Fuel Cost Calculator
Quick Answer: To work out fuel cost, divide the trip distance by your MPG to get the gallons needed, then multiply by the gas price. A 300-mile trip at 30 MPG uses 10 gallons, and at the AAA national average of $3.94 a gallon it costs $39.40, or about $0.13 a mile. Enter your trip below for your exact cost.
Work Out Your Trip Fuel Cost
Enter your numbers and the results update as you type. All math runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or saved.
How the Fuel Cost Calculator Works
Fuel cost comes down to three numbers: how far you are driving, how far your car goes on a gallon, and what a gallon costs. The calculator does the math in two steps. First, it divides the distance by your fuel efficiency to find the gallons you will use. A 300-mile trip in a car that gets 30 miles per gallon needs 300 divided by 30, or 10 gallons. Second, it multiplies the gallons by the price per gallon. At $3.94 a gallon, 10 gallons costs $39.40.
Cost per mile is the total fuel cost divided by the distance. For the same trip, $39.40 divided by 300 miles is about $0.13 a mile. You can also get it directly by dividing the fuel price by your MPG: $3.94 divided by 30 is about $0.13. Cost per mile is the most useful of the three figures, because it lets you compare cars and trips of any length on equal terms.
How to Use the Fuel Cost Calculator
Enter the trip distance first. Enter the one-way distance, not the round trip. If you are coming back, tick the Round trip box and the calculator doubles the distance for you. If you drive the same route often, use the number of trips field instead. Set it to 2 for a round trip, or to 10 for a twice-a-week commute over five weeks. The calculator scales the totals for you.
Next, enter your car's fuel efficiency in miles per gallon. Use your real MPG, not the official rating. Official figures come from test cycles and are typically 10% to 20% better than real-world driving. Most cars show a live average on the dashboard display. If yours does not, divide the miles driven by the gallons used at your next fill-up. Then set the fuel price. The default is $3.94 per gallon for regular gasoline, the AAA national average as of November 11, 2026. Tap a fuel type button to switch to mid-grade ($4.48), premium ($4.87), or diesel ($6.13), or type your own local pump price in the override box.
What the Numbers Mean
Total fuel cost is the headline number: the money you will spend on gas for the trip, before tolls and parking. Gallons needed tells you how much fuel the trip burns, which helps you plan stops. The fill-ups figure tells you how many stops you need.
Cost per mile is the figure to remember. It does not depend on trip length, so you can use it to compare any two cars or any two routes. A car that costs $0.13 a mile in fuel costs a third less per mile than a car at $0.20 a mile, whatever the trip. Multiply cost per mile by your annual miles to get your yearly fuel bill. At $0.13 a mile and 12,000 miles a year, that is about $1,577 a year. Total trip cost adds tolls and parking to the fuel cost, and cost per person divides the whole total, fuel plus tolls, by the number of people, driver included. The CO2 figure uses the EPA figure of 8,887 grams of CO2 per gallon of gasoline. A 10-gallon trip produces about 196 pounds of CO2.
Fuel Types and Prices
Most US gas stations sell three grades of gasoline plus diesel. Regular is the cheapest and is right for most cars. Mid-grade costs about 50 cents more per gallon and suits a few engines that ask for it. Premium costs about 90 cents more than regular and is only needed by high-compression engines that require it. Diesel is a different fuel for diesel engines only.
| Fuel Type | AAA National Average (Nov 11, 2026) | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Regular unleaded | $3.94 per gallon | Most cars. Check your manual. |
| Mid-grade | $4.48 per gallon | Some engines that recommend it. |
| Premium | $4.87 per gallon | High-compression engines that require it. |
| Diesel | $6.13 per gallon | Diesel engines only. |
Premium gas does not give a normal engine more power or better mileage. It only resists knocking in high-compression engines. If your manual says regular is fine, premium is money spent for nothing. On a 300-mile trip at 30 MPG, premium adds about $9.30 to the fuel bill for no benefit.
Fuel Cost by Vehicle Type
Fuel use and cost at 12,000 miles a year and $3.94 a gallon. The gap between a pickup truck and a hybrid sedan is more than $1,800 a year, over $9,000 in five years.
| Vehicle Type | Typical MPG | Gallons Per Year | Cost Per Year | Cost Per Mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compact sedan | 32 to 38 | 316 to 375 | $1,245 to $1,478 | $0.10 to $0.12 |
| Midsize sedan | 26 to 32 | 375 to 462 | $1,478 to $1,820 | $0.12 to $0.15 |
| Midsize SUV | 22 to 28 | 429 to 545 | $1,690 to $2,149 | $0.14 to $0.18 |
| Pickup truck | 16 to 22 | 545 to 750 | $2,149 to $2,955 | $0.18 to $0.25 |
| Hybrid sedan | 42 to 55 | 218 to 286 | $859 to $1,127 | $0.07 to $0.09 |
Worked Examples
Weekend road trip. You drive 300 miles each way to visit family. Your car gets 30 MPG and gas costs $3.94 a gallon. Round trip is 600 miles. Gallons: 600 divided by 30 is 20 gallons. Cost: 20 times $3.94 is $78.80. Split four ways, that is $19.70 each.
Daily commute. You drive 25 miles each way, 50 miles round trip, in a car that gets 20 MPG. That uses 2.5 gallons a day (50 divided by 20). At $3.94 a gallon that is $9.85 a day, about $207 a month over 21 working days, and about $2,482 a year over 252 working days. The same commute in a 40 MPG hybrid costs $4.93 a day, saving about $1,241 a year.
Comparing two cars. A 22 MPG SUV and a 38 MPG hybrid over 15,000 miles a year at $3.94 a gallon cost about $2,686 and about $1,555. The hybrid saves about $1,131 a year, or about $5,655 over five years. Driving versus flying. Chicago to Orlando is 1,150 miles one way, 2,300 miles round trip. A minivan at 24 MPG uses about 96 gallons. At $3.94 a gallon that is about $378, against four flights at $250 each, or $1,000. Driving saves the family about $622, before hotels and food.
Fuel-Saving Tips That Work
Slow down. Above 50 mph, fuel efficiency falls about 7% for every 5 mph over the limit. Driving 80 mph instead of 65 mph can be up to 25% worse. Dropping from 75 to 65 mph typically saves around 10%, which on a 600-mile trip is roughly $8. Drive smoothly. Gentle acceleration and braking instead of hard stops and starts saves roughly 15% to 30%. Use cruise control on the highway to keep a steady speed.
Check your tire pressure, because under-inflated tires cost about 0.2% extra fuel per PSI below the recommended pressure. Take the roof box off when you do not need it. Roof racks and roof boxes add drag, roughly 5% to 15% more fuel on the highway. Combine trips. One warm-engine trip instead of several cold starts can save 15% to 20%. Add a 10% to 15% buffer to your estimate for traffic, detours, and price changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate fuel cost for a road trip?
Divide the trip distance by your fuel efficiency to get the gallons needed, then multiply by the fuel price. For example, 300 miles at 30 miles per gallon needs 10 gallons, and at $3.94 a gallon the trip costs $39.40. This fuel cost calculator does both steps for you.
What is cost per mile and why does it matter?
Cost per mile is the total fuel cost divided by the distance. It shows what each mile of driving costs in fuel. At $3.94 a gallon and 30 miles per gallon, cost per mile is about $0.13. It is the fairest way to compare cars, because it works for any trip length.
What is a good miles per gallon figure?
Most gas cars get 25 to 35 miles per gallon on the highway, hybrids often reach 45 to 55, and large SUVs and trucks sit around 15 to 22. Your real figure depends on speed, load, air conditioning, and driving style, so check your dashboard display for your own average.
How do I find my car's real MPG?
Fill the tank, reset the trip meter, and drive normally. At the next fill-up, divide the miles driven by the gallons it takes to fill the tank again. That figure is your real-world MPG, which is usually a little lower than the official EPA rating.
How much does gas cost per gallon right now?
The AAA national average for regular gasoline was $3.94 per gallon on November 11, 2026. Prices vary a lot by state and by station, so check the current AAA average and enter your local pump price in the calculator for the most accurate trip cost.
Is premium gas worth the extra cost?
No, unless your car's engine requires it. Premium gas does not give a normal engine more power or better mileage. It only resists knocking in high-compression engines. Check your manual. If it says regular is fine, premium is money spent for nothing.
Should I use city or highway MPG for a road trip?
Use highway MPG for a long road trip and your combined or city figure for commuting. Most cars are 20 to 30% thirstier in town than on the highway, so a road-trip estimate built on a city figure will come out too high.
How do I split fuel costs fairly on a road trip?
Take the total trip cost, fuel plus any tolls, and divide it by the number of people, driver included. For example, an 800-mile round trip in an SUV at 18 MPG and $3.94 a gallon costs about $175 in fuel, which is about $44 each for four people. Enter the number of people in the calculator to see the per-person share.
Reviewed by the AutoFixr Editorial Team. Fuel prices and MPG figures are estimates for planning only. Your actual cost depends on your car, your driving, and the pump price where you fill up. Check current prices on AAA before you travel.