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Trip fuel cost calculator

Enter the distance, your car's fuel use and today's price per litre to see the fuel and the cost, and the share per person.

Free · no signup Runs in your browser

Fuel cost—

    How do I calculate the fuel cost of a trip?

    Multiply the distance by your car's fuel use to get litres, then multiply the litres by the price per litre. A 600 km drive in a car that uses 8 litres per 100 km needs 600 × 8 ÷ 100 = 48 litres, which at $1.60 a litre costs $76.80. The calculator accepts kilometres or miles, and fuel use as litres per 100 km or as miles per gallon (US or imperial), and it can double the distance for a round trip and split the cost between riders.

    Finding your car's fuel use

    Your car's real fuel use is the number that matters, and it is usually different from the sticker. The figure on a Canadian fuel consumption label is a laboratory estimate in litres per 100 km for city and highway driving; real driving is often a little higher, especially in winter, at highway speeds above 110 km/h, with a loaded car or a roof box, and with the air conditioning on. The most reliable way to know it is to measure: fill the tank, reset the trip meter, drive normally, then fill up again; the litres you add divided by the kilometres driven, times 100, is your figure. Many cars show a running average on the dashboard, which is a good start.

    The price per litre is the other moving number. It changes daily, differs between provinces and between stations a few blocks apart, and the calculator has no price of its own, so enter what the pump near you shows. If your fuel use is in miles per gallon, say which gallon: the US gallon is 3.785 litres and the imperial gallon 4.546 litres, so the same figure means about 20% different fuel use. The converter treats them separately.

    It runs in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere, and there is no sign-up.

    Splitting the cost

    Fuel is only part of what a trip costs: wear on the tyres and brakes, oil changes, depreciation, parking, tolls and ferries all add to it. Many people compare the fuel cost per kilometre with the price of a bus or train ticket, and that comparison is fair only if you count the other costs too. The per-person figure is useful for sharing a carpool or a long drive with friends; agree on it before you set out. To compare the fuel use of different cars, or to convert between litres per 100 km and miles per gallon, see the L/100 km to mpg calculator.

    When to use it

    • Budgeting a road trip or a visit home
    • Splitting gas money with passengers
    • Comparing a drive with a train or flight
    • Working out the cost per kilometre of a commute

    Mistakes it helps you avoid

    • Using the sticker figure for winter or highway driving.
    • Forgetting the return trip.
    • Mixing US and imperial gallons.
    • Leaving out parking, tolls and wear.

    The formula

    How the answer is worked out.

    • litres per 100 km = your figure, or 235.214583 ÷ mpg (US), or 282.480936 ÷ mpg (imperial)
    • distance in km = distance (× 1.609344 if in miles; × 2 for a round trip)
    • fuel used (L) = km × litres per 100 km ÷ 100
    • cost = fuel used × price per litre; per person = cost ÷ people

    The constants are exact conversions from the US gallon (3.785411784 L), the imperial gallon (4.54609 L) and the mile (1.609344 km). The calculator does not know pump prices or your driving conditions; the result is only as good as the fuel use and price you enter.

    Example: 600 km at 8 L/100 km

    A one-way drive of 600 km, a car using 8 litres per 100 km and a price of $1.60 per litre.

    1. Fuel600 × 8 ÷ 100 = 48 L
    2. Cost48 × $1.60 = $76.80
    3. Round trip$153.60

    $76.80 one way, $153.60 return

    Split between 3 riders: $25.60 each one way.

    Terms on this page

    L/100 km
    Litres of fuel used per 100 kilometres: lower is more efficient.
    mpg
    Miles per gallon: higher is more efficient.

    Common questions

    How do I calculate gas cost for a trip?

    Distance × litres per 100 km ÷ 100 gives litres; multiply by the price per litre.

    What is a typical fuel use?

    It depends on the vehicle. Check your own car's label or measure it by filling the tank.

    How do I use miles per gallon?

    Choose US or imperial mpg in the fuel use box; the tool converts.

    Does it include tolls or wear?

    No, only fuel.

    Is anything sent to a server?

    No.

    Is anything I enter sent to a server?

    No. The calculation happens in your browser and nothing you type leaves your device.

    What to work out next

    Where these numbers come from

    Last verified 2026-10-25 The method on this page is checked against the sources above at least once a year. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.

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