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 and life combinations, taken from US retailers in 2026 and quoted in dollars. Treat them as a starting point rather than a quote, because tire pricing moves and varies enormously by region and by size:

• 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, within 4% of each other. The difference is that you replace the cheap set in three years instead of six, so you go through the fitting bay twice as often and you may well buy tires twice during a single period of owning the car.

Premium tires also carry side benefits the cost-per-mile math never sees.
Wet braking distances are often 10 to 15 feet shorter at 60 mph, fuel economy improves by 1 to 3%, and the ride is quieter.
None of that shows up in the per-mile figure. The wet braking in particular is a safety difference rather than a comfort one, and it is a good reason to skip the cheapest tire on the shelf for a car that carries other people.

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 have 12,000 miles left on a lease, the cheap tires that just barely make it to hand-back are the right financial choice. You would never live long enough with the car to collect on the long life of a premium set.
Outside that case, mid-range to premium almost always wins on real ownership cost.