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Sydney petrol prices have hit record highs ahead of Australia Day due to the supply disruptions caused by the Omicron outbreak.

Motorists are warned that they are in for a shock at the petrol bowser when heading out on the road for the public holiday.

The average price for unleaded in Sydney is $1.78 but at 39 per cent of the service stations monitored by the NRMA, it's $1.80 or more.

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It's only the second time in history in Sydney that petrol prices have breached $1.80.

"Sydney again reached its record high price leading up to Australia Day and other capital cities are heading in the same direction," NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury said.

"Whatever short-term relief motorists enjoyed leading up to Christmas has well and truly passed."

Mr Khoury said some suburbs are seeing large price differences at service stations in the same suburb.

"The NRMA analysis today shows around 12 to 13 per cent of service stations we are monitoring are selling petrol for $1.65 or below while 39 per cent are at $1.80 or above," he said.

"There are huge gaps between the cheapest and most expensive service stations and they are often on the same street."

The suburbs flouting the highest petrol prices are the Northern Beaches, the Hills District, the Lower North Shore and the Eastern Suburbs.

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The gap between wholesale and retail prices in Australia has reached 19 cents per litre which is the highest on record.

NRMA said supply chain disruptions across oil-producing nations caused by the Omicron variant wave are to blame for the skyrocketing prices.

"When families are struggling when the pandemic is impacting businesses and economies, oil companies have decided that now is the time to set record price margins," Mr Khoury said.

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Brisbane is also seeing record high petrol prices, sitting at $1.80 for unleaded.

In other capitals, the prices are slightly lower with Melbourne's average price of unleaded sitting at $1.64, Adelaide at $1.74 and Perth at $1.57.

The NRMA said it's expected to be weeks before prices come down.

Mr Khoury encouraged Sydneysiders to shop around for the lowest prices before heading off for Australia Day.

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