Drive vs Fly Cost Comparison Calculator
Compare the total cost of driving vs flying for any trip.
Factor in gas, tolls, parking, time, and tickets to find the smarter choice.
A flight that looks cheaper on the booking site often is not. The real cost includes getting to the airport, parking there, bags, airport food, and a taxi at the other end. Driving has the same problem in reverse: the fuel figure is the easy part, and vehicle wear, tolls, a hotel stop and meals on the road are what actually close the gap.
Total Driving Cost Formula
Total drive cost = Fuel cost + Tolls + Food on road + (Hotel nights × nightly rate) + Parking at destination
Fuel cost = (Distance ÷ Fuel efficiency) × Fuel price per gallon (or litre)
Total Flying Cost Formula
Total fly cost = Airfare × Number of passengers + Luggage fees + Airport transport (each end) + Parking at home airport + Airport food + Ground transport at destination
The IRS Mileage Rate (Reference)
The IRS publishes a standard mileage rate every year, and it covers far more than fuel: maintenance, tyres, insurance and depreciation are all baked into it. It has sat in the high 60s to low 70s of cents per mile in recent years, and it goes up more often than down. Look up the current figure and enter it below to see the true all-in cost of the drive rather than just the petrol.
When Driving Makes More Sense
- Distance under 300 miles / 480 km (under 5 hours)
- Travelling with a family of 4+ (one car vs 4+ tickets)
- Carrying lots of luggage (avoiding baggage fees)
- Destination is not near a major airport
- You enjoy road trips and have flexibility
When Flying Makes More Sense
- Distance over 600 miles / 960 km (10 hours of driving or more)
- Solo travel (1 ticket vs full car fuel costs)
- Time is critical and the value of your time is high
- Deals on airfare bring ticket prices very low
- Destination is far from good roads or highways
Time Value
Enter what an hour of your time is worth and the calculator prices the difference. Save 8 hours at $30 an hour and the flight is $240 ahead before you compare a single ticket price. This is usually the number that settles the argument on longer trips, and the one people leave out.
How we build and check this calculator
This calculator runs entirely in your browser, so the numbers you enter stay on your device. The math behind it is written by hand and tested against worked examples and standard references before the page goes live.
SuperGlobalCalculator is independently built and maintained. See how we build and verify our calculators.