Fuel Cost Calculator
Calculate trip fuel costs with live gas prices from official energy market data.
Trip Details
Fuel Information
Additional Costs
Total Trip Cost
Fuel Needed
15.1 liters
Fuel Cost
$0.14/mile
Cost Breakdown
Environmental Impact
How it works
A fuel cost calculator estimates what a trip costs in gas. Divide the distance by your vehicle's fuel economy to find how much fuel you'll use, then multiply by the price per unit.
Trip fuel cost
Cost = (distance ÷ fuel economy) × price per gallon
- distance
- trip length (miles)
- fuel economy
- miles per gallon
- price
- fuel price per gallon
Worked example
- Trip = 300 miles
- Fuel economy = 30 mpg
- Price = $3.50/gallon
- Fuel used = 300 ÷ 30 = 10 gallons
- Cost = 10 × 3.50
≈ $35 for the trip.
Good to know
- Highway and city economy differ — use the figure that matches your trip.
- For a round trip, double the distance.
- Splitting cost among passengers is the easy carpool math: total cost ÷ people.
Related Calculators
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate the fuel cost of a trip?
Divide the trip distance by your vehicle's fuel economy to get gallons needed, then multiply by the price per gallon. For example, 300 miles ÷ 30 MPG = 10 gallons; at $3.50/gallon the trip costs $35 in fuel.
How do I find my car's real-world MPG?
Fill the tank completely, reset the trip odometer, drive normally, then refill and divide miles driven by gallons added. Real-world MPG is often 10-20% below the EPA sticker figure, especially with city driving, cold weather, or aggressive acceleration.
Is premium fuel worth the extra cost?
Only if your engine requires it. Cars designed for regular gain no meaningful benefit from premium, while engines that require high octane can lose power or efficiency on regular. Check your owner's manual — "premium recommended" usually means regular is acceptable with a slight performance trade-off.
How can I improve my fuel economy?
Keep tires properly inflated, remove unnecessary weight and roof racks, maintain steady speeds, and avoid hard acceleration and excessive idling. Highway fuel economy also drops noticeably above about 65 mph due to aerodynamic drag.
How do I split fuel costs on a shared road trip?
Calculate the total fuel cost for the trip and divide by the number of people. For longer arrangements like carpools, some groups also add a per-mile allowance for wear and tear, since fuel is only part of the true cost of driving.