Service stations at Mayfield, Tighes Hill and Maryville were selling Unleaded 91 for about 160c/l on Wednesday, while only a short distance away in Newcastle West, Hamilton South, Adamstown and New Lambton, the cost of the same type of fuel was around the 190c/l mark.

Pearl Energy on Maitland Road in Mayfield appeared to have the city's cheapest unleaded petrol on Wednesday afternoon at 159.5c/l.

There were similar price differences in close proximity for motorists heading towards Maitland.

Thornton's three service stations and Tarro's lone facility had a 166.9c/l regular unleaded price while outlets in the neighbouring suburb of Beresfield were selling Unleaded 91 for between 189.9c/l and 192.2c/l.

According to the NSW government's Fuel Watch smart phone application, most service stations across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, the Lower Hunter and Port Stephens were selling Unleaded 91 for anywhere between 175c/l to 191c/l.

But a smattering of operators - at Belmont, Belmont South, Shortland, Warabrook and Sandgate, for example - were selling fuel in the 160s.

NRMA spokesperson Katrina Usman said Newcastle was a highly competitive market and the price differences reflected the decisions of individual operators, likely based on the wholesale price they paid for their product.

Ms Usman said it was important for motorists to shop around before buying petrol because, as conditions showed in recent days, as much as 30c/l could be saved without having to travel far out of the way - if at all.

She told the Newcastle Herald prices were expected to continue to rise in the coming days but they would not likely increase to the severe heights seen earlier this year.

"Definitely check the NRMA app before you fill up to get the best prices," Ms Usman said.

"Fuel prices are extremely volatile at the moment.

"There's a lot happening globally that's influencing wholesale prices at the moment including the ongoing war in Ukraine, the COVID-19 lockdown in China, further embargoes on Russian oil and the rising US dollar."

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