Driving Cost Calculator
Calculate the total cost of a drive, including fuel, tolls, parking, and vehicle wear and tear.
How Driving Cost Is Calculated
The calculator divides your trip distance by your vehicle's fuel efficiency to estimate how much fuel you'll need, then multiplies that by the fuel price to get your fuel cost. It also multiplies your trip distance by a vehicle wear cost per mile to estimate maintenance and depreciation costs. Adding fuel cost, tolls, parking, and vehicle wear cost together gives your total driving cost, which is then divided by your trip distance to find your cost per mile.
Common Driving Trip Costs
The most direct cost of any drive is fuel, but tolls and parking fees can add up quickly on longer trips. Vehicle wear and tear, including maintenance, tire replacement, and depreciation, is a less visible but real cost of driving that accumulates with every mile. Accounting for all of these gives a more complete picture of what a drive actually costs.
FAQ
How is driving cost calculated?
Fuel needed is your trip distance divided by your vehicle's fuel efficiency, and fuel cost is that amount multiplied by the fuel price. Vehicle wear cost is your trip distance multiplied by a per-mile wear cost. Total driving cost adds fuel cost, tolls, parking, and vehicle wear cost together.
What is vehicle wear cost per mile?
Vehicle wear cost per mile is an estimate of the maintenance, depreciation, and repair costs your vehicle accumulates for each mile driven. It can be set to 0 if you don't want to include it in your estimate.
What is cost per mile?
Cost per mile is your total driving cost divided by your trip distance. It shows the overall cost of driving for each mile of your trip, including fuel, tolls, parking, and vehicle wear.
What are common driving trip costs?
The main costs of a drive are fuel, tolls, and parking. Longer-term costs like vehicle maintenance, tire wear, and depreciation can also be factored in using a vehicle wear cost per mile.
Can I leave tolls, parking, or vehicle wear cost as zero?
Yes. Tolls, parking, and vehicle wear cost per mile can all be set to 0 if they don't apply to your trip. Trip distance and fuel efficiency must be greater than 0.