Fuel Cost Calculator: Trip, Commute & Car vs EV

Trip fuel cost with multiple stops, round trip, tolls, parking, passengers and fuel stops; commute cost per year; petrol vs diesel vs EV comparison; and real fuel economy from your fill-up, in MPG, km/L or L/100km.

Built and maintained by Shehzad Munir ·

Fuel & Trip Cost Calculator
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<a href="https://www.toolnova.org/utilities/fuel-trip-cost-calculator">Fuel &amp; Trip Cost Calculator</a> by ToolNova

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ToolNova. (2026, October 5). Fuel & Trip Cost Calculator [Online tool]. https://www.toolnova.org/utilities/fuel-trip-cost-calculator

MLA

“Fuel & Trip Cost Calculator.” ToolNova, 5 Oct. 2026, www.toolnova.org/utilities/fuel-trip-cost-calculator.

Estimate the fuel cost of any trip

Plan a road trip with several stops and see fuel, tolls and cost per person. Switch to commute mode to see what driving to work costs each year, compare up to six vehicles including electric cars, or calculate your real fuel economy from a fill-up.

Enter the distance, your vehicle's fuel economy, and the current fuel price, and get the total cost for the journey, one way or round trip. It's the quick check before a road trip, a commute comparison, or splitting fuel fairly between passengers.

Features

  • Multi-stop trips, round trip, tolls, parking and passengers
  • Fuel stops and full-tank range
  • MPG (US/UK), km/L and L/100km, miles or km, litres or gallons
  • Commute cost per day, week, month and year
  • Car vs EV comparison with kWh/100 km
  • Real fuel economy from a fill-up
  • CO₂ emissions and fuel price sensitivity table

How to use Fuel & Trip Cost Calculator

  1. 1

    Pick a mode

    Trip, Commute, Compare or My MPG.

  2. 2

    Enter distance and economy

    Add stops, choose units and your car's economy.

  3. 3

    Add the costs

    Fuel price, tolls, parking and people sharing.

  4. 4

    Compare or refine

    Compare vehicles or measure your real economy and use it for the trip.

Common use cases

  • A road-tripper budgets fuel before setting off.
  • Carpoolers split fuel costs fairly per person.
  • A commuter works out a monthly driving cost.
  • A driver compares two routes by fuel expense.

Detailed guide

Compare routes, cars, and carpooling

Change the economy figure to compare two vehicles, or the distance to weigh a shorter toll route against a longer free one. The maths is distance ÷ economy × price, but running it for real trips, and dividing by the number of people sharing, is where the calculator saves you the effort.

The formulas for each unit

With miles per gallon, fuel cost equals distance divided by MPG multiplied by the price per gallon: 300 miles at 30 MPG and $3.50 a gallon is 10 gallons, or $35. With litres per 100 km, multiply the distance by the consumption and divide by 100, then multiply by the price per litre: 500 km at 7 L/100 km and €1.80 a litre is 35 litres, or €63. For km per litre, divide distance by km/L. Note that US and UK gallons differ: a UK gallon is about 4.55 litres versus 3.79 in the US, so UK MPG figures are higher.

Why real costs often run higher

Official fuel economy figures come from lab tests and are often optimistic. Motorway driving at high speed, heavy loads, roof boxes, air conditioning, cold weather and stop-start city traffic can all raise consumption by 10-30%. For a safer budget, use your car's real average from its trip computer or a recent fill-up, and add a small buffer for detours. When sharing costs, splitting fuel evenly is common, but some groups also add a share for tolls, parking and wear on the car, which can cost more per mile than the fuel itself.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate my car's real fuel economy?

Fill the tank, reset the trip meter, drive, then fill up again. Enter the distance and the fuel added in My MPG mode.

Is an electric car cheaper to run?

Usually. At 17 kWh/100 km and 0.20 per kWh an EV costs about 3.40 per 100 km, versus about 10.40 for a petrol car at 6.5 L/100 km and 1.60 per litre. Compare mode does this with your numbers.

How do I calculate the fuel cost of a trip?

Divide the trip distance by your vehicle's fuel economy to get the fuel used, then multiply by the fuel price. For example, 300 miles ÷ 30 MPG = 10 gallons; at $3.50/gallon that's $35. This tool handles MPG, km/L, and L/100km automatically.

What's the difference between MPG, km/L, and L/100km?

MPG (miles per gallon) and km/L (kilometers per litre) measure distance per unit of fuel, higher is better. L/100km measures fuel per 100 km, lower is better. Pick the one on your dashboard and enter distance in the matching unit.

Can I split the cost between passengers?

Yes. Enter the number of people and the calculator divides the total fuel cost evenly, so everyone knows their share for a carpool or road trip.

Is my trip data saved?

No. All calculations happen locally in your browser and nothing is uploaded or stored.

How much will gas cost for my trip?

Cost = (distance / fuel economy) x fuel price. A 300-mile trip at 30 mpg with gas at $3.50 costs (300/30) x 3.50 = $35. Enter distance, mpg (or L/100km) and price to get the total.

How do I split fuel costs for a road trip?

After the total fuel cost, enter the number of people to divide it evenly, so everyone pays their fair share of the gas money.

What is my fuel cost per mile or per km?

Cost per mile = fuel price / mpg. At $3.50 and 25 mpg that is $0.14 per mile. The calculator supports both mpg and L/100km.

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