Gas Trip Cost Calculator

Trip fuel cost is calculated from three variables: how far you are driving, how efficiently your vehicle uses fuel, and the current price of fuel. This calculator supports both metric and imperial units.

Imperial formula:

Fuel Needed (gallons) = Distance (miles) / Efficiency (MPG)

Trip Cost = Fuel Needed × Price per Gallon

Metric formula:

Fuel Needed (liters) = Distance (km) / Efficiency (km/L)

Trip Cost = Fuel Needed × Price per Liter

What each variable means:

• Trip Distance — the total distance you plan to drive in miles or kilometers.
• Fuel Efficiency — your vehicle’s fuel economy, either in MPG (miles per gallon) or km/L (kilometers per liter). Check your car’s manual or dashboard display for this value.
• Fuel Price — the current price per gallon or per liter at your local gas station.
• Round Trip — select this to automatically double the distance for a return journey.

Practical example (Imperial): A 350-mile road trip in a sedan that gets 28 MPG with gas at $3.50/gallon. Fuel needed = 350 / 28 = 12.5 gallons. Trip cost = 12.5 × $3.50 = $43.75 one way (or $87.50 round trip).

Practical example (Metric): A 500 km trip in a car that gets 12 km/L with fuel at $1.60/liter. Fuel needed = 500 / 12 = 41.7 liters. Trip cost = 41.7 × $1.60 = $66.72 one way.

Typical fuel efficiency by vehicle type:

• Small cars: 13–18 km/L (30–42 MPG)
• Sedans: 10–15 km/L (24–35 MPG)
• SUVs: 7–12 km/L (17–28 MPG)
• Trucks: 5–9 km/L (12–21 MPG)

Tips: Highway driving is typically 10–15% more fuel-efficient than city driving. Air conditioning, roof racks, and heavy loads all reduce efficiency. If splitting fuel costs with passengers, divide the total cost by the number of people for a fair share.