Trip fuel cost is the fuel you burn times the pump price. Fuel burned is distance divided by mpg, or distance times L/100 km divided by 100. A 300-mile drive in a 30 mpg car uses 10 gallons; at $3.50 a gallon the fuel bill is $35.00.
Planning a road trip, pricing a commute or splitting gas money with friends all come down to the same two numbers: how much fuel the car will burn and what it costs at the pump. Enter the one-way distance, your car's fuel economy in mpg or litres per 100 km, and the local fuel price. Tick round trip to double the distance, and set how many people are sharing the bill. The result shows the total fuel cost, the gallons or litres needed, the cost per person and the cost per mile or kilometre, with the arithmetic laid out step by step. One limit: rated fuel economy assumes steady driving, so heavy traffic, mountain roads, roof boxes or towing can raise the real figure by 10 to 30 percent.
Choose US for miles, mpg and price per gallon, or Metric for kilometres, L/100 km and price per litre.
Type the one-way distance, your car's fuel economy and the current fuel price.
Tick the round-trip box to count the return leg, and use the − / + buttons to set how many people share the cost.
The total, fuel volume, per-person share and cost per mile or km update as you type, with the working shown below.
Result Trip fuel cost: 35.00
Fuel needed: 10 gal
Distance driven: 300 mi
Cost per person: 35.00
Cost per mile or km: 0.117
A one-way drive of 300 miles burns 10 gallons in a 30 mpg car, so the fuel bill is $35.
Result Trip fuel cost: 117.00
Fuel needed: 65 L
Distance driven: 1000 km
Cost per person: 39.00
Cost per mile or km: 0.117
1,000 km at 6.5 L/100 km uses 65 litres; at 1.80 per litre that is 117, or 39 each.
Result Trip fuel cost: 240.00
Fuel needed: 60 gal
Distance driven: 1200 mi
Cost per person: 120.00
Cost per mile or km: 0.2
60 gallons at $4.00 comes to $240, split two ways at $120 per driver.
US: Cost = (D × L ÷ MPG) × P. Metric: Cost = (D × L × C ÷ 100) × P
DLMPGCPThe calculator first finds the volume of fuel the trip needs, then multiplies by the price. With mpg, distance is divided by economy because a higher mpg means less fuel. With L/100 km the figure is already a consumption rate, so distance is multiplied by it and divided by 100. The per-person share divides the total evenly; the cost per mile or kilometre divides it by the distance actually driven.
The US window sticker and fueleconomy.gov list city, highway and combined ratings. Your trip computer or a fill-to-fill log (miles driven divided by gallons added) gives a figure closer to how you actually drive.
Not directly. A UK gallon is 4.546 litres against 3.785 for a US gallon, so UK mpg figures are about 20 percent higher. Convert to L/100 km and use the Metric mode instead.
Divide 235.21 by the US mpg figure. A 30 mpg car uses about 7.84 L/100 km, and a 40 mpg car about 5.88 L/100 km.
Rated economy is measured under controlled cycles. Speeds above about 60 mph, air conditioning, cargo on the roof, cold weather and idling in traffic all burn extra fuel, often adding 10 to 25 percent.
Yes, the count is everyone sharing the bill. For four people in the car who all pay, set it to 4; the total is divided evenly with no weighting.
It is the fuel cost divided by distance driven. It makes it easy to compare cars or to set a fair mileage charge, though it covers fuel only, not insurance, tyres or depreciation.
Using this tool in an assignment, article or report? Copy a citation, or a link for your website.
Tools Directory Editorial Team. (2026, October 21). Trip Fuel Cost Calculator. Tools Directory. Retrieved October 25, 2026, from https://tools.milunir.com/automotive/fuel-economy-and-running-costs/trip-fuel-cost-calculator/
Tools Directory Editorial Team. “Trip Fuel Cost Calculator.” Tools Directory, 21 Oct. 2026, https://tools.milunir.com/automotive/fuel-economy-and-running-costs/trip-fuel-cost-calculator/. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.
Tools Directory Editorial Team. “Trip Fuel Cost Calculator.” Tools Directory. Last modified October 21, 2026. Accessed October 25, 2026. https://tools.milunir.com/automotive/fuel-economy-and-running-costs/trip-fuel-cost-calculator/.
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