Bathurst is currently averaging $1.87 for a litre of unleaded petrol, slightly lower then other centres across the Central West including Orange ($1.88), Dubbo ($1.93), Mudgee ($1.94) and Lithgow ($1.94).

NRMA spokesperson Saoirse Connolly said petrol prices in Bathurst have risen by an average of 15 cents in the past month.

"We've never seen the actual petrol prices so volatile. It's actually hard to be sure when and how they're going to rise," she said.

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"What we do know is that unleaded petrol prices in Bathurst in the past four weeks have risen by 15 cents a litre and that's in line with the rise in oil prices as well.

"We are hoping to see some kind of relief but it's really hard to know. It'll probably get worse before it gets better. It could creep up over the $2 mark in the regional areas."

Ms Connolly explained that there are a number of issues across the world that has contributed to the rise in petrol prices around Australia as a whole.

"There was a fire in an oil refinery in South Korea the other week, that pushed prices up," she said.

"There's also the issue in Russia, with sanctions being put in place.

"The really cold winter in the Northern Hemisphere also pushed prices up for diesel because there was such an increase in demand.

"There's a lot of factors in place, with the world being a very volatile place right now. We've never seen the prices like they are now."

With such a volatile petrol market, Ms Connolly said it's too hard to predict when prices will drop.

"It's really hard to tell. It's impossible to know what's going to happen tomorrow, let alone next week," she said.

"Everything is going up and down so quickly. The best thing people can do is do their research.

"There are still big gaps in the highs and lows in petrol prices at petrol stations in towns near Bathurst."