Fuel Cost / Trip Cost Calculator
Plan road trip costs or compare vehicle fuel expenses. Enter trip distance, your car's MPG, and current gas price to instantly see total fuel cost for any journey.
How to use Fuel Cost / Trip Cost Calculator
The fuel cost calculator estimates the petrol or diesel cost of any trip or your annual driving spend. Enter your route distance, vehicle fuel economy and local fuel price to get the trip cost instantly, then compare two vehicles side by side to see the annual savings from a more efficient model.
- Enter the trip distance (miles or km).
- Enter your vehicle's fuel economy (MPG or L/100km).
- Enter the current fuel price per gallon or per litre.
- Optionally compare a second vehicle.
- Review trip cost, annual cost and potential savings.
Your data never leaves your device — 100% private processing.
How fuel cost is calculated
Fuel cost = (Distance ÷ MPG) × Price per gallon. For metric: cost = (Distance × L/100km / 100) × Price per litre. Annual cost assumes you drive the same distance year-round at the same rate. The comparison shows annual savings — over 5 years, even modest MPG improvements compound into significant totals.
| MPG | Gallons/year | Annual fuel cost |
|---|---|---|
| 20 mpg | 750 | $2,625 |
| 25 mpg | 600 | $2,100 |
| 30 mpg | 500 | $1,750 |
| 35 mpg | 429 | $1,500 |
| 45 mpg (hybrid) | 333 | $1,167 |
Factors that affect real-world fuel economy
EPA ratings are achieved on standardised drive cycles; real-world MPG typically falls 10–20% below the label. Aggressive acceleration and braking, high speeds (drag increases with speed squared), cold weather, under-inflated tyres, heavy loads and roof boxes all reduce fuel economy. Highway driving is usually more efficient than city driving for non-hybrid vehicles.
Glossary
- MPG
- Miles per gallon — the distance a vehicle travels on one gallon of fuel.
- L/100km
- Litres per 100 kilometres — the metric fuel economy standard; lower is better.
- EPA rating
- US Environmental Protection Agency's standardised fuel economy estimate.
- Drag coefficient
- A measure of aerodynamic resistance; affects fuel consumption significantly at highway speeds.
Related reading
Frequently Asked Questions
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Why use Fuel Cost / Trip Cost Calculator?
- Covers all major auto loan and leasing calculations
- Fuel cost comparisons with real MPG/L/100km data
- Instant results with no spreadsheet required
- Supports both metric and imperial units
Common use cases
- Calculate monthly payments on a car loan
- Compare the total cost of owning vs leasing
- Estimate annual fuel costs for a vehicle
- Calculate depreciation over 5 years
- Find out true cost of ownership including insurance
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