to a near seven-week high around US$97.
As of 8 September, Brent has surged to around US$97 and WTI to about U$92, a near seven-week high and roughly 19% up over the past month. The escalation that began in late August has only intensified. Over the weekend, the US struck three Iranian oil tankers in the Gulf, and Iran said it hit several tankers and US-linked vessels in return, while threatening a harsher response still. On Monday, Tehran went further, announcing plans for a maritime exclusion zone outside the strait where it intends to stop any ship that crosses without its permission.
So what happens next? Alongside the strikes, Washington has opened an aggressive new sanctions campaign aimed at choking off buyers of Iranian oil (which itself has attracted umbrage from China), and Tehran says it has a plan to ride it out. The Iran-Oman corridor stands as an upcoming release valve, but with mines still a threat and both sides trading blows again, few expect shipping to normalise quickly. For the longer view, the US Energy Information Administration still doesn't expect Middle East output back near pre-conflict levels before early 2027, with Brent averaging around US$87 a barrel across 2026.
But if you’ve been at the pump lately, you might have noticed that prices have barely budged since mid-July. What gives?
In Singapore, retailers set their rates off the Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS), the regional benchmark for refined fuel, not off crude oil directly. Refining margins sit in between, soaking up a lot of the movement, so a spike in crude rarely lands at the pump one-for-one. On top of that, retailers tend to hold their board prices rather than chase every headline up and down, especially when nobody's sure which way things are heading. So there’s no need to panic buy right now, but be sure to keep an eye out just in case increasing worldwide prices force hikes locally, too.
Other ways to stretch your fuel further
Beyond discounts, a few driving habits can make a real difference to how often you're stopping to refuel:
- Drive smoothly: gentle acceleration and braking can reduce fuel consumption by up to 20%
- Check tyre pressure monthly: under-inflated tyres use up to 2.5% more fuel, and the check is free at any petrol station
- Reconsider whether you need RON 98: for the most part, only high-performance cars need RON 98. If yours runs on RON 95, you'll save roughly $0.50 per litre (around $25 per full tank).
- Use a price comparison app: Fuel Kaki (by CASE), Motorist, and SgPetrolPrice all track real-time prices across retailers, so you can find the cheapest option near you before you drive over
Petrol prices are unpredictable at the best of times, and right now they're especially volatile. But with the right habits and a bit of planning, there are plenty of ways to keep costs manageable while the market finds its footing.
Will it cost more to rent cars with GetGo?
If you use GetGo, here's some reassuring news: fuel is always included in your booking, so you never have to worry about what's happening at the pump.
When you book a GetGo car, the cost of petrol, insurance, and maintenance is built into your trip. We absorb day-to-day fuel price fluctuations on your behalf, so a spike in global oil prices won't suddenly change what you pay booking. We do keep a close eye on sustained shifts in operating costs, and on the rare occasion that prolonged changes make an adjustment necessary, we'll always be upfront about it. But car rental with GetGo ensures that you only pay for what you use, regardless of the nasty surprises that can pop up at the pump for other drivers.
So while the rest of Singapore is watching the petrol price boards with one eye, you can focus on the drive.
See you on the road,
Amanda 💙
(Featured photo: Straits Times)
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