--- title: "Fuel Cost Calculator | Method Calculator" description: "Estimate the fuel cost of a trip from distance, fuel economy (mpg, L/100 km or km/L) and fuel price. Works for one-way and round trips." canonical_url: "https://methodcalculator.com/fuel-cost-calculator" meta: "og:description": "Estimate the fuel cost of a trip from distance, fuel economy (mpg, L/100 km or km/L) and fuel price. Works for one-way and round trips." "og:image": "https://methodcalculator.com/_og/s/o_34fd2f6b8f893d84.png" "og:image:height": "600" "og:image:type": image/png "og:image:width": "1200" "og:title": "Fuel Cost Calculator – Free Online Tool" "twitter:image": "https://methodcalculator.com/_og/s/o_34fd2f6b8f893d84.png" --- > Index of every page on this site: [llms.txt](https://methodcalculator.com/llms.txt) # **Fuel Cost Calculator** Work out how much fuel a journey will use and what it will cost, in any mix of miles or kilometers, mpg or liters per 100 km, and price per gallon or liter. Split the total between passengers if you are sharing. ## **Result** Fuel cost **$35.00**
Fuel needed
10 US gal (37.85 L)
Total distance
300 mi (482.8 km)
Fuel economy
7.84 L/100 km
Cost per mile / per km
$0.117 / $0.072
## What the fuel cost calculator does Fuel is usually the biggest variable cost of a road trip, a commute or a delivery route. This calculator estimates it from three numbers you already know: how far you are going, how far your vehicle travels on a unit of fuel, and what fuel costs. It accepts the units used in the US, the UK and metric countries and converts between them automatically, so you can combine kilometers with mpg or miles with a price per liter. ## Formula and worked example Internally the calculator converts everything to kilometers and liters: - fuel needed (L) = distance (km) × consumption (L/100 km) ÷ 100 - cost = fuel needed × price per liter - mpg (US) → L/100 km = 235.21 ÷ mpg; mpg (UK) → L/100 km = 282.48 ÷ mpg; km/L → L/100 km = 100 ÷ km/L **Example:** 300 miles at 30 mpg (US) with fuel at $3.50 per US gallon. 300 ÷ 30 = 10 gallons, and 10 × $3.50 = **$35.00**, or 11.7 cents per mile. In metric terms the trip is 482.8 km, the car uses 7.84 L/100 km and needs 37.85 liters. Ticking “round trip” doubles the distance and the cost to $70. ## How to use this calculator - Enter the one-way distance and tick “Round trip” if you are coming back the same way. - Enter your vehicle's real-world fuel economy. Highway driving is usually better than the combined rating; city driving and roof boxes are worse. - Enter the local fuel price in the unit shown at the pump. The result is in the same currency. - Sharing the car? Set the number of people to see the cost per person. ## Tips - Fuel economy drops at high speed: driving at 80 mph instead of 65 mph can raise consumption by 15–25%. - Compare the result with train or plane fares per person, not just the total, when deciding how to travel. - Planning a car purchase? Combine this with the [auto loan calculator](https://methodcalculator.com/auto-loan-calculator) for the full monthly cost, and use the [unit converter](https://methodcalculator.com/unit-converter) for other distance and volume conversions. ## **Frequently asked questions ** ### **How do I calculate the fuel cost of a trip?** Divide the distance by your vehicle's fuel economy to get the fuel needed, then multiply by the fuel price. For 300 miles at 30 mpg you need 10 gallons; at $3.50 per gallon the trip costs $35. Double the distance for a round trip. ### **What is the difference between US mpg and UK mpg?** The gallon is different. A UK (imperial) gallon is 4.546 liters, a US gallon 3.785 liters, so the same car shows about 20% higher mpg in UK figures. 30 mpg (US) is roughly 36 mpg (UK), or 7.84 L/100 km. ### **Where do I find my car's fuel economy?** Most trip computers show an average consumption, or you can calculate it: fill the tank, drive, refill and divide the distance by the liters or gallons added. Official ratings are available from the EPA (US), WLTP (EU/UK) and manufacturer websites, though real-world consumption is often 10–20% higher. ### **Does the calculator include tolls, wear and other costs?** No, only fuel. Tolls, parking, tires, maintenance and depreciation add significantly to the true cost per mile, which is why mileage reimbursement rates are several times the fuel cost alone. ## **Related calculators ** - [**Unit Converter**](https://methodcalculator.com/unit-converter) - [**Auto Loan Calculator**](https://methodcalculator.com/auto-loan-calculator) - [**Date Calculator**](https://methodcalculator.com/date-calculator) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@id":"https://methodcalculator.com/#website","@type":"WebSite","description":"Free online calculators for finance, health and fitness, math and everyday life. 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