Fuel Cost Calculator
Calculate trip fuel cost from distance, fuel efficiency and fuel price. Works in kilometres or miles, with km/L, L/100km and mpg efficiency units.
Kilometres your car covers per litre of fuel.
Common for petrol and diesel in India.
Trip fuel cost
₹2,000
Fuel needed
20 L (5.28 gal)
6.67 L/100 km equivalent
Cost per km
₹6.67
Cost per mile
₹10.73
Use your car's real-world mileage, not the brochure figure — real mileage is often 10–20% lower than the claimed number.
How it works
Fuel (L) = distance ÷ mileage (km/l) or distance × l/100km ÷ 100. Cost = fuel × price.
Example: 300 km at 15 km/l, ₹100/l → 20 L = ₹2,000.
Last updated: July 2026
How this calculator is verified
Checked by True Calculator automated test suite on
- Formula verified against a published worked example in the automated test suite
- Edge cases (zero, negative, boundary and unit-mismatch inputs) covered by unit tests
The full verification method is on our how we verify page. Found an error? Tell us and we will re-check it.
When to Use This Calculator
Fuel cost planning matters more as pump prices move daily across India. This calculator turns a planned trip distance, your vehicle's real mileage and today's petrol or diesel price into litres needed and total cost, so the budget is set before you leave. A weekend Delhi–Jaipur drive, a monthly office commute or a delivery route for a small business all reduce to the same three inputs. The litres figure also helps when planning refuelling stops on long highway drives, and the per-km cost output lets you compare two cars, or a car against a scooter, honestly. Entering the same route with today's price instead of a remembered one keeps estimates current, and doubling the distance handles round trips in a single step.
How to Use This Calculator
- Step 1: Enter the trip distance in kilometres, using the route shown by your maps app rather than the straight-line distance.
- Step 2: Enter your vehicle's real-world mileage in km per litre, taken from your last full tank rather than the sticker claim.
- Step 3: Enter today's fuel price per litre for petrol or diesel as displayed at your local pump.
- Step 4: Read the litres needed and the total trip cost, then double the distance for a round trip or add extra for city driving.
Worked Example
Planning a weekend drive from Delhi to Jaipur, roughly 270 km one way via NH-48. A car that averages 15 km per litre will need about 18 litres for the trip. At a pump price of ₹100 per litre, the calculator returns a fuel cost of around ₹1,800. Enter the exact distance, your car's actual mileage and today's pump price, because all three inputs move the result. For a return trip, enter 540 km and the estimate doubles to about ₹3,600 before tolls.
Tips and Common Mistakes
- •Tip 1: Measure mileage with the full-tank method: fill up, note the odometer, drive, and refill, then divide distance by litres used.
- •Tip 2: Fuel prices change daily in most Indian cities, so enter the price from the pump you will actually use, not yesterday's news headline.
- •Tip 3: Add 10-15% to the distance for hilly routes or highway detours, where the odometer rarely matches the planned route.
- ✗Mistake 1: Using the car brochure mileage (often 20-25 km/l) instead of real-world mileage, which can understate the trip cost by a third.
- ✗Mistake 2: Entering the distance one way and then wondering why the budget is short — a weekend trip is usually a round trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate fuel cost for a trip?
Divide the distance by your mileage to get litres, then multiply by the fuel price. A 300 km trip at 15 km/l with ₹100/l diesel costs ₹2,000.
What is a realistic mileage to use?
ARAI figures are measured in ideal lab conditions. Real-world mileage is typically 10–20% lower, especially in city traffic — use your own average.
What is the difference between km/l and l/100km?
km/l is distance per litre — higher is better. l/100km is litres per 100 km — lower is better. 15 km/l equals about 6.7 l/100km.
Is petrol or diesel cheaper per kilometre?
Diesel costs more per litre but modern diesels usually give 25–40% better mileage, so per-kilometre cost is often lower on highways. Run both scenarios through the calculator to compare.
Compare these tools
- Money Counter Calculator — Count dollar and rupee banknotes and coins of every denomination, from $100 and ₹2000 notes down to pennies and ₹1 coins, and total cash in hand instantly
- Soup Calculator — Scale soup recipes to any number of servings and estimate the broth you need, so your pot always matches the number of people you are feeding
You might also need
Related calculators from other categories
Finance
College Cost Calculator
Project future college fees with inflation and plan the monthly saving required to cover the cost without a loan.
Finance
Loan Calculator
Calculate EMI for any amortized, deferred or bond-style loan. See total interest, total payment and a full repayment schedule.
Construction
Roofing Calculator
Estimate roofing material, sloped roof area and cost from house footprint, roof pitch and waste allowance.
Construction
Sand Calculator
Estimate the sand volume, weight and cost in tonnes and 50 kg bags for plaster, screed or filling, with Indian market rates.