Camping Propane Price Per Gallon
The 1-pound Coleman canister and the 20-pound grill tank are the standard consumer propane cylinders. Both cost dramatically more per gallon than residential bulk propane. This page does the math.
For reference: US residential bulk propane (EIA week of 30 March 2026) is $2.674 per gallon. The 1lb canister price is 5.5x the residential bulk price. The 20lb exchange price is 2.0x.
The 1-pound disposable canister
The 1-pound green-painted Coleman cylinder (the standard small backpacking and camp-stove cylinder) holds 16 ounces of propane, which is 0.24 gallons at the 4.2 pounds per gallon density. At a typical outdoor-retailer single-canister price of $3.50, the per-gallon equivalent works out to roughly $14.58. Multi-pack discounts (Walmart or Amazon 4-pack pricing) can bring the per-canister cost down to around $2.50, which still leaves the per-gallon equivalent around $10.42.
The premium over bulk propane has several real cost drivers. The cylinder itself is steel with a relief valve and gas-handling mechanism; new manufacture cost is approximately $0.80 to $1.20 per cylinder, and the cylinder is single-use (DOT marked disposable, intended for the trash after emptying). The filling and packaging process at the Coleman/Worthington/Manchester plant is fully automated but the per-unit labour and overhead is still meaningfully higher than bulk fractions. Retail margin at outdoor stores (REI, Bass Pro, sporting goods retailers) typically runs 35 to 55%, which is considerably higher than the residential propane dealer margin. The supply chain adds wholesale distribution (Worthington, Coleman, Bernzomatic, Cassetta sell to retail through standard CPG distributor channels) which adds another margin layer.
Refillable 1-pound cylinders (Flame King and similar brands) are now widely available and let backpackers and campers eliminate the disposable-cylinder cost. A refillable 1lb cylinder costs $25 to $40 once, refillable from a 20lb tank at home or at a refilling station. The payback against single-use canisters is roughly 8 to 12 refills, so within a season for a regular camper. EPA and some state environmental regulations have started pushing toward refillable cylinders to reduce solid waste; some national parks now prohibit single-use cylinders.
The 20-pound grill tank
The 20-pound DOT-spec steel cylinder (the standard backyard grill tank) holds 4.7 gallons of propane at the 80% fill limit. There are two ways to refill it: exchange and refill.
The exchange model (Blue Rhino, AmeriGas Cylinder Exchange, U-Haul, some grocery and hardware retailers) involves trading the empty cylinder for a pre-filled one at the retailer. Exchange prices typically run $23 to $28per exchange, with the wide variation driven by retailer (Walmart and Lowe's tend to be cheaper than gas stations) and region. The exchange model is fast (no waiting for a refill) and the cylinder is inspected and requalified by the exchange operator. The economic catch: exchange cylinders are typically filled to 15 pounds of propane, not the full 20 pounds. Blue Rhino and AmeriGas changed their standard fill from 20lb to 15lb in 2008 (under-fill was disclosed but confused many customers). At 15lb fill (3.6 gallons), the per-gallon exchange equivalent rises to roughly $6.94.
The refill model involves bringing the empty cylinder to a propane refilling station (U-Haul has the largest US network for consumer refilling, plus AmeriGas, Tractor Supply, Ace Hardware, and many independent propane dealers, plus Costco at member stations). The cylinder is filled to the full 20lb (4.7 gallons) and the customer pays for actual gallons dispensed at the posted per-gallon rate. Refill pricing is typically $18 to $24 for a full 4.7-gallon fill, which works out to roughly $4.47 per gallon. The refill model is more economical per gallon, but requires more time and the cylinder must be in date (DOT requires requalification 12 years from manufacture, then every 5 years).
Why even refill pricing is well above residential bulk
At $4.47 per gallon, the consumer refill price is still roughly 1.7x the residential bulk price of $2.674 per gallon. The difference is the per-transaction overhead. Filling a single 4.7-gallon cylinder at a U-Haul station takes roughly five to seven minutes of attendant labour (open the valve, weigh and fill on a calibrated scale to the 80% liquid level, close, leak-check, hand back). The attendant labour, the station equipment amortisation, the cylinder filling station insurance, and the small per-fill overhead spread across only 4.7 gallons. A residential bulk delivery of 400 gallons amortises similar overhead across 85x as many gallons.
The exchange model is even more expensive per gallon because of the additional cylinder cycling, cylinder requalification infrastructure (Blue Rhino and AmeriGas run refurbishing plants to clean, inspect, requalify, and refill cylinders centrally), and the under-fill (15lb instead of 20lb). The convenience premium for exchange (drop empty, grab full, two minutes total) covers the additional cost for users who value time more than the per-gallon optimisation.
The decision matrix
For a typical backyard griller (2 to 4 tanks per year), the cheapest per-gallon option is refill at a propane dealer, U-Haul, Costco, or hardware store. Annual savings versus exchange are roughly $20 to $40 for a four-tank per year usage rate. For a heavy-usage griller or someone using propane for outdoor heating in addition, the savings scale with usage.
For convenience over per-gallon cost, exchange wins: available at thousands of locations, no wait time, no requalification concern. For a single backyard barbecue or a homeowner who barely uses the grill, the cost difference is not large enough to matter.
For backpackers and campers using 1lb canisters, the refillable 1lb cylinder is the per-gallon-cheapest option once you own the refillable. For occasional use, the disposable canister stays the convenient choice. Costco and many propane dealers also sell 5lb and 11lb cylinders that bridge the gap (heavier than a backpacking 1lb, lighter than a 20lb grill tank).
Camp stove fuel consumption
A typical 2-burner Coleman camp stove rated at 20,000 BTU per hour total consumes approximately 0.22 gallons of propane per hour at full output (one 1lb canister lasts about 70 to 90 minutes at full burn). Single- burner backpacking stoves run smaller (8,000 to 12,000 BTU per hour), with a single 1lb canister lasting about 2 to 3 hours of actual burn. Conservative backpackers (boiling water for freeze-dried meals only) get four to seven days from a 1lb canister; full cooking and coffee makes it more like two to three days.
Related
- Forklift propane price per gallon (33lb cylinder)
- Costco propane refill per gallon
- Ferrellgas and Blue Rhino propane price
- AmeriGas propane price
- Wholesale vs retail spread
FAQ
Why is camping propane so much more expensive per gallon?
Small cylinder size means high per-fill overhead, plus single-use disposable cylinders carry steel and packaging cost amortised across only 16 ounces of propane, plus outdoor-retail margin is much higher than bulk propane dealer margin.
Is Blue Rhino actually 15 pounds instead of 20?
Yes. Blue Rhino and AmeriGas Cylinder Exchange standardised on 15lb fills in 2008 (per Blue Rhino disclosure). The cylinders are still rated for 20lb capacity but are filled to 15lb to enable consistent pricing. Refill stations (U-Haul, Costco, propane dealers) fill to the full 20lb.
Where is the cheapest place to refill a 20lb propane tank?
Typically Costco at member-only fuel stations where available, then U-Haul, then independent propane dealers and Ace Hardware. The price varies regionally but Costco is usually the per-gallon winner. See the Costco propane page.
Are refillable 1lb propane cylinders worth it?
For regular campers, yes. A $25 to $40 refillable 1lb cylinder pays back in 8 to 12 refills versus single- use canisters. For occasional use, single-use canisters remain the simpler option.