Planning a road trip or just want to know what your commute really costs? Enter your distance, MPG, and gas price, and our free fuel cost calculator tells you exactly how much you'll spend on fuel. Works for cars, trucks, moving vans, and even motorcycles. No sign-up, no hassle, just accurate numbers.
How far are you going?
Your vehicle's fuel consumption rate
Current price at the pump
Enter your trip details and click calculate to see your estimated fuel cost
Use public transport to save up to 70% on fuel costs
Properly inflated tires improve mileage by 3%
Smooth driving saves 15-30% on highway fuel
It's an online tool that estimates the total cost of fuel for a trip. You give it three things:
Distance
How many miles (or kilometers) you're driving.
Fuel Efficiency
Your car's MPG (miles per gallon) or L/100km.
Fuel Price
The current price of gas or diesel per gallon or liter.
Then, it does the math. It tells you how many gallons you'll need and how much that will cost. Simple, right?
Let's walk through an example. Say you're driving from New York to Chicago. That's about 790 miles. Your car gets 25 miles per gallon. Gas is $3.50 per gallon.
Enter the distance: Type in 790 miles.
Enter your MPG: Type in 25.
Enter the gas price: Type in 3.50.
Click calculate. You'll need about 31.6 gallons = $110.60.
See? Easy. But here's a pro tip: always use your real-world MPG, not the sticker on the car. The EPA estimate is usually higher than what you actually get. Check your car's dashboard or track it over a few fill-ups.
Okay, so the calculator does the work. But it's good to know how it works. Here's the formula in plain English:
Divide the total distance by your car's MPG. This tells you how many gallons you'll need.
Multiply that number by the price per gallon. This gives you the total cost.
New York to Chicago example:
That's it. That's the whole formula. You could do it on a napkin if you wanted to. But the calculator is faster and less error-prone.
This is a huge point of confusion. You buy a car that says "30 MPG highway." But on your road trip, you're only getting 25. What gives? Here's the thing: the EPA tests cars in a lab. They drive on a machine, not a real road. Real-world driving has hills, traffic, wind, and you might have a heavy foot. All of that kills your MPG.
Other factors that lower your MPG:
So, when you use our fuel cost calculator, use a realistic MPG number. If you're not sure, use a number that's 10-15% lower than the EPA estimate. You'll get a more accurate result.
Planning a summer road trip from LA to San Francisco. Want to know gas costs so you can budget for hotels and food. Our calculator gives you that number in seconds.
You drive 50 miles round trip to work every day. Use the calculator with your daily distance and multiply by 20 workdays. You might be surprised at the monthly total.
Moving across the country in a 20-foot truck getting 8-10 MPG. Our calculator handles that — just enter the distance, MPG, and current diesel price.
Driving home for the holidays. Want to split gas with friends. Use the calculator to get the total, then divide by the number of people. Fair and square.
Mistake #1: Using the wrong MPG.
Don't use highway MPG if you're driving in the city. Use a blended number or the city MPG.
Mistake #2: Forgetting about traffic.
If driving through a big city, your MPG will drop. Add 10-20% to your fuel cost estimate.
Mistake #3: Using the wrong fuel price.
Gas prices vary by state and even by station. Use the price at the station you'll actually use.
Mistake #4: Not accounting for elevation.
Driving through mountains uses more gas. Your car works harder going uphill.
Mistake #5: Forgetting about the return trip.
If you're going somewhere and coming back, double the distance. Our calculator can handle round trips.
Once you see the number from our calculator, you might want to lower it. Here's how:
Drive slower. Every 5 mph you drop above 60 mph is like saving $0.20 per gallon.
Lighten your load. Remove unnecessary stuff from your trunk. Every 100 pounds reduces MPG by about 1%.
Check your tire pressure. Properly inflated tires can improve MPG by 3%.
Use cruise control. It maintains a constant speed, which saves gas.
Avoid idling. If you're stopped for more than a minute, turn off the engine.
Plan your route. Avoid traffic and construction. Use a GPS app that shows real-time traffic.
These small changes can add up to big savings. On a long trip, you could save $20 or more.
Did you know that gas prices have been a big deal for a long time? In the 1970s, there was an oil crisis. Prices shot up, and people waited in long lines at gas stations. It was a mess.
Today, prices are influenced by global events. Wars, natural disasters, and even the weather can affect the price of crude oil. That's why gas prices go up and down.
Here's a fun fact: the price of gas in the US is still lower than in many other countries. In Europe, gas can cost $6 or $7 per gallon because of taxes. So, next time you complain about $3.50 gas, remember it could be worse.
Cars
20-35 MPG
Use with your car's specific MPG.
Trucks & SUVs
15-25 MPG
Use more gas, so costs will be higher.
Motorcycles
40-60 MPG
Very fuel-efficient.
RVs & Moving Trucks
8-12 MPG
A cross-country move could cost hundreds.
Hybrids & Electric
40-60 MPG
For EVs, use an electricity cost calculator.
Problem: The cost is way higher than you expected.
Solution: Check your MPG. Are you using a realistic number? Also check the distance — did you accidentally enter 1000 miles instead of 100?
Problem: The cost is way lower than you expected.
Solution: You might be using an MPG that's too high. Or the gas price is too low. Use the current price at your local station.
Problem: The calculator says you need 0 gallons.
Solution: You probably entered 0 for the distance or MPG. Make sure all fields have numbers.
Problem: You're not sure what MPG to use for a rental car.
Solution: Look up the make and model online. Most rental companies list the MPG on their website. Or use a conservative estimate like 25 MPG for a mid-size car.
Use our fuel cost calculator. Enter the total distance, your car's MPG, and the current gas price. The calculator will tell you the total cost. For a round trip, double the distance.
The formula is: (Distance ÷ MPG) × Price per gallon. For example, 300 miles ÷ 25 MPG = 12 gallons. 12 gallons × $3.50 = $42.00.
Check your car's dashboard. Many cars show your average MPG. You can also calculate it by dividing the miles driven by the gallons used at a fill-up.
The EPA tests cars in a lab. Real-world driving has traffic, hills, and you might drive faster. All of these lower your MPG. Use a number 10-15% lower than the EPA estimate for a more accurate fuel cost.
Yes. Just enter the price of diesel instead of gasoline. The calculator works the same way.
Traffic lowers your MPG. If you expect heavy traffic, reduce your MPG by 10-20%. For example, if your car gets 25 MPG, use 20 MPG for the calculation.
It depends. Use our fuel cost calculator to get the driving cost. Then compare that to the cost of a plane ticket. Don't forget to add hotel costs if you need to stop overnight.
Moving trucks get very low MPG, usually 8-12 MPG. Enter the distance, the truck's MPG, and the fuel price. The result might surprise you. A cross-country move could cost $500 or more in fuel.
Popular apps include GasBuddy (finds cheapest gas near you), Fuelio (tracks MPG and expenses), and Drivvo (tracks fuel, maintenance, and costs). Many are free and sync across devices. For quick calculations, our online calculator works on any phone without downloading anything.
Divide the price per gallon by your MPG. If gas is $3.50/gallon and your car gets 25 MPG, you're spending about $0.14 per mile. A 100-mile trip costs roughly $14 in fuel.
Use our calculator with your total round-trip distance, realistic MPG, and average gas prices along your route. Add 10-15% extra for unexpected detours, idling, and price fluctuations. GasBuddy can help you plan fuel stops at the cheapest stations.
Only if your car requires it. For most vehicles, premium gas provides no benefit — it doesn't improve MPG or performance. Using premium in a car designed for regular is just wasting money. Check your owner's manual.
Walking, biking, buses, and trains don't consume your fuel. Public transport fuel costs are shared among all riders.
Sharing a ride splits fuel costs. Two people in one car is far more efficient than two separate vehicles.
Smaller cars use about half the fuel of large SUVs. Match engine size to your actual needs.
A tuned engine improves mileage by 4%. Fixing a faulty oxygen sensor can improve it by up to 40%.
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