Common real-world scenarios where this tool saves time.
Estimate fuel costs before a long road trip to budget accurately and compare the cost of driving versus flying or renting a more fuel-efficient car.
Calculate the monthly fuel spend for your commute — multiply the one-way cost by working days to see annual commuting expenses and compare to public transport.
Run the same trip through a 25 MPG SUV and a 40 MPG hybrid to see the annual fuel savings of a more efficient car at your typical mileage.
Estimate fuel costs per route for small business deliveries or fleet management, factoring in diesel price vs. petrol differentials.
Input
Distance: 250 miles each way (round trip: 500 miles) · 28 MPG · $3.45/gallonOutput
Fuel needed: 17.9 gallons · Total cost: $61.63500 miles ÷ 28 MPG = 17.86 gallons × $3.45 = $61.60. Add a 10% buffer for hills and traffic: ~$67.80 budgeted.
Input
Distance: 800 km one way · 6.5 L/100km · €1.75/literOutput
Fuel needed: 52 liters · Total cost: €91.00800 km × (6.5 ÷ 100) = 52 liters × €1.75 = €91.00 one way. The metric formula is: liters = km × L/100km ÷ 100.
Typical EPA combined fuel economy for common vehicle classes.
| Vehicle type | Typical MPG (combined) | Equivalent L/100km |
|---|---|---|
| Compact sedan | 30–38 MPG | 6.2–7.8 L/100km |
| Midsize sedan | 26–32 MPG | 7.4–9.1 L/100km |
| SUV (standard) | 20–28 MPG | 8.4–11.8 L/100km |
| Truck / pickup | 17–23 MPG | 10.2–13.8 L/100km |
| Hybrid sedan | 40–58 MPG | 4.1–5.9 L/100km |
| Plug-in hybrid | 30–45 MPG (gas mode) | 5.2–7.8 L/100km |
Look up your exact model at fueleconomy.gov for accurate figures — trim level and drivetrain significantly affect real-world efficiency.
Choose MPG (miles per gallon, US imperial) or L/100km (metric). The calculator uses the correct formula for each unit — do not mix units.
Type the one-way distance in miles (for MPG) or kilometers (for L/100km). For a round trip, enable the round-trip option — the calculator will double the distance automatically.
Enter your vehicle's fuel economy. Check your car's display, window sticker, or look up your model's combined EPA rating. City driving typically delivers 10–20% fewer MPG than highway estimates.
Use the current pump price in your area — per gallon for MPG mode, per liter for L/100km mode. Check GasBuddy, GasPrices.com, or your country's fuel price tracker for current rates.
The results show total fuel volume needed, total cost, and cost per mile or per km. Use the optional buffer field to add 5–10% for city traffic, hills, or AC.
Advertisement
Divide your trip distance by your vehicle's fuel efficiency (MPG or km/L) to get gallons or liters needed, then multiply by the current pump price. Example: 400 miles ÷ 32 MPG = 12.5 gallons × $3.60 = $45.00 one way. Enable round trip to double the distance automatically.
MPG (miles per gallon) measures how far you travel per unit of fuel — higher is better. L/100km (liters per 100 kilometers) measures how much fuel you use per unit of distance — lower is better. To convert: L/100km = 235.21 ÷ MPG. For example, 30 MPG ≈ 7.84 L/100km.
Fuel economy varies by driving style, speed, load, tire pressure, AC use, and road conditions. EPA/official ratings are measured on standardized test cycles. City driving typically reduces efficiency by 15–25% versus highway. Heavy traffic, hills, cold weather, and loaded cargo all reduce MPG. Add a 5–10% buffer to compensate.
Check your car's trip computer (most modern vehicles display instantaneous and average MPG), the original window sticker, or look up your make, model, and year at fueleconomy.gov (US) or the equivalent in your country. The combined (city/highway mix) EPA rating is a reasonable estimate for mixed driving.
Yes — the formula is identical. Enter your diesel fuel price per gallon or liter, your vehicle's diesel MPG or L/100km, and the distance. The tool works for any fuel type as long as you use the correct efficiency and current pump price for that fuel.
At average US values in 2026 (~$3.50/gallon, ~30 MPG): 500 ÷ 30 = 16.7 gallons × $3.50 = $58.30 one way ($116.60 round trip). At 25 MPG: $70 one way. The cost is highly sensitive to fuel efficiency — improving from 20 to 30 MPG reduces fuel cost by 33%.
This calculator is designed for liquid fuel (gasoline and diesel) using MPG or L/100km. For EVs, you would use kWh/100km or MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) and cost per kWh — the math is the same structure but requires different inputs. Use a dedicated EV range and cost calculator for electricity-based estimates.
All fuel cost calculations run in your browser — distance and price inputs are not uploaded to EverydayTools servers.
Estimates only — actual fuel costs vary by driving conditions, speed, load, climate, and vehicle condition. Financial results are estimates for planning only — not tax, legal, or investment advice. Verify with your employer, institution, or a qualified professional.
Advertisement
Reviewed by EverydayTools Editorial Team on 2026-06-08.
Same workflow or intent — pick the next step without leaving the site.
Free electricity cost calculator: kWh = (watts ÷ 1000) × hours; cost = kWh × your $/kWh rate—stack appliances, peak/off-peak. Runs in your browser, no signup.
Age gap or date duration in years, months, and days. Two modes, timeline, presets, copy & share—free, runs locally in your browser.
Free average calculator: arithmetic mean, sum, count, min, max, and range from pasted lists—grades, budgets, or datasets. Private, instant, no signup. Runs locally in your browser when supported—no upload required for normal use.
Estimate bi-weekly gross and net pay from hourly rate, hours, overtime 1.5×/2×, and tax %. No upload—runs in your browser. Planning only, not official withholding.
Calculate BMI from height and weight using metric or imperial units. See BMI category ranges and use it as a quick screening estimate. Runs locally in your browser when supported—no upload required for normal use.
Estimate body fat % with US Navy waist/neck/hip measurements or BMI method. Runs locally in your browser—never uploaded. Free for men and women.
Frequently opened tools from the same category.
Calculate BMI from height and weight using metric or imperial units. See BMI category ranges and use it as a quick screening estimate. Runs locally in your browser when supported—no upload required for normal use.
Estimate daily calories using the Mifflin-St Jeor BMR formula and TDEE activity multipliers for maintenance, weight loss, or weight gain. Runs locally in your browser when supported—no upload required for normal use.
Free tip calculator — find tip amount, bill + tip total, and per-person share. Presets for common percentages (10%, 15%, 20%), custom %, and equal split. Runs in your browser. No signup.
What is 20% of 500? Percent increase, decrease, difference, reverse %, markup & margin—runs locally in your browser, no upload. Copy results or share a link.
Cross-category tools others open in the same session.
Free JSON formatter — paste minified or messy JSON and instantly get beautified, indented output with syntax highlighting and error detection. Browser-based, no server upload. Runs locally in your browser when supported—no upload required for normal use.
Compress JPG, PNG & WebP in your browser—up to 80% smaller, batch 25 files, 50/100/200 KB presets. Files stay on your device. No signup.
Free PDF merger — combine multiple PDF files into one document. Drag to reorder files, preview pages, and download the merged PDF instantly. No signup, fully browser-based. Runs locally in your browser when supported—no upload required for normal use.
Instantly count words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, and reading time. Great for essays, articles, and SEO writing. No signup — works as you type. Runs locally in your browser when supported—no upload required for normal use.
Guides and walkthroughs that reference this tool.
10 free browser calculators: BMI, tip, discount, overtime, GPA, compound interest. No upload—runs locally. No signup.
2026 roundup of BMI calculators—EverydayTools, CDC, NIH, Healthline, and Calculator.net compared on accuracy, privacy, units, and clinical context.
Browse full tool collections by topic.
One-way distance — check round trip below to double it.
EPA combined rating or your long-term average.
Quick trips
Typical efficiency