11 · Calculators

Fuel Cost Calculator

Enter the distance, your car’s fuel economy and the price of fuel to see how much a trip will cost — one way or there and back.

Units

Fuel cost

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How to use the fuel cost calculator

  1. Choose US units (miles, mpg) or metric (km, L/100 km).
  2. Enter the trip distance and your vehicle’s fuel economy.
  3. Enter the price per gallon or litre.
  4. Tick Round trip to double the distance.

MPG vs. L/100 km

Miles per gallon measures how far you go on a fixed amount of fuel, so higher is better. Litres per 100 km measures how much fuel you use over a fixed distance, so lower is better. To convert, divide 235.21 by one to get the other: 30 mpg (US) is about 7.8 L/100 km.

Getting a realistic number

  • Use your car’s real-world economy rather than the official figure; most trip computers show it.
  • Motorway driving at high speed, heavy loads, roof boxes and cold weather all increase consumption.
  • Split the result by the number of passengers to share costs fairly.

Examples

300 miles at 30 mpg, $3.50 a gallon

10 gallons · $35.00

500 km round trip at 6.5 L/100 km, €1.80 a litre

65 litres · €117.00

Questions

Are these US or UK gallons?

US gallons. If your mpg figure is in UK gallons, multiply it by 0.8327 first to convert to US mpg.

Can I use it for electric cars?

Yes, with metric units: enter kWh per 100 km as the efficiency and the price per kWh as the fuel price.

Does it include tolls or parking?

No, only fuel. Add other trip costs separately.