Fuel Cost Calculator: How Much Will Your Trip Cost?

Planning a road trip or want to know your daily commute cost? Our free fuel cost calculator gives you the exact fuel cost for any journey.

How to use the calculator

1. Enter your trip distance in km or miles
2. Enter your car's fuel efficiency in L/100km or MPG
3. Enter the current fuel price per litre or gallon
4. Select your currency
5. Click Calculate Cost

Finding your car's fuel efficiency

Check your owner's manual or manufacturer website. Typical ranges:

• Small city car: 5-7 L/100km (40-47 MPG)
• Sedan or hatchback: 7-10 L/100km (28-40 MPG)
• SUV or 4x4: 10-14 L/100km (20-28 MPG)
• Bakkie or pickup: 12-16 L/100km (17-23 MPG)

Real-world consumption is often 10-20% higher than official figures especially in city driving.

Real trip examples

Johannesburg to Cape Town (1,400km) in a sedan: Fuel efficiency: 8 L/100km Fuel needed: 112 litres At R23 per litre: total fuel cost R2,576

Daily commute (40km round trip) in a small car: Fuel efficiency: 6 L/100km Daily fuel: 2.4 litres At R23 per litre: daily cost R55.20 Monthly cost (22 working days): R1,214

How to reduce fuel costs

1. Maintain correct tyre pressure. Under-inflated tyres increase consumption 3-5%.
2. Drive at consistent speeds. Motorway driving uses far less fuel than city stop-start.
3. Remove unnecessary weight. Every 50kg extra increases consumption 1-2%.
4. Service your vehicle regularly. A dirty air filter can increase consumption 10-15%.
5. Use cruise control on long trips for more consistent speed.

L/100km vs MPG

• South Africa, Europe and Australia use L/100km where lower is better.
• The United States uses MPG where higher is better.
• Our calculator accepts both and converts automatically.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate my car's actual fuel efficiency? Fill up completely. Drive normally until you need fuel. Note km driven and litres to refill. Efficiency = litres divided by km multiplied by 100.

Why does my car use more fuel in the city? Stop-start driving, idling and frequent acceleration use significantly more fuel. City consumption can be 30-50% higher than highway.

How accurate is this calculator? Mathematically exact given your inputs. Main variable is actual fuel efficiency which varies with speed, load, weather and driving style.

Can I use this for budget planning? Yes. Enter your average daily commute to calculate your monthly fuel budget.

How much does an EV cost to run vs petrol? EVs cost roughly 3-5 times less per km in electricity versus petrol, though this depends on local electricity prices.