How do I calculate petrol cost per mile?

Petrol cost per mile equals the price per gallon divided by the vehicle's MPG. At 30 MPG and 3.60 local currency units per gallon, the result is 0.12 per mile. For metric use, divide price per litre by km/L. The calculator returns both values automatically.

What is the petrol expense formula?

The petrol expense formula is: Fuel Cost = (Distance ÷ Fuel Efficiency) × Price per Unit. Distance and fuel efficiency must share the same unit — kilometres with km/L, miles with MPG, or kilometres with L/100 km. The calculator auto-converts between these units before applying the price.

How do I calculate daily petrol expenses?

Calculate daily petrol expenses by dividing the round-trip commute distance by the vehicle's mileage, then multiplying by the petrol price. For 30 km at 50 km/L and 2.00 local currency units per litre: 30 ÷ 50 × 2.00 = 1.20 per day.

How do I calculate the fuel cost of a trip?

Calculate trip fuel cost in 3 steps: find the distance, divide it by fuel efficiency to get the litres or gallons needed, then multiply the fuel used by the current local price you enter. For 450 km at 30 km/L, fuel used is 15 litres; multiply that by your local price.

Can I calculate one-way and return-trip costs?

Yes. Enter the one-way distance and choose one-way or round trip. Round trip doubles the entered distance before calculating fuel and cost. If your distance already covers both directions, keep one-way selected so it is not doubled again.

Can I use this calculator internationally?

Yes. Choose your currency, distance, efficiency, and fuel-volume units, then enter the current local pump price. The calculator keeps US and Imperial gallons distinct and does not perform exchange-rate conversion.

Can I use it for different vehicle types?

Yes. Select the bike, scooter, car, or truck profile as a starting point, or enter any vehicle's measured mileage directly. Dedicated bike, scooter, car, and truck calculators use the same formula with tailored defaults.

Is the Petrol Expense Calculator free?

Yes, the Petrol Expense Calculator is free with no signup, no email required, and no rate limit. Inputs never leave the browser; all calculation runs client-side.

Petrol Expense Calculator

Calculate the petrol cost of any trip using your travel distance, vehicle fuel efficiency, and current petrol price. See estimated fuel consumption and total journey cost instantly.

Auto currencyAuto-detects currency140+ currencies140+ currencies presetMultiple fuel unitskm/L · MPG · L/100kmRound trip & carpoolRound-trip & carpool split

Calculate Your Petrol Cost

Enter your trip details. You choose the currency, units, and local price.

Vehicle profile (optional estimate)

Selecting a profile fills an approximate efficiency. Replace it with your measured average.

Currency (required)

Use the same currency for all costs. Changing currency does not convert amounts.

Distance unitOne-way distance (km) (required)Fuel-efficiency unitFuel efficiency: Kilometres per litre (km/L) (required)Fuel quantity and price unitPetrol price per litre (your selected currency) (required)

Enter the current petrol price in your local currency. No live price is supplied. When changing units, enter the matching measurement and price.

Trip type

One-way tripRound trip

Round trip doubles the one-way distance. Enter additional costs for the entire selected journey; they are added once.

Additional trip expenses, carpool and monthly settings

Tolls (selected currency)Parking (selected currency)Other expenses (selected currency)Paying riders (1–20) (required)Travel days this month (0–31)

Your fuel and trip-cost breakdown will appear here after calculation.

Estimates use the price and mileage you enter; this calculator does not fetch live fuel prices. Privacy policy · Methodology

How it works

How the Petrol Expense Calculator Works

The calculator estimates how much fuel your journey will use based on distance and vehicle fuel efficiency. It then multiplies the required fuel by your petrol price to estimate the total trip cost.

01
Enter your journey distance
Enter the number of miles or kilometres you expect to travel.
02
Add your vehicle's fuel economy
Use MPG, km/L or L/100 km depending on your vehicle.
03
Enter the current petrol price
Add the price you currently pay per litre or gallon.
04
Get your estimated fuel cost
The calculator estimates fuel required, trip cost and other useful figures.

Trip types

Calculate Your Trip Costs

The calculator handles 3 trip types: a daily commute, a single one-way trip, and a long-haul drive with carpool passengers. Each example is illustrative and uses editable planning values; replace them with your own distance, mileage, and local price.

01 / 03

Trip scenario

Daily Commute

Plan a regular return commute and its monthly projection.

30 km50 km/LReturn trip

After entering your price

Daily and 30-day estimate

02 / 03

Trip scenario

Single One-Way Trip

Estimate fuel and cost for a single point-to-point journey.

450 km14 km/LOne way

After entering your price

32.1 L estimated fuel

03 / 03

Trip scenario

Carpool Trip

Calculate a return journey and split the cost between riders.

1200 km12 km/LReturn trip

After entering your price

Total and 4-way split

Useful for Everyday Driving and Trip Planning

Use the calculator for:

daily commuting costs
long-distance road trips
business mileage estimates
delivery and fleet planning
comparing vehicle running costs

By vehicle

Vehicle Mileage and Fuel Economy

Compare typical fuel economy across vehicle types, then use the mileage reference below as a starting point. Replace every estimate with mileage measured for your own vehicle.

Fuel-use comparison

Typical Mileage by Vehicle Type

A 30 km daily journey using representative mileage for each vehicle type.

30 km/day

Bikes and scooters sip fuel; trucks use five times more.
Bars scale to the thirstiest vehicle in the list.
Mileage figures are editable planning estimates.
Enter your measured mileage for exact results.

Bike~50 km/L
Lowest use0.6 L
Scooter~50 km/L
Lowest use0.6 L
Car~14 km/L
2.14 L
SUV~11 km/L
2.73 L
Truck~10 km/L
3 L

Estimated fuel required for 30 km. Lower bars indicate less fuel used.

What-if explorer

Set your daily distance to compare fuel use and estimated cost by vehicle type.

● 30 km / day

5 km50 km100 km

Currency

Detecting your currency — pick one manually if you prefer.

Petrol price per litre

per litre

Use the current pump price in your currency. It is not fetched automatically.

Bikes & scooters

km/L

Vehicle	Fuel economy	Fuel / day	Cost / day	Cost / month
Light commuter bike	55–65	0.50 L	—	—
Standard commuter bike	45–50	0.63 L	—	—
Mid-size commuter bike	45–50	0.63 L	—	—
Sport commuter bike	40–45	0.71 L	—	—
Larger commuter bike	38–42	0.75 L	—	—
Light city scooter	50–55	0.57 L	—	—
Comfort scooter	42–48	0.67 L	—	—
Urban scooter	48–52	0.60 L	—	—

Based on a 30 km trip using the midpoint of each economy range. Add a petrol price to see daily and monthly cost.

Cars, SUVs & trucks

km/L

Vehicle	Fuel economy	Fuel / day	Cost / day	Cost / month
Compact hatchback	18–22	1.50 L	—	—
Small family car	14–17	1.94 L	—	—
Mid-size sedan	12–15	2.22 L	—	—
Compact sedan	13–16	2.07 L	—	—
Large sedan	11–13	2.50 L	—	—
Large SUV	8–10	3.33 L	—	—
Pickup truck	9–12	2.86 L	—	—
Compact SUV	12–14	2.31 L	—	—

Based on a 30 km trip using the midpoint of each economy range. Add a petrol price to see daily and monthly cost.

Trust and methodology

Calculation Accuracy and Assumptions

Every estimate follows the same visible formula, uses the values you enter, and keeps real-world assumptions clear.

Metric formula

For kilometres and L/100 km

Fuel required = Distance × Fuel consumption ÷ 100

Fuel cost = Fuel required × Price per litre

Example: 100 km at 8 L/100 km uses 8 litres. Multiply 8 by your local price per litre.

Imperial formula

For miles and MPG

Fuel required = Distance ÷ MPG

Fuel cost = Fuel required × Price per gallon

Select US gallons (3.785 L) or UK gallons (4.546 L) to match your MPG figure — the two are not equivalent.

Transparent math

Standardized before calculation

Compatible distance, efficiency, and fuel-volume units are normalized before the standard formula is applied.

Visible assumptions

Real-World Fuel Consumption Factors

City or highway driving
Tyre pressure and vehicle load
Weather and climate control

User-controlled data

Calculations Based on Your Local Values

Enter a current pump price and measured mileage. Calculations run in your browser without assuming one country's market data.

Read the full methodologyReviewed September 17, 2026Report an issue

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Direct answers to the most common questions about calculating petrol expense, fuel cost per mile, daily and trip fuel budgets, and using the calculator for different vehicles.

Calculator suite

More Fuel Expense Calculators

Browse vehicle-specific tools, time-period calculators, fuel comparisons, trip planners, mileage tools, and calculators for professional drivers and riders.

Bike Petrol Calculator

Petrol cost calculator for motorcycles and scooters. Estimate daily, monthly, and trip costs in seconds.

Typical mileage35–65 km/L

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Scooter Petrol Calculator

Petrol cost calculator for scooters and small motorcycles using your own local inputs.

Typical mileage40–55 km/L

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Car Petrol Calculator

Petrol cost calculator for sedans, hatchbacks, and compact family cars.

Typical mileage9–20 km/L

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Truck & SUV Petrol Calculator

Petrol cost calculator for SUVs, pickups, and other larger vehicles.

Typical mileage7–13 km/L

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Get started

Plan Your Fuel Budget with Confidence

Enter your distance, fuel efficiency, and current local price to calculate trip cost, fuel used, and longer-term projections in your selected units and currency.

Run the calculator Read the formula guide