Plan your trip's fuel budget. Enter the distance, your vehicle's mileage and the fuel price to see how much fuel you need and what the trip will cost.
1. Enter the trip distance in kilometres. 2. Enter your vehicle's mileage in km per litre. 3. Enter the fuel price per litre and click Calculate Fuel Cost.
Before a long drive, it helps to know how much fuel you will need and how much it will cost. This free fuel cost calculator answers both questions in seconds. Enter the distance, your car's mileage in kilometres per litre, and the current fuel price, and it shows the litres of fuel needed, the total cost and the cost per kilometre. Use it to budget a road trip, to compare a car and a bike for a daily commute, or to check whether a cheaper fuel station on the way is worth the stop.
Fuel is one of the biggest costs of owning a vehicle, and small changes make a big difference. A car that gives 15 km per litre costs much less to run than one that gives 10 km per litre, even if the second car was cheaper to buy. Driving smoothly, keeping your tyres at the right pressure and servicing the engine on time can all improve your mileage by 10 percent or more, which saves real money every month.
Suppose you drive 350 km, your car gives 15 km per litre and petrol costs 260 per litre. The fuel needed is 350 divided by 15, which is about 23.33 litres. The cost is 23.33 times 260, which is about 6,067. The cost per kilometre is 6,067 divided by 350, which is about 17.33 per km. Try it in the calculator above: enter 350, 15 and 260, and check that your result matches about 6,067 total cost and 23.33 litres.
Now take a daily commute: you drive 40 km every day, 26 days a month, so the monthly distance is 1,040 km. Your bike gives 40 km per litre and petrol costs 260 per litre. The fuel needed is 1,040 divided by 40, which is 26 litres, and the monthly cost is 26 times 260, which is 6,760. The cost per kilometre is only 6.50, because a bike is far more fuel-efficient than a car. Try this in the calculator with 1040, 40 and 260 and check the result. This is why many people use a bike for short daily trips.
The maths has two steps. First, fuel needed = distance divided by mileage. If you drive 350 km at 15 km per litre, you need 23.33 litres. Second, total cost = fuel needed times fuel price. At 260 per litre, 23.33 litres costs about 6,067. The cost per kilometre is the total cost divided by the distance, which is 260 divided by 15, or about 17.33 per km. Notice that the cost per kilometre depends only on the price and the mileage, not on the distance, so it is a handy number for comparing vehicles.
Use your real mileage, not the brochure number. Real driving in city traffic gives lower mileage than the manufacturer's test figure, so use what you actually get. Check the current fuel price. Prices change often, so enter today's price for an accurate budget. Add a small buffer. Add 10 percent to the result for traffic, detours and air conditioning. Compare vehicles by cost per km. The cost per kilometre tells you which vehicle is really cheaper to run. Count the return trip. A 350 km trip usually means 700 km of driving, so double the distance if you are coming back.
Forgetting the return journey. A trip of 350 km each way is 700 km in total, so the fuel cost doubles. Using the brochure mileage. The manufacturer's mileage is measured in ideal conditions; your real mileage in traffic is usually lower. Mixing up litres and gallons. This calculator uses litres; if your car shows miles per gallon, convert it first. Using an old fuel price. Fuel prices change every few weeks, so an old price gives a wrong budget. Ignoring traffic and AC. Heavy traffic and air conditioning both use extra fuel, so add a small buffer to your result.
Pro Tip: To find your real mileage, fill the tank full, reset the trip meter, drive normally, then fill again. Divide the kilometres driven by the litres filled — that is your true km per litre.
Note: This calculator gives an estimate for a steady trip. Hills, traffic, heavy loads and air conditioning can increase fuel use by 10 to 20 percent.
How do I calculate fuel cost for a trip? Divide the distance by your mileage to get the litres needed, then multiply by the fuel price. For example, 350 km at 15 km/litre needs 23.33 litres, and at 260 per litre the cost is about 6,067.
How do I find my car's mileage? Fill the tank full, reset the trip meter, drive normally, then fill the tank full again. Divide the kilometres you drove by the litres you filled to get km per litre.
What is a good mileage for a car? A small petrol car usually gives 12 to 18 km per litre, a hybrid can give 20 or more, and a motorbike can give 35 to 50 km per litre. City driving gives lower mileage than highway driving.
Does air conditioning use more fuel? Yes. Air conditioning can increase fuel use by 5 to 10 percent, especially in slow city traffic. On the highway at speed, the effect is smaller.
How can I reduce my fuel cost? Drive smoothly without sudden acceleration, keep tyres at the correct pressure, service the engine on time, remove heavy items from the car, and avoid idling the engine for long periods.
Can I use this calculator for diesel? Yes. Just enter the diesel price per litre instead of the petrol price. The maths is exactly the same.
What is cost per kilometre? It is the total fuel cost divided by the distance. It shows how much each kilometre of driving costs you, and it is the best number for comparing two vehicles.
Does this calculator include tolls and parking? No. It calculates fuel cost only. Add tolls, parking and food separately to get your full trip budget.