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Fuel Cost Calculator

Work out how much petrol, diesel or gas a trip will cost from the distance, your car's mileage and the fuel price. Use km or miles, km/L, L/100 km or mpg, any currency, and split the cost between the people travelling.

One way, from a map app or your odometer

Journey

Your car's average mileage

$

Enter today's price at your pump

1 if you pay alone

Repeat the trip (commute)

For example 5 for a weekday commute; empty for a one-off trip

Fuel cost
$25.00
Fuel used
7.14 US gal (27.04 L)
Cost per mile
$0.13
  • 200 miles at 28 mpg (US) uses 7.14 US gal (27.04 L); × $3.50 per US gallon = $25.00.
  • 28 mpg (US) is 11.9 km/L, 8.4 L/100 km, 33.6 mpg (UK).

Real fuel use changes with speed, traffic, load, air-conditioning and hills, so treat the result as an estimate. Tolls, parking and wear on the car aren't included.

How to use the fuel cost calculator

  1. Choose your currency, then enter the trip distance in km or miles. Pick Round trip if you're coming back the same way.
  2. Enter your car's fuel economy and its unit: km/L, L/100 km, US mpg or UK mpg.
  3. Enter the fuel price per litre or per gallon, and how many people are sharing the cost.
  4. Read the fuel cost, the fuel you'll use and the cost per km or mile. For a commute, open "Repeat the trip" to see the weekly, monthly and yearly cost.

Fuel cost formula

  • Fuel used = distance ÷ fuel economy (with km/L or mpg)
  • Fuel used = distance × L/100 km ÷ 100 (with litres per 100 km)
  • Fuel cost = fuel used × price per litre or gallon

The calculator converts between units with exact factors: a mile is 1.609344 km, a US gallon 3.785411784 litres and an imperial (UK) gallon 4.54609 litres. A round trip doubles the distance, and the cost per person is the total divided by the number of people sharing it.

Examples

  • US: 200 miles at 28 mpg and $3.50 a gallon uses 7.14 gallons and costs $25.00, about 12.5 cents a mile.
  • India: 300 km at 15 km/L and ₹100 a litre uses 20 litres and costs ₹2,000, or ₹6.67 a km.
  • Europe: 400 km at 6.5 L/100 km and €1.75 a litre uses 26 litres and costs €45.50.

The prices in these examples are only for illustration. Fuel prices change often, so enter the price at your pump.

Tips to spend less on fuel

  • Keep a steady speed and avoid hard acceleration; fuel use rises quickly at motorway speeds.
  • Check tyre pressures and take heavy loads or roof boxes off when you don't need them.
  • Share the ride: the cost per person drops with every passenger, which the calculator shows.

To convert other units, use the unit converter. Planning a longer trip? Add fuel to your budget in the travel itinerary maker.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate the fuel cost of a trip?

Divide the distance by your car's fuel economy to get the fuel you'll use, then multiply by the price of fuel. For example, 200 miles in a car that does 28 mpg uses 200 ÷ 28 = 7.14 gallons; at $3.50 a gallon that's $25.00. In km/L: 300 km at 15 km/L uses 20 litres, which at 100 a litre costs 2,000.

How do I work out fuel cost with litres per 100 km?

Multiply the distance by the L/100 km figure and divide by 100 to get the litres, then multiply by the price per litre. 400 km at 6.5 L/100 km uses 400 × 6.5 ÷ 100 = 26 litres; at 1.75 a litre the fuel costs 45.50.

How do I convert mpg to L/100 km or km/L?

Divide 235.215 by US mpg, or 282.481 by UK (imperial) mpg, to get L/100 km; km/L is 100 divided by L/100 km. So 30 US mpg is 7.84 L/100 km or 12.75 km/L, and 8 L/100 km is 29.4 US mpg or 35.3 UK mpg. A UK gallon (4.546 L) is bigger than a US gallon (3.785 L), so the same car shows a higher mpg in the UK.

How do I split petrol money between friends?

Work out the cost of the whole journey, there and back if you're returning together, and divide it by the number of people sharing. Four people sharing the 400-mile round trip above pay $12.50 each. Enter the number of people and the calculator shows each person's share.

How much does my commute cost in fuel?

Enter the one-way distance, choose Round trip, and add how many days a week you drive under "Repeat the trip". A 20 km commute each way at 7 L/100 km and 1.75 a litre costs 4.90 a day, 24.50 a week and about 1,274 a year for 5 days a week.

Why is my real fuel bill different from the estimate?

Fuel use changes with speed, traffic, hills, the load you carry, tyre pressure and air-conditioning, and official mileage figures come from lab tests. For a closer estimate, use your own average: fill the tank, note the odometer, and at the next fill-up divide the distance driven by the litres (or gallons) you put in.

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