FinanceCalculator4 parts · 1 min
Fuel cost calculator
Estimate the fuel cost of a drive from the miles, the miles per gallon, and the price per gallon.
The answer
Gallons = miles ÷ miles per gallon. Cost = gallons × price per gallon. A 120-mile trip at 25 miles per gallon uses 4.8 gallons.
How this works
Divide the miles by the miles per gallon to get gallons. Multiply gallons by the price per gallon. A stop that adds miles belongs in the mile count. A different vehicle belongs in the miles-per-gallon field.
This is the fuel, not tolls, parking, or a rental fee. If the pump price changes, change that input. The old total is not the new trip.
Examples
120 miles, 25 mpg, $3.50 a gallon
4.8 gallons. $16.80.
Common mistakes
- Using kilometers with a miles-per-gallon figure.
- Forgetting a return trip and pricing only one way.
Questions
Does this include the drive back?
Only if you include those miles. Double the one-way distance when the trip returns to the start.