Fuel Cost Calculator

TL;DR

Estimate fuel cost from:

• distance (km)
• consumption (L/100km)
• fuel price (per liter)

Formula:

• liters = distance_km × (consumption_l_per_100km / 100)
• cost = liters × price_per_liter

How to use it

1. Enter route distance (one-way or round-trip—be explicit).
2. Enter your car’s average consumption.
3. Enter fuel price.

How to pick a realistic consumption value

If you use the “best case” number from the manufacturer, your estimate will be too low. Better inputs:

• your own average from the dashboard/app over the last months
• a conservative split: city vs highway (if the route is mostly one of them)
• add a buffer for traffic or winter driving if it’s relevant

What this calculator does (and doesn’t) include

It includes fuel only. Many real trips also have:

• tolls and vignettes
• parking fees
• maintenance and wear (tires, oil, depreciation)
• your time cost (for long commutes)

If you need “all-in cost per trip”, use Route cost estimate as a starting point and add extras.

Cost per kilometer (quick sanity check)

Sometimes it’s easier to think in “cost per km” rather than “cost per trip”. You can derive it from your inputs:

• liters_per_km = consumption_l_per_100km / 100
• fuel_cost_per_km = liters_per_km × price_per_liter

Then you can estimate:

• monthly commute cost (km per day × days per month × cost per km)
• project travel budgets (km per trip × trips per month × cost per km)

Optional: “true cost” of driving (beyond fuel)

Fuel is only one part of the cost of using a car. If you want a more realistic comparison (car vs transit vs remote), consider adding a simple per-km buffer for:

• maintenance and wear (tires, oil, repairs)
• depreciation

Even a small per-km buffer changes the picture for long commutes or frequent client visits.

Worked examples

Example 1: commuting

Distance 30 km (one-way) → use 60 km for round trip.

Example 2: highway trip

Use your highway consumption, not city consumption.

Example 3: compare two routes

Keep consumption and fuel price constant and compare only distance.

Example 4: recurring client visits

If you drive to a client office twice per week, compute one round-trip cost and multiply by ~8 trips per month. Add parking/tolls separately.

Gotchas

• Consumption differs city vs highway; use realistic values.
• If you’re comparing routes, keep price constant and vary distance.
• If the route includes mountain driving or heavy traffic, add a buffer (consumption can spike).
• For short trips, stop-and-go traffic can dominate consumption more than distance.

FAQ

Should I use “today’s fuel price” or an average?

If you’re budgeting, use a conservative average. If you’re reimbursing a specific trip, use the price you actually paid (based on receipts).

Can I use this for reimbursement calculations?

Yes for planning, but reimbursement rules vary (per km rate vs actual fuel). Follow your company/client policy.

How do I handle round trips with multiple stops?

Sum the distances (or use total km from your navigation app) and input the total distance. For recurring routes, keep a note of the “typical km” so you don’t re-measure every time.

What next?

Use Per diem estimate when you need a full travel budget (per diem + lodging + transport).

Next steps (IT Jobs List)

For travel, include all real costs (fuel, tolls, parking) and write down assumptions so you can reproduce the calculation.

Related tools

• Route cost estimate

Related guides

• Relocating to Romania (IT): budget checklist and scenarios

Quick recommendation

• Save your assumptions (rates, breaks, thresholds) so you can reproduce the result.
• If you use the output in an invoice/offer, include a short explanation (what’s included and what’s not).

Practical checklist (IT Jobs List)

• Keep assumptions: consumption, price/liter, distance, tolls.
• Compare “cost per km” between routes/providers.
• If you use the result in an estimate/invoice, explain what it includes.