Blue Rhino Propane Price Per Gallon
Blue Rhino is the largest propane tank exchange brand in the United States. A Blue Rhino exchange is priced per cylinder, not per gallon, and the cylinder holds 15 pounds of propane, not the full 20. This page converts the exchange price to a real price per gallon and compares it to residential bulk propane.
What a Blue Rhino exchange costs
Blue Rhino does not publish a single national price. Exchange pricing is set by each retailer and varies by location, the local propane market, and the type of store. Blue Rhino confirms this directly: pricing varies from retailer to retailer. As a practical guide for 2026, a standard grill-tank exchange runs roughly $20 to $30 at most retailers, with the mass merchants (Walmart, Lowe's, Home Depot) usually at the lower end and convenience stores, gas stations, and drugstores at the higher end.
| Retailer type | Typical 2026 exchange price | $/gallon equivalent (15lb fill) |
|---|---|---|
| Mass retail (Walmart, Lowe's, Home Depot) | $18 to $23 | $5.00 to $6.39 |
| Grocery and hardware | $22 to $27 | $6.11 to $7.50 |
| Gas stations and drugstores | $26 to $32 | $7.22 to $8.89 |
Prices are representative ranges, not quotes. Confirm the price at your local retailer; Blue Rhino states exchange pricing is set by the retailer and varies by location.
The 15lb fill: why the per-gallon price is higher than it looks
The single most important thing to understand about Blue Rhino pricing is the fill weight. A standard 20-pound barbecue cylinder holds 4.7 gallons of propane when filled to the 80% liquid limit. A Blue Rhino exchange cylinder is filled to only 15 pounds, about 3.6 gallons. Blue Rhino states this in its own FAQ: its grill tanks contain a net weight of 15 lbs of propane. Blue Rhino and AmeriGas Cylinder Exchange standardised on the 15lb fill in 2008.
That fill difference is why the per-gallon math matters. A $25 exchange sounds close to a $21 refill, but the exchange delivers 15 pounds and the refill delivers 20. At a $25 exchange for 3.6 gallons, the effective cost is $6.94 per gallon, which is about 2.6x the residential bulk propane price. Refilling the same tank to the full 4.7 gallons captures the missing propane and lowers the price per gallon.
Blue Rhino exchange vs refilling your own tank
The exchange model trades the empty cylinder for a pre-filled, inspected, and requalified one. It is fast and available almost everywhere, and you never have to worry about the cylinder's requalification date (DOT requires requalification 12 years from manufacture, then every 5 years). The trade-off is the 15lb fill and the convenience premium.
The refill model brings your empty cylinder to a propane refilling station (U-Haul has the largest US consumer network, plus AmeriGas, Tractor Supply, Ace Hardware, Costco member stations, and many independent dealers). The cylinder is filled to the full 20lb and you pay for actual gallons dispensed. Per gallon it is the cheaper route; the camping propane page works through the exchange-vs-refill math in full, and the Costco propane page covers one of the cheapest refill options.
Where to find Blue Rhino near you
Blue Rhino cylinders are stocked at more than 60,000 retail locations across all 50 states, including Walmart, Lowe's, Home Depot, Tractor Supply, many grocery chains, and convenience stores. Blue Rhino's Propane Finder locates the nearest exchange display, and Blue Rhino Delivery+ now offers home delivery of exchange cylinders in a growing list of metro areas. Because pricing is per store, checking two or three nearby retailers is the simplest way to find the best local exchange price.
Who owns Blue Rhino
Blue Rhino is a brand of Ferrellgas, one of the largest propane retailers in the United States. Ferrellgas and Blue Rhino announced their merger in February 2004, and Blue Rhino, founded in 1994 and headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has operated as a Ferrellgas brand since. For Ferrellgas residential delivery pricing alongside the Blue Rhino exchange business, see the Ferrellgas price per gallon page. The other national cylinder exchange network, AmeriGas Cylinder Exchange, is covered on the AmeriGas page.
Related
- Ferrellgas (and Blue Rhino) price per gallon
- Camping propane: exchange vs refill math
- Costco propane refill per gallon
- AmeriGas propane price
- Wholesale vs retail spread
FAQ
How much does a Blue Rhino propane tank exchange cost?
A Blue Rhino tank exchange typically costs about $20 to $30 depending on the retailer and region, with mass retailers such as Walmart and Lowe's usually cheaper and gas stations and drugstores usually more expensive. Blue Rhino states that exchange pricing is set by the retailer and varies by location, so there is no single national price.
How much propane is in a Blue Rhino tank, 15 or 20 pounds?
15 pounds. Blue Rhino's own FAQ states its grill tanks contain a net weight of 15 lbs of propane, which is about 3.6 gallons. The cylinder is still a 20-pound-capacity tank, but Blue Rhino and AmeriGas standardised on a 15lb fill in 2008. A refill at a propane dealer, U-Haul, or Costco fills the same tank to the full 20lb (about 4.7 gallons).
What is the effective price per gallon of a Blue Rhino exchange?
At a $25 exchange for a 15lb (3.6 gallon) fill, the effective price is about $6.94 per gallon, roughly 2.6x the US residential bulk price of $2.674 per gallon for the EIA week of 30 March 2026. The premium pays for cylinder cycling, requalification, and the convenience model.
Is Blue Rhino cheaper than refilling a propane tank?
Per gallon, no. Refilling your own 20lb tank at a propane dealer, U-Haul, or Costco fills it to the full 4.7 gallons and usually works out cheaper per gallon than a 15lb Blue Rhino exchange. Exchange wins on convenience: drop the empty, grab a full one, no wait, no requalification worry.
Where can I find Blue Rhino near me?
Blue Rhino cylinders are stocked at more than 60,000 retail locations, including Walmart, Lowe's, Home Depot, Tractor Supply, many grocery chains, and convenience stores. Blue Rhino's Propane Finder tool at bluerhino.com/propane-finder locates the nearest exchange display, and Blue Rhino Delivery+ offers home delivery in a growing list of metro areas.
Who owns Blue Rhino?
Blue Rhino is a brand of Ferrellgas, one of the largest US propane retailers. Ferrellgas and Blue Rhino announced their merger in February 2004. Blue Rhino was founded in 1994 and remains headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.