New research has revealed the most expensive toll roads in Australia, with prices reaching up to $13.50 per kilometre and rising faster than inflation on one Melbourne thoroughfare. That’s according to car insurance comparison website iSelect, which has analysed the cost of toll roads in Australia. The study has revealed which tolls are the most expensive, which roads generate the highest revenue, how prices have changed over time, and which areas face the priciest journeys.

iSelect has named Melbourne’s CityLink as Australia’s most expensive toll road. The 22km freeway from the city’s north-west to south-east, going over Bolte Bridge and underneath the Melbourne CBD, the CityLink can cost drivers up to $12.25 per trip.

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But according to iSelect, drivers in Sydney are hit the hardest with tolls because eight of the top 10 of Australia’s most expensive toll roads are in the city. That includes the WestConnex M4 ($10.38), Eastern Distributor ($10.16) and NorthConnex ($10.15).

Assessed on expense per kilometre, it’s another city that tops the list with Brisbane’s Go Between Bridge revealed as Australia’s most expensive toll road at $13.50/kilometre. For a toll road that’s only 300 metres long, its short distance makes it far less cost-efficient than any other toll road in the country.

Runner-up in the per kilometre expense contest include the Military Road ramp in Sydney ($10.35/kilometre), followed by the Sydney Harbour Bridge during peak hours ($4.41 per kilometre) and the Cross City Tunnel in Sydney ($3.41 per km). Using the Sydney Harbour Bridge is better value in off-peak times at $2.40 per kilometre.

According to iSelect, Sydney’s other tunnels are much better value for money as they’re longer. The Eastern Distributor ($1.69/km), NorthConnex ($1.13/km) and Lane Cove Tunnel ($1.09/km), show that distance brings better value, even when total tolls exceed $10.

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Other interesting insights from iSelect’s survey included that Sydney’s WestConnex is the highest-earning toll road in Australia and estimated to earn $1.88billion in revenue for the 2025 financial year.

The WestConnex M4 has also recorded the fastest year-on-year toll rise in Australia, increasing by an average of 12.3 per cent since 2015. Prices have increased from $4.56 in 2017 to $10.38 in 2025, according to iSelect, and all toll price rises except for the Sydney Harbour Bridge rose faster than inflation. Queensland’s Legacy Way Tunnel followed the Sydney Harbour Bridge with an average annual increase of 6.3 per cent, rising from $3.90 in 2015 to $7.00 in 2025.  

Victoria’s CityLink ranks second for the highest-earning toll roads, earning an estimated $987 million, reflecting its high cost and popular use. Overall, toll company Transurban dominates the Australian toll landscape, holding full and partial ownership of every top-earning toll road, which explains why the company earned a profit of $178 million last financial year.

The full iSelect survey can be viewed here.