Trip fuel cost calculator
Work out the fuel cost of a car journey and how to split it between passengers.
Trip fuel cost calculator: what it is and how it works
Before a road trip it helps to know how much you will spend on fuel, especially if you are sharing the cost. The calculation is simple: multiply the distance by the car’s average consumption (in litres per 100 km) to get the litres needed, then multiply by the price per litre of petrol or diesel.
The calculator also adds tolls, doubles the distance for return trips and splits the total between passengers. Real consumption depends on speed, load, air conditioning and road type: on a motorway at 120 km/h it is usually higher than the official figure. If your car shows mpg, convert it first with the unit converter or divide 282.5 by the UK mpg figure.
How to use it
- Enter the one-way distance and your car’s average consumption.
- Enter the fuel price, tolls and number of people.
- Tick return trip if needed and read the total and per-person cost.
Litres = km × consumption ÷ 100 · Cost = litres × price + tollsWorked example
A 600 km trip there and back (1,200 km) in a car using 6.5 L/100 km with fuel at €1.65/L needs 78 litres: €128.70, about €32.18 each for four people.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know my car’s consumption?
Check the trip computer or fill up, note the kilometres until the next fill-up and divide the litres by the kilometres, times 100.
Does it work for electric cars?
Yes, enter consumption in kWh/100 km and the price per kWh: the calculation is the same.
How should a shared trip be split?
The fairest way is to divide fuel and tolls between all occupants, including the driver.
How much does speed affect consumption?
A lot: going from 100 to 120 km/h can raise consumption by 15–20 %.