Costco Propane Refill: $13-$14 for a 20lb Tank in 2026
Costco Propane: What You Need to Know
$2.83-$3.08/gallon, pegged to the EIA national residential average of $2.730 plus a small warehouse-club markup. The cheapest retail propane option in the US. Regional variation is minimal at Costco - they price propane as a member benefit.
$13-$14. At ~4.7 gallons for a full fill (the 20 lb rating already reflects the 80% volumetric safety limit) at $2.96 mid-point per gallon. The displayed range reflects regional variation around the EIA-pegged baseline.
Not every Costco warehouse carries propane. Most fuel station locations do, but some suburban and urban warehouses don't. Always call ahead before making a trip specifically for propane.
An active Costco membership is required. Gold Star ($65/year) is sufficient, and a Business membership ($65/year) works too. Executive is $130/year and adds the 2% annual reward, which is not worth buying for propane alone. Fees checked on costco.com/join-costco.html, 23 September 2026. No same-day membership purchase at the fuel station.
Costco fuel station hours are shorter than warehouse hours - typically open slightly later and close earlier. Check your local warehouse hours before going.
Use costco.com/warehouse-locations to find your nearest Costco, then call the fuel station department to confirm propane availability.
Membership Break-Even Math
Costco Gold Star membership: $65/year, confirmed on costco.com on 23 September 2026. The saving below uses the conservative top of our Costco range ($14) against a $18.50 Tractor Supply 20lb refill, so $4.50 a fill and break-even at 15 fills. Price the bottom of the range instead and you break even sooner.
Where these numbers come from. Costco publishes no propane price, on costco.com or anywhere else, so the per-gallon figure above is our own estimate: the EIA national residential propane average of $2.730 per gallon for the week ending 2026-10-26 plus a $0.10 to $0.35 warehouse-club markup. Treat it as a planning figure and call your local fuel station for the real number. The only Costco-published figures on this page are the membership fees.
| Refills/year | Saved vs TSC | Net vs $65 membership |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $45 | -$20 |
| 15 | $67.5 | +$2.5 |
| 20 | $90 | +$25 |
| 25 | $112.5 | +$47.5 |