Fuel Cost Calculator - Trip Fuel Cost and Usage

Fuel Cost Calculator

This calculator works out how much fuel a trip will use and what it will cost, based on the distance you plan to drive, your vehicle's consumption rate, and the fuel price. It also splits the total across passengers, and switches between metric (km, L/100km) and imperial (miles, MPG) units. The passenger field defaults to one, so a solo trip shows the full cost, and any number entered there divides that same total evenly rather than changing how much fuel is needed.

How the cost is calculated

In metric mode, fuel needed equals distance divided by 100, multiplied by the consumption figure in liters per 100 km. In imperial mode, fuel needed equals distance divided by the miles per gallon rating. Either way, total cost is fuel needed multiplied by the price per liter or gallon, and the per passenger cost is that total divided by the number of people sharing the ride. A lower L/100km figure means better fuel efficiency, and so does a higher MPG figure: both describe fewer liters or gallons burned over the same distance.

Worked example

A 640 km road trip in a car that uses 7.8 L/100km, with fuel priced at 1.85 per liter and three passengers splitting the bill, needs 49.92 liters of fuel. That comes to a total of $92.35, or $30.78 per person.

In imperial units, a 300 mile trip in a car rated at 32 MPG needs 9.375 gallons. At $3.20 per gallon with two passengers sharing the cost, the trip totals $30.00, or $15.00 each.

The formulas below work with whichever unit system matches the figures on your car's spec sheet, and the table applies the metric example's rate and price to a few common trip lengths.

Metric: Fuel needed (L) = (Distance km / 100) x Consumption (L/100km)
Imperial: Fuel needed (gal) = Distance mi / Consumption (MPG)
Total cost = Fuel needed x Price per liter/gallon
Cost per person = Total cost / Passengers