Los Angeles drivers can still find gas under $5 amid statewide price surge

As oil markets react to the ongoing Iran conflict, California’s gasoline prices have climbed to the highest levels in the United States, with several Los Angeles pumps exceeding $7 per gallon. Yet a few stations—most notably a Berri Brothers location on Baldwin Avenue in Temple City—are selling fuel for just under $5, delivering savings of more than a quarter compared with the priciest pumps. The Berri family operates a dozen sites across Southern California and one in Fresno, and each outlet typically lands among the five cheapest in its neighborhood.

Experts explain that local overhead, such as rent and labor, plus the timing of each station’s latest fuel delivery, create sharp price differentials even within the same city. Consumers can use resources like the American Automobile Association’s price listings, GasBuddy’s daily cheapest-station rankings, and Google Maps’ fuel-price feature to find cheaper options, potentially cutting fuel costs by 10-20 percent. A class-action suit alleges that some California stations use algorithmic pricing software to keep prices artificially high, adding another layer of controversy to the market.