Estimate how much fuel a trip will use and its total cost based on distance, your vehicle's mpg, and the current fuel price.
Enter your trip distance, your vehicle's fuel efficiency in miles per gallon, and the current price of fuel. Click "Calculate Fuel Cost" to see how much fuel you'll use, the total cost, and the cost per mile.
Fuel needed = trip distance ÷ fuel efficiency (mpg). Total cost = fuel needed × price per gallon. Cost per mile = total cost ÷ trip distance.
A 300-mile trip in a car that gets 28 mpg, with fuel priced at $3.50 per gallon, needs about 10.7 gallons of fuel, costing roughly $37.50 total, or about $0.125 per mile.
Where can I find my car's mpg rating? Check your vehicle's window sticker, owner's manual, or track it yourself by dividing miles driven by gallons used over a full tank.
Does this account for city vs. highway driving? No, it uses a single average mpg figure; for more precision, use your vehicle's combined fuel economy rating or your own recent average.
It divides trip distance by your vehicle's fuel efficiency (mpg or L/100km) to get fuel needed, then multiplies by the price per gallon or liter.
Check your owner's manual for the EPA/manufacturer rating, or calculate your own average from recent fill-ups (miles driven ÷ gallons used).
Only if you enter the appropriate mpg figure for your driving conditions — highway and city fuel efficiency often differ meaningfully for the same vehicle.