ToolSpotAI

Fuel / Gas Cost Calculator

Calculate fuel costs for any trip. Supports US MPG, UK MPG, and Metric (L/100km). Vehicle presets and round-trip option.

Daily

Total Fuel Cost

58.33

Fuel Needed

16.7 gal

Cost per mile

0.12

Trip DistanceFuel (gal)Cost
50 miles1.75.83
100 miles3.311.67
250 miles8.329.17
500 miles16.758.33
1,000 miles33.3116.67
2,000 miles66.7233.33
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What is Fuel / Gas Cost Calculator?

A fuel cost calculator estimates how much you will spend on gas or petrol for a given trip distance based on your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current fuel prices. Essential for planning road trips, commuting budgets, and comparing vehicle operating costs. Our calculator supports all three major measurement systems: US MPG, UK MPG (Imperial), and Metric (L/100km). It includes vehicle type presets, country fuel price references, a round-trip toggle, and a comparison table for different distances.

How It Works

Select your measurement system (US, UK, or Metric). Enter the trip distance, your vehicle's fuel efficiency, and the current fuel price. Optionally enable round trip to double the distance. The calculator shows total fuel cost, fuel needed, and cost per mile/km. Use vehicle presets and fuel price presets for quick estimates.

Formula

US/UK: Fuel Needed = Distance / MPG, Cost = Fuel ร— Price per gallon
Metric: Fuel Needed = (L/100km / 100) ร— Distance km, Cost = Fuel ร— Price per litre
Cost per mile = Total Cost / Distance

Formula Explained

For MPG systems, divide distance by efficiency to get fuel volume. For the metric system, multiply the consumption rate (L/100km) by the distance in hundreds of km. Then multiply fuel volume by price per unit. Round trip simply doubles the distance before calculation.

Example

US: 500 miles, 30 MPG, $3.50/gallon Fuel: 500 / 30 = 16.67 gallons Cost: 16.67 ร— $3.50 = $58.33 Cost per mile: $0.12 Metric: 800 km, 8 L/100km, โ‚ฌ1.60/litre Fuel: (8/100) ร— 800 = 64 litres Cost: 64 ร— โ‚ฌ1.60 = โ‚ฌ102.40

Tips & Best Practices

  • โœ“Keep tyres properly inflated to improve fuel efficiency by up to 3%.
  • โœ“Highway driving at steady speed is 15-20% more efficient than city driving.
  • โœ“Use cruise control on highways to maintain optimal fuel efficiency.
  • โœ“AC use increases fuel consumption by 5-10% โ€” consider windows at low speeds.
  • โœ“Track your actual fuel consumption over time for more accurate trip estimates.

Common Use Cases

  • โ€ขPlanning road trip budgets before traveling
  • โ€ขComparing fuel costs between vehicles when car shopping
  • โ€ขCalculating daily commute costs for budgeting
  • โ€ขEstimating delivery or business travel fuel expenses
  • โ€ขComparing driving costs vs flying or train for trips

Frequently Asked Questions

Divide your trip distance by your fuel efficiency (MPG) to get gallons needed, then multiply by the fuel price per gallon. For metric: multiply L/100km by distance/100 to get litres needed, then multiply by price per litre. Example: 500 miles at 30 MPG at $3.50/gal = 16.67 gallons ร— $3.50 = $58.33.

US gallons (3.785 litres) are smaller than UK/Imperial gallons (4.546 litres). So the same car gets a higher MPG number in UK measurements. A car rated 30 US MPG is about 36 UK MPG. Always check which gallon standard is being used.

Litres per 100 kilometres is the metric fuel efficiency standard used in Europe, Australia, Canada, and most of the world. Lower is better โ€” a car using 6 L/100km is more efficient than one using 10 L/100km. To convert from US MPG: L/100km = 235.215 / MPG.

US average for new cars is about 25-30 MPG. Compact cars get 30-40 MPG, SUVs 20-28 MPG, trucks 15-22 MPG. Hybrids achieve 45-55 MPG. Electric vehicles use kWh instead of gallons โ€” roughly equivalent to 100+ MPGe.

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