Fuel Cost Calculator

How to calculate the fuel cost of a trip

To calculate fuel cost, convert your fuel efficiency to liters per 100 km, multiply by the distance to get total fuel used, then multiply by the price per liter. Example: at 8 L/100km over 500 km you use 40 liters, which costs $60.00 at $1.50 per liter.

How do I calculate the fuel cost of a trip?

Convert your vehicle's fuel efficiency to liters per 100 km, multiply that by the distance in km to get the total liters needed, then multiply by the price per liter. Example: a 500 km trip at 8 L/100km uses 40 liters, which costs $60.00 at $1.50 per liter.

Steps to calculate trip fuel cost

1. Enter the distance you'll drive, choosing kilometers or miles.
2. Enter your vehicle's fuel efficiency in whichever unit your car's manual or dashboard shows: L/100km, km/L, MPG (US) or MPG (UK).
3. Enter the fuel price per liter, per US gallon, or per UK gallon — use whatever price you actually pay at the pump.
4. The calculator converts everything to liters per 100 km internally, then multiplies by distance to get total fuel used.
5. Total fuel used is multiplied by the price per liter to get total cost, plus cost per km, cost per mile, and cost per passenger if you're splitting the trip.

Formula

• Fuel efficiency = how much fuel your vehicle uses, converted internally to liters per 100 km regardless of the unit you entered
• Distance = the trip length, converted to kilometers if you entered miles
• Price per liter = the fuel price you entered, converted to a per-liter rate if you entered a per-gallon price

Example fuel cost calculations

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between L/100km and km/L?

L/100km tells you how many liters your car burns to travel 100 kilometers — a lower number means better efficiency. km/L tells you how many kilometers you travel per liter — a higher number means better efficiency. The two are inverses of each other: km/L = 100 / (L/100km).

How do I convert MPG (US) to L/100km?

Divide 235.21 by the MPG (US) figure. For example, 30 MPG (US) is roughly 235.21 / 30 = 7.84 L/100km. UK gallons are larger than US gallons, so MPG (UK) uses a different constant (282.48) and is not directly comparable to MPG (US) without converting first.

Why does the calculator ask for the number of passengers?

If you're splitting a trip's fuel cost with other people — a carpool or a road trip — dividing the total cost by the number of passengers gives an equal per-person share, assuming everyone contributes the same amount regardless of who is driving.

Does this include tolls, parking or vehicle wear?

No. This calculator only estimates fuel cost from distance, efficiency and fuel price. It does not include tolls, parking, insurance, maintenance or depreciation, which can add significantly to the real cost of a trip.

This calculator assumes constant fuel efficiency for the whole trip. Real-world consumption varies with speed, traffic, terrain, cargo load and driving style, so actual fuel use and cost may differ from the estimate.