The North West has a history of high fuel prices due to isolation and added transport costs, but filling the car up in Mount Isa was a real hit to the hip pocket in 2011, with the average price up nearly 11 cents per litre (cpl) on the year before.

And so far in 2012, Mount Isa drivers are being asked to pay another 15 cpl, although there seems to be some competition creeping in to outlets.

RACQ executive manager of public policy Michael Roth said the price of petrol was influenced by the cost of crude oil, production and transport costs, government tax and excise, and refinery, wholesale and retail margins.

Mount Isa's average unleaded petrol price in 2011 was 150.5 cents per litre, up from 134.9cpl in 2010 and 124.2cpl in 2009.

Normanton and Cloncurry were worse off though with 2011 averages of 161.9cpl and 159 cpl respectively.

The price disparity between Mount Isa's most prominent service stations this week was as much as 15 cents per litre despite their close proximity.

The lowest price per litre for unleaded fuel was 141.7 cents with the highest being 158.9 cents this week.