Fuel Cost Calculator
Estimate the gas cost for any trip — road trip, commute, or carpool. Round trip + per-person split + cost per mile.
Total fuel cost
The fuel-cost formula
US: (distance in miles ÷ MPG) × price per gallon. Metric: (distance in km ÷ 100) × L/100km × price per liter. That's the entire calculation. Everything else is unit conversions.
The trick: real-world fuel economy often differs from EPA-rated MPG. Highway driving at steady speed usually meets or beats EPA estimates. Stop-and-go city driving typically misses by 10–20%. Cold weather, tire pressure, cargo load, and aggressive driving all reduce efficiency. For trip planning, use rated MPG; for actual budgeting, track your last few full tanks (miles ÷ gallons) to get your true MPG.
Vehicle classes and typical MPG
- Subcompact / compact (Civic, Corolla, Sentra): 30–40 MPG combined.
- Midsize sedan (Camry, Accord, Altima): 28–35 MPG combined.
- Small SUV / crossover (CR-V, RAV4, Rogue): 26–32 MPG combined.
- Midsize SUV (Pilot, Highlander, Explorer): 22–28 MPG combined.
- Large SUV (Tahoe, Suburban, Expedition): 16–22 MPG combined.
- Pickup truck (F-150, Silverado, Ram): 15–22 MPG combined (varies wildly by engine).
- Sports car (Corvette, Mustang GT): 18–25 MPG combined.
- Hybrid sedan (Prius, Camry Hybrid): 45–55+ MPG combined.
- Plug-in hybrid (PHEV): 40–50 MPG when running on gas; effectively much cheaper if charged.
- Battery EV: rated in MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent), typically 100–130 MPGe. Real cost is the electricity, not gallons.
EVs vs gas cars: per-mile cost comparison
Apples-to-apples per-mile fuel cost (US, 2026 average prices):
- Big SUV (18 MPG, $3.50/gal): $0.194/mile fuel cost.
- Midsize sedan (30 MPG, $3.50/gal): $0.117/mile.
- Hybrid (50 MPG, $3.50/gal): $0.070/mile.
- EV (3.3 mi/kWh, $0.15/kWh home charging): $0.045/mile.
- EV on DC fast charging ($0.40/kWh): $0.121/mile — nearly the same as a midsize sedan.
EV economics depend heavily on charging mostly at home. Road-trip charging via DC fast networks (Supercharger, Electrify America) costs 2–3× home charging.
Other trip costs to add
Fuel is only the most visible cost. The IRS standard mileage rate (67 cents per mile for business in 2024) reflects total operating cost: fuel, maintenance, tires, depreciation, insurance, registration. For a true cost comparison vs. flying or renting:
- Tolls — variable. Northeast / California turnpikes can add $20–50 to a long trip.
- Parking — overnight in cities: $25–60. Free at most rural and suburban destinations.
- Wear and tear — tires (~$0.02–0.04/mile), brakes, oil changes, occasional bigger items. ~$0.10/mile blended cost for most cars.
- Depreciation — your car loses value with miles. Roughly $0.10–0.20/mile for non-luxury cars.
How to actually save fuel
Most-effective fuel-saving habits, in order of impact:
- Slow down on the highway — drag rises with the square of speed. 75 mph uses ~25% more fuel than 65 mph for the same distance.
- Remove roof racks, cargo boxes, kayaks when not in use — boxy attachments cost 10–25% MPG at highway speeds.
- Keep tires properly inflated — under-inflated by 5 PSI costs ~3% MPG. Check monthly.
- Avoid hard acceleration and braking — costs 15–30% in stop-and-go traffic.
- Use cruise control on flat highways — small improvement (1–3%).
- Shop fuel prices — apps like GasBuddy show prices along your route. Don't drive 10 miles out of the way for $0.10/gal cheaper — do the math first.
- Skip premium gas if your car doesn't require it. The owner's manual specifies. Most non-luxury cars don't benefit.