Calculate gas expenses for road trips, daily commutes, or yearly driving costs. Plan your travel budget with precision.
Planning a road trip or calculating your daily commute costs? This calculator helps you estimate fuel expenses with precision. Simply enter your trip distance, your vehicle's fuel efficiency (MPG or L/100km), and current gas prices. The calculator instantly shows your total fuel cost, gallons/liters needed, and cost per mile or kilometer.
Most common in the United States. Represents how many miles your vehicle travels on one gallon of gasoline. Higher MPG = better fuel economy. Average car: 25-30 MPG. Hybrids: 50+ MPG. Trucks/SUVs: 18-25 MPG.
Used in Europe and most countries worldwide. Shows how many liters needed to drive 100 kilometers. Lower L/100km = better fuel economy (opposite of MPG). Average car: 6-8 L/100km. Conversion: MPG to L/100km ≈ 235 ÷ MPG.
Common in Asia, Australia, and parts of South America. Similar concept to MPG but using metric units. Higher km/L = better economy. Average car: 12-15 km/L. Conversion: 1 km/L ≈ 2.35 MPG.
Budgeting a cross-country adventure? Calculate total fuel costs before departure. Example: 1,200-mile trip, 28 MPG car, $3.50/gallon gas = $150 in fuel. Add 10-15% buffer for detours, AC usage, and highway vs city driving differences. Split costs among passengers for accurate per-person expenses.
Estimate monthly and yearly commuting expenses. Example: 30-mile round trip daily commute, 22 workdays/month, 25 MPG vehicle, $3.50/gallon = (30 × 22 ÷ 25) × $3.50 = $92.40/month or $1,109/year. Use this to evaluate if remote work, carpooling, or relocating makes financial sense.
Compare fuel costs between vehicles you're considering. Example: SUV at 20 MPG vs sedan at 32 MPG for 15,000 miles/year at $3.50/gallon. SUV: $2,625/year. Sedan: $1,641/year. Savings: $984 annually. Over 5-year ownership: $4,920 saved with efficient car—often offsets higher purchase price.
Rideshare drivers must track fuel as business expense. If you drive 500 miles/week at 28 MPG with $3.50/gallon gas: $62.50/week in fuel or $3,250/year. Essential for tax deductions and understanding true hourly earnings after expenses.
Factor in fuel costs when moving long distances. Towing a trailer significantly reduces MPG (often 50% decrease). Example: 800-mile move, normally 25 MPG but 12 MPG towing, $3.50/gallon = $233 fuel cost one-way. Plan gas station stops—trucks with trailers need truck diesel pumps.
Calculate fair reimbursement for employees using personal vehicles. IRS mileage rate (67 cents/mile in 2024) covers fuel, maintenance, and depreciation. Compare actual fuel cost to reimbursement. 100-mile business trip in 30 MPG car at $3.50/gallon: $11.67 fuel cost but $67 reimbursement.
City vs Highway: City driving uses 20-30% more fuel due to stop-and-go traffic. Highway cruising at steady speeds maximizes efficiency. Your 28 MPG rating might be 24 MPG city, 34 MPG highway.
Traffic Congestion: Rush hour idling drastically reduces MPG. A normally efficient hybrid that gets 50 MPG highway might drop to 35 MPG in heavy traffic.
Weather Impact: Cold weather reduces fuel economy 15-20% (engine takes longer to reach optimal temperature). Summer AC use decreases MPG by 10-15%. Headwinds and mountain driving also reduce efficiency.
Weight Penalty: Every 100 pounds reduces MPG by 1-2%. Roof racks create drag (5-10% MPG loss). Remove unnecessary cargo between trips.
Tire Pressure: Under-inflated tires reduce MPG by 0.2% per PSI below optimal. Check monthly. Properly inflated tires improve handling and extend tire life.
Engine Maintenance: Dirty air filters reduce efficiency 10%. Old spark plugs, wrong oil viscosity, and engine problems all decrease MPG. Regular tune-ups maintain rated fuel economy.
Aggressive Driving: Rapid acceleration and hard braking reduce MPG by 15-30%. Smooth, gradual inputs maximize efficiency.
Speed: Every 5 MPH over 50 MPH reduces fuel economy. Going 75 MPH instead of 65 MPH increases fuel cost by 15-20%. Use cruise control on highways.
Idling: Modern cars don't need "warm up" time. Idling gets 0 MPG. Turn off engine for stops over 30 seconds (trains, long drive-throughs).
Prices typically peak in summer (May-September) due to increased demand and more expensive summer-blend gasoline required by EPA. Lowest prices usually occur in winter (January-February). Holiday weekends see price spikes. Fill up mid-week (Tuesday/Wednesday) when prices are typically lowest.
Price Apps: Use GasBuddy, Waze, or AAA to find cheapest stations nearby. Prices vary 20-40 cents/gallon within same area.
Warehouse Clubs: Costco, Sam's Club, and BJ's often have gas 15-30 cents cheaper than retail stations. Membership pays for itself with regular fill-ups.
Rewards Programs: Grocery store fuel rewards (Kroger, Safeway) offer 10-50 cents/gallon discounts. Credit card cash back: 3-5% on gas purchases adds up over time.
Avoid Highway/Convenience Stations: Gas near highways and in remote areas costs 20-50 cents more per gallon. Fill up in suburbs before road trips.
Carpooling: Sharing commute with one other person cuts fuel costs in half. Four-person carpool reduces individual cost by 75%.
Trip Consolidation: Combine errands into one trip. Multiple short trips from cold starts use more fuel than one longer continuous trip.
Work From Home: If you commute 50 miles daily with 25 MPG at $3.50/gallon: $350/month saved per WFH day. Even one day/week = $1,820/year savings.
Public Transportation: Compare fuel costs to bus/train passes. Monthly pass: $80-120. Monthly fuel for same commute might be $150-250.
Hybrids excel in city driving with regenerative braking. Example comparison for 15,000 annual miles at $3.50/gallon:
Regular sedan (28 MPG): $1,875/year
Hybrid sedan (52 MPG): $1,010/year
Annual savings: $865. Over 5 years: $4,325 saved (often offsets $2,000-3,000 hybrid premium).
EVs use kilowatt-hours (kWh) instead of gallons. Average EV efficiency: 3-4 miles per kWh. Electricity cost: $0.12-0.15/kWh national average.
Example: 15,000 miles in EV at 3.5 miles/kWh, $0.13/kWh = $557/year
Gas car comparison (28 MPG, $3.50/gallon): $1,875/year
EV savings: $1,318 annually. Charging at home overnight with off-peak rates can reduce costs to $0.08/kWh ($343/year).
PHEVs offer 25-50 mile electric range for daily commutes plus gas engine for long trips. If your commute is under electric range, gas expenses approach zero except for road trips. Example: 30-mile daily commute on electric ($1.50/day) + occasional gas for 2,000 miles/year road trips ($250) = $800/year total vs $2,000+ for gas-only vehicle.
Check the door jamb sticker (driver's side door), owner's manual, or visit fueleconomy.gov and enter your year/make/model. Modern cars display real-time MPG on dashboard. For older vehicles, calculate manually: fill tank, record odometer, drive until next fill-up, divide miles driven by gallons added.
EPA tests use ideal conditions: flat terrain, moderate temperature, no AC, gentle acceleration. Real-world driving includes hills, weather extremes, traffic, AC usage, and cargo weight. Expect 10-25% lower than EPA rating. Aggressive driving can reduce MPG by 30%+.
Only if your car requires premium (owner's manual specifies). Using premium in a regular-gas car provides zero MPG benefit—waste of 50-70 cents/gallon. If manual says "premium recommended" (not required), regular is fine. "Premium required" cars may knock, lose power, or damage engines with regular.
Air conditioning reduces MPG by 10-25% depending on temperature and fan speed. On highway, AC is more efficient than open windows (windows create drag). In city, cracking windows beats AC for fuel economy. Parking in shade and using vent mode reduces AC load.
Most modern gas contains adequate detergents. Top Tier gas (Chevron, Shell, Costco) has extra detergents that can improve MPG 2-3% in older engines with carbon buildup. Aftermarket additives rarely provide value exceeding their cost. Regular maintenance (clean air filter, good spark plugs) has bigger MPG impact.
Same calculator works for diesel—just enter diesel price and your truck's MPG. Diesels typically get 20-30% better MPG than gas equivalents but diesel fuel costs 20-40 cents more per gallon. Calculate both to compare total cost. Example: Diesel truck 28 MPG at $4.00/gallon vs gas truck 22 MPG at $3.50/gallon for 15,000 miles: diesel = $2,143/year, gas = $2,386/year. Diesel saves $243 annually.
Self-employed individuals can deduct vehicle expenses two ways:
Standard Mileage Rate (2024: $0.67/mile): Simple—multiply business miles by rate. Covers fuel, maintenance, depreciation, insurance. Can't deduct actual fuel costs separately.
Actual Expenses Method: Track all costs (fuel, repairs, insurance, depreciation) and deduct business-use percentage. Example: 60% business use = deduct 60% of all vehicle expenses. More complex but often higher deduction for expensive vehicles.
IRS requires detailed logs: date, destination, business purpose, miles driven. Apps like MileIQ, Stride, or Everlance automate tracking. Keep fuel receipts if using actual expense method. Business-use percentage requires total annual mileage documentation (business + personal).
Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and Instacart drivers are self-employed—vehicle expenses are deductible. Most use standard mileage rate. Track miles from accepting ride/order until drop-off. Dead miles (driving between rides) count as business miles. Gas receipts alone won't maximize deduction—mileage tracking yields bigger tax savings.
Fuel is a major ownership expense. Calculate before buying:
Scenario: 12,000 miles/year, 10-year ownership, $3.50/gallon average
Gas guzzler (18 MPG): 120,000 miles ÷ 18 MPG = 6,667 gallons × $3.50 = $23,333
Average car (28 MPG): 120,000 miles ÷ 28 MPG = 4,286 gallons × $3.50 = $15,000
Efficient car (40 MPG): 120,000 miles ÷ 40 MPG = 3,000 gallons × $3.50 = $10,500
Analysis: Efficient car saves $12,833 over guzzler, $4,500 over average. Often justifies paying $2,000-4,000 more upfront for better MPG.
Gas prices fluctuate dramatically—$2.00-5.00+ per gallon over past decade. Buying fuel-efficient vehicle or hybrid provides hedge against future price spikes. If gas reaches $5.00/gallon, that 18 MPG SUV costs $33,333 in fuel over 120,000 miles vs $15,000 for 40 MPG car—$18,333 difference.