# High octane prices

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-octane-prices/367842>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 8, 2006, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-octane-prices/367842 "2006-08-08T11:43:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Call_Me_Shirley)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2006, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-octane-prices/367842/1 "2006-08-08T11:43:05Z")

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Does higher-octane gas really cost more to produce, or is it priced higher simply because there is less demand for it? I’ve noticed (since I recently bought a car that needs 89 octane fuel) that while stations usually stay within a couple pennies of their neighbors on the 87 octane, the price of 89 octane can vary quite a bit more. In fact, I’ve found a station where the 89 is only a few cents more than the 87, making it much cheaper than the competion’s 89, even though the 87 is the same price at both stations.

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**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2006, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-octane-prices/367842/2 "2006-08-08T13:26:08Z")

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Here’s a [link](http://www.chemistryexplained.com/Fe-Ge/Gasoline.html) to a somewhat technical article that undertakes to explain gasoline refining. It basically says that, yes, additional refining steps and/or additives are needed to boost octane, so there is at least some increase in production cost.