Fuel cost per mile calculator

At 24 mpg and $4.48 a gallon, gas costs $0.187 a mile: $214.67 a month and $2,576 a year if you drive 1,150 miles a month.

e.g. 28 mpg
e.g. $3.40/gal
e.g. 1,000 mi — adds monthly and yearly totals

Fuel cost per mile $0.187/mi

Per 100 miles
$18.67
Per 1,000 miles
$186.67
Fuel per month
$214.67
Fuel per year
$2,576

The catch

$0.187/mi is the fuel alone. Depreciation, insurance, maintenance and tires are not in it, so treat it as the floor of what a mile costs you, not the total.

Share this case

How the calculator works

Cost per mile is the price of fuel divided by the distance that fuel takes you: the price per gallon divided by mpg, or, in metric, the price per liter times L/100 km divided by 100. The calculator accepts either system and shows the figure per mile or per kilometer.

With the distance you drive each month it also gives monthly and yearly fuel costs. The catch is a reminder of what the figure leaves out, so that a fuel-only number is not mistaken for the cost of owning the car.

Calculated by AutoCalca with the same engine that runs the calculator above and the worked example below.

Worked example

The calculator above opens on this case: 24-mpg SUV driven 1,150 mi a month.

What goes in

Fuel economy
24 mpg (US)
Gas price
$4.48/gal
Miles a month
1,150 mi

What comes out

Fuel cost per mile
$0.187/mi
Per 100 miles
$18.67
Per 1,000 miles
$186.67
Fuel per month
$214.67
Fuel per year
$2,576

The catch in this case: $0.187/mi is the fuel alone. Depreciation, insurance, maintenance and tires are not in it, so treat it as the floor of what a mile costs you, not the total.

What to know in the US

The cost per mile is useful for splitting trips, comparing cars and budgeting a commute. It is not the IRS standard mileage rate: that rate is meant to cover all the costs of running a car for business, including depreciation, insurance and maintenance, and is set once a year.

At current US gas prices even a few mpg make a visible difference to a yearly fuel bill, which the MPG comparison calculator turns into a break-even for a more efficient car.

Questions people ask

How do I calculate gas cost per mile?

Divide the price per gallon by your miles per gallon. At 25 mpg and $4.00 a gallon, a mile costs $0.16 in gas.

Is cost per mile the same as the IRS mileage rate?

No. This is fuel only. The IRS rate is an all-in allowance for business driving that also covers depreciation, insurance, repairs and tires.

What does a car really cost per mile?

Fuel is usually a minority of it. Add depreciation (see the depreciation calculator), insurance, maintenance and tires for the full picture.

Sources

Last reviewed: