Accurately calculate your vehicle’s gasoline or petrol expenses for any journey. Includes live regional fuel prices, vehicle MPG benchmarks, toll estimates, and passenger expense splitting.
The universal formula to work out driving fuel costs:
Metric equivalent: (Distance in Kilometers ÷ 100) × (Liters per 100km) × Price per Liter
| Road Trip Route | Distance | Primary Highway | Est. Driving Time | Typical Fuel Cost (Sedan) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles to Las Vegas Fuel Cost & Road Trip Guide | 270 mi (435 km) | I-15 North (Mojave Freeway) | 4h 15m | ~$38.5 USD |
| New York City to Washington D.C. Driving & Gas Cost | 225 mi (362 km) | I-95 South & NJ Turnpike | 4h 30m | ~$26.8 USD |
| London to Edinburgh Driving Cost: Petrol, Distance & Stops | 400 mi (644 km) | A1(M) & A68 Scenic / M6 North | 7h 15m | ~$91 USD |
| Route 66 Full Road Trip Gas Calculator (Chicago to Santa Monica) | 2448 mi (3940 km) | Historic Route 66 / I-40 / I-55 | 36h (10-14 days) | ~$285 USD |
| Miami to Orlando Road Trip Gas & Toll Cost Guide | 235 mi (378 km) | Florida’s Turnpike / I-95 North | 3h 45m | ~$25.6 USD |
| San Francisco to Los Angeles Drive: Fuel Cost & Route Comparison | 382 mi (615 km) | Interstate 5 South or US-101 / Highway 1 | 5h 45m (I-5) / 9h (PCH) | ~$60.5 USD |
| Sydney to Melbourne Road Trip Fuel Cost & Travel Budget | 545 mi (878 km) | M31 Hume Highway | 9h 00m | ~$88 USD |
| Munich to Vienna Alpine Driving Cost: Fuel, Vignette & Tolls | 270 mi (435 km) | A8 (Germany) & A1 West Autobahn (Austria) | 4h 30m | ~$65 USD |
| Calgary to Banff & Lake Louise Fuel Cost & Highway 1 Guide | 80 mi (128 km) | Trans-Canada Highway 1 West | 1h 25m | ~$12 USD |
| Dubai to Abu Dhabi Fuel & Salik Toll Cost Guide | 87 mi (140 km) | E11 Sheikh Zayed Road | 1h 20m | ~$9.1 USD |
| Vehicle Category | Combined MPG (US) | Metric (L/100km) | Cost per 100 Miles ($3.45/gal) | Cost per 500-Mile Trip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compact Car | 34 MPG | 6.9 L/100km | $10.15 | $50.74 |
| Midsize Sedan | 30 MPG | 7.8 L/100km | $11.50 | $57.50 |
| Compact SUV / Crossover | 27 MPG | 8.7 L/100km | $12.78 | $63.89 |
| Large SUV / Minivan | 19 MPG | 12.4 L/100km | $18.16 | $90.79 |
| Pickup Truck | 18 MPG | 13.1 L/100km | $19.17 | $95.83 |
| Hybrid Vehicle | 52 MPG | 4.5 L/100km | $6.63 | $33.17 |
| Electric Vehicle (EV Equiv) | 112 MPG | 2.1 L/100km | $3.08 | $15.40 |
| Touring Motorcycle | 48 MPG | 4.9 L/100km | $7.19 | $35.94 |
The mathematical formula is: Fuel Cost = (Distance ÷ MPG) × Price Per Gallon. In metric countries, the formula is: Fuel Cost = (Distance in km ÷ 100) × (Liters per 100km) × Price Per Liter. For example, driving 300 miles in a car that gets 30 MPG with gas at $3.50/gal requires 10 gallons of fuel, totaling $35.00.
At an average US gasoline price of $3.45/gallon, a compact sedan getting 34 MPG costs roughly $0.10 per mile in fuel. A midsize crossover getting 27 MPG costs approximately $0.13 per mile, while a full-size SUV or truck getting 18 MPG costs about $0.19 per mile. In European countries with higher petrol taxes, fuel costs typically range from €0.12 to €0.22 per kilometer ($0.21 to $0.38 per mile).
For a 500-mile road trip, a standard midsize car (30 MPG) consumes ~16.7 gallons of gas ($57 at $3.45/gal). A large SUV (19 MPG) consumes ~26.3 gallons ($91). For a 1,000-mile road trip, a midsize car uses ~33.3 gallons ($115), and a large SUV requires ~52.6 gallons ($182). Double these amounts for a round-trip.
Driving is almost always cheaper for families and groups of 2 or more travelers because driving costs (gas, tolls, parking) remain fixed regardless of how many passengers are in the car. For a solo traveler on a long-distance trip (over 600 miles), budget airlines are often cheaper and save 10+ hours of transit time when factoring in fuel, meals on the road, and lodging.
To split gas fairly, take the total fuel receipts (or total fuel calculated by this tool) plus highway tolls, and divide by the total number of travelers. Our Fuel Cost Calculator includes a built-in passenger splitter that computes the exact cost per person in real-time as you adjust distance, efficiency, and fuel prices.
Like AAA and GasBuddy, our calculator computes accurate fuel usage based on vehicle class and distance. Unlike older calculators, CostOfTrip offers instant dual unit switching (US Imperial and Metric), group passenger cost splitting, real-time regional fuel benchmarks, road trip route guides, and carbon footprint estimates with zero intrusive ads or account sign-up requirements.
1) Maintain steady speeds: Cruising at 65 mph instead of 80 mph improves fuel efficiency by 15–20%. 2) Check tire pressure: Under-inflated tires increase rolling resistance and waste up to 3% of fuel. 3) Remove rooftop cargo carriers when not in use to eliminate aerodynamic drag. 4) Use cruise control on flat highway stretches to avoid unnecessary acceleration spikes.
Customize vehicle MPG, select route distances, split expenses across passengers, and calculate highway tolls.
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