Fuel Cost
This free fuel cost calculator estimates how much a trip will cost in fuel, from the trip distance, your vehicle's fuel economy, and the price of fuel. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or stored.
How to Use It
- Choose Imperial or Metric units.
- Enter your trip distance, fuel economy, and price per unit of fuel.
- Fuel needed and total trip cost update instantly, no submit button.
How It Works
The calculation happens in two steps. First, trip distance and fuel economy determine how much fuel the trip actually needs. Second, that amount of fuel is multiplied by the price per gallon or liter to get a total cost. Fuel economy is the link between a distance and a fuel amount, and price is the link between a fuel amount and a dollar figure.
A worked example: a 300 mile trip in a car that gets 25 MPG needs 12 gallons of fuel (300 ÷ 25). At $3.50 a gallon, that trip costs $42.00 (12 × 3.50). In Metric terms, a 500 kilometer trip at 8 liters per 100 kilometers needs 40 liters (500 ÷ 100 × 8), which costs $60.00 at $1.50 a liter.
Everything runs client-side in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or stored.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does this calculator get from fuel economy to a dollar cost?
It works in two steps. First, trip distance and fuel economy give the amount of fuel the trip needs (distance divided by MPG in Imperial, or distance divided by 100 times L/100km in Metric). Second, that fuel amount is multiplied by the price per gallon or liter to get the trip cost.
How do I switch between Imperial and Metric?
Use the unit toggle above the inputs. Imperial uses miles, miles per gallon, and price per gallon. Metric uses kilometers, liters per 100 kilometers, and price per liter. Each system has its own set of fields, so switching does not convert numbers between them.
Why does the price field accept zero?
A zero price is a valid scenario, for example an employer or rental company covering fuel, so it's accepted rather than treated as an error. It simply produces a trip cost of zero.
How accurate is this estimate?
This is only as accurate as the fuel economy figure entered. Real world fuel economy varies with driving conditions, speed, terrain, and load, so treat the result as a planning estimate, not a guaranteed cost. For your own vehicle's real average, the Gas Mileage Calculator can compute it from a recent fill up.