Tire Cost Per Mile Calculator

Tire price per tire is the wrong number to optimize.
Cost per mile is what actually matters, because a $200 tire that lasts 80,000 miles is cheaper than a $90 tire that lasts 30,000.
The math is straight division.

cost_per_mile = (4 × tire_price + mounting + balancing + disposal) / treadwear_miles

Tire treadwear ratings (the UTQG number on the sidewall) give a rough comparison.
Treadwear of 200 means the tire wears at half the rate of a baseline tire (rated 100), so it should last roughly twice as long under similar conditions.
Real-world conversion: treadwear of 500 typically delivers 50,000-65,000 miles in normal driving; treadwear of 700 gets 70,000-85,000 miles.

Common tire price + life combinations from major retailers in 2026:

• Budget all-season (Westlake, Sailun): $80-100 per tire, 35,000-50,000 mile life
• Mid-range (Goodyear Assurance, Continental TrueContact): $130-180, 60,000-70,000 mile life
• Premium long-life (Michelin Defender, Continental PureContact): $180-240, 80,000-90,000 mile life
• Performance summer tires: $150-300, 25,000-35,000 mile life
• Off-road / mud-terrain: $200-400, 30,000-50,000 mile life

A worked example.
Set of four Michelin Defenders at $200 each = $800.
Mounting and balancing: $100 for the set.
Tire disposal: $20.
Total: $920 / 80,000 miles = $0.0115 per mile.

Same comparison with the budget Westlake set at $90 each = $360, plus the same $120 in install fees: $480 / 40,000 miles = $0.012 per mile.
Per mile, they cost essentially the same — but you replace the cheap set in three years instead of six, doubling the install hassle and possibly buying tires twice during the same ownership period.

Premium tires also have side benefits the cost-per-mile math misses.
Better wet braking distances (often 10-15 ft shorter at 60 mph), better fuel economy (1-3% improvement), and quieter ride.
None of those show up in the per-mile cost, but they matter — especially the wet braking, which is genuinely a safety difference.

A few practical points.
Tire life is set as much by maintenance as by tire choice.
Tires rotated every 5,000-7,500 miles can hit their full UTQG estimate; tires never rotated can wear out 30-50% sooner.
Underinflated tires (a steady 5 PSI low) cut tire life by about 20% and reduce gas mileage by 1-2 MPG.
And alignment matters: a car out of alignment by 1/8 inch toe-in can scrub a set of tires to half their rated life.

When budget tires actually win.
If you drive a leased vehicle with 24-month-remaining lease and 12,000 miles left, the cheap tires that just barely make it to lease return are the right financial choice — you would never benefit from the long life of premium tires.
Otherwise, mid-range to premium almost always wins on actual ownership cost.