A Cost Per Mile Calculator
Cost per mile is the number that tells you what driving actually costs, and it is almost always higher than the fuel receipt alone suggests.
Cost per mile
0.2344
- Fuel cost
- $13.13
- Total trip cost
- $28.13
- Gallons used
- 3.75
Values update as you type. This calculator covers the single scenario its formula assumes — see Common Mistakes for what it leaves out.
The formula this calculator uses
cost per mile = total cost / miles driven
- c
- Cost per mile for the trip
- miles
- Distance driven
- mpg
- Fuel efficiency in miles per gallon
- price
- Fuel price per gallon
- other
- Tolls, parking and wear costs
How to check the result by hand
- 1
Measure the distance of the trip
Use the actual route distance, not the straight line between the endpoints. Route planners give a realistic figure that accounts for the roads you will actually drive.
- 2
Look up the vehicle's real world efficiency
Manufacturer figures are optimistic by ten to twenty percent. Use a figure from your own fill ups if you have one, or discount the official number.
- 3
Divide distance by efficiency to get gallons
A hundred and twenty miles at thirty two miles per gallon is 3.75 gallons. Notice that efficiency is in the denominator, so a larger number here means less fuel.
- 4
Multiply by the fuel price
3.75 gallons at 3.50 is 13.125. Fuel prices vary by region and by day, so use the price you actually expect to pay rather than a national average.
- 5
Add other costs and divide by the distance
Fifteen of tolls and parking brings the total to 28.125, which divided by a hundred and twenty miles is 0.2344 per mile. This is the figure to compare between vehicles and routes.
For worked examples, common mistakes and the limits of this formula, read the full How To Calculate A Cost Per Mile page.