Motorists can expect to pay up to 15 cent per litre more for their petrol depending on where they live and if they shop around, an Irish Times telephone survey has indicated.
As international oil prices continue to increase, the survey of more than 30 filling stations shows Mountmellick in Co Laois is among the cheapest places in the country to buy unleaded petrol.
P and S Boyd service station in Irishtown said it charged its customers 92.9 cent a litre.
By contrast, the most expensive place to buy petrol was Clontarf Motors in Dublin, which quoted a price of 108.6 cent a litre.
However, some service stations refused to state their petrol prices or were unavailable when contacted. This means other stations could be charging their customers a similar or more expensive price.
Most of the Dublin filling stations surveyed charged approximately 99 cent a litre, although some charged as little as 95.9 cent.
The survey also suggests that the recent entrance into the petrol market of Tesco Ireland, accompanied by aggressive cost-cutting, has led to a degree of price competition in the Dublin area.
Two of Tesco's three existing service stations are located in Dublin, at Clare Hall, off the Malahide Road, and Clearwater in Finglas.
Each charges 93.9 cent per litre, as does its Killarney Park store in Kerry.
One Dublin petrol retailer, who did not wish to be named, told The Irish Times that the increased competition from the likes of Tesco meant the station was doing its best "just to hold out" against the company's price-cutting.
"I have a good local personality, and we are fighting our corner," the retailer said.
"But if you run a scenario where the little guy is squeezed out, it can mean people have to get into their cars and drive to stores just to get any emergency stuff they might need."
However, a spokeswoman for Tesco said yesterday: "There isn't a Tesco [petrol station] in every town. There are only three of them at the moment.
"The existing stores are located in areas where there are quite a number of other petrol retailers."
The spokeswoman also confirmed that Tesco planned to open further petrol stations in the future. Planned sites include Maynooth, Co Kildare, and Sandyford in Dublin.
Meanwhile, the Irish Road Haulage Association yesterday warned members that they face an increase of approximately 16 cent per gallon in the cost of diesel this weekend.
Mr Eamonn Morrissey, president of the IRHA, said that hauliers could no longer afford "to push the bottom line any further if they are to continue to operate legitimately".
Prices at the pumps: selected
Dublin
Tesco Clare Hall; Clearwater, Finglas (also Killarney Park) - 93.9 cent
Parnell Self-Serve Shell, Parnell Road, D 12 - 97.9 cent
Clontarf Motors Ltd Shell, Clontarf Road, D3 - 108.6 cent
Kilmainham self serve Shell, SCR, Kilmainham D8 - 97.9 cent
Bluebell Motors Co Ltd, Bluebell Avenue, D12 - 98.9 cent
Mount Merrion Service Station, Stillorgan Road, Co Dublin - 99.9 cent
Newpark Service Station, Newtownpark Avenue, Blackrock - 99.9 cent
St Lawrence Service Station, Howth, Co Dublin - 99.9 cent
Portmarnock Service Station, Strand Road, Co Dublin - 97.9 cent
Raheny Service Station, Howth Road - 95.9 cent
Maxol Filling Station, Dublin Road, Baldoyle, D13 - 97.9 cent
Maxol Filling Station, Harold's Cross Road, D6 - 96.9 cent
Cahill Motors Ltd, Raheny, D5 - 98.9 cent
Galway
Shell Arch Shell, Séamus Quirke Road - 99.9 cent
Forge Forecourt, Portumna - 99.9 cent
Spiddal Service Station, Spiddal, Co Galway - 99.9 cent
Donegal
Coyles of Raphoe Ltd, The Diamond, Raphoe - 96.9 cent
Wicklow
Maxol Filling Station, 11 Castle Street, Bray - 99.7 cent
Cork
Maxol Filling Station, Upper New Street, Macroom - 98.9 cent
Maxol Filling Station, Lower Glanmire Road, Tivoli, Cork - 99.9 cent
Maxol Filling Station, Clondrohid, Macroom - 97.9 cent
Laois
P & S Boyd, Mountmellick - 92.9 cent
C & R Service Station, Mountrath - 95.9 cent
Leitrim
O'Rourke's Service Station, Carrick-on-Shannon - 99.9 cent
Limerick
Caherdavin Statoil Service Station, Caherdavin - 99.9 cent
Fairgreen Service Station, Ballysimon Road - 97.9 cent
Louth
Byrne's (Statoil) Service Station, Ardee - 98.5 cent