How fuel cost is calculated
Fuel cost uses two numbers: gallons used and price per gallon. Divide distance by MPG to get gallons, then multiply by the current pump price. The fuel cost calculator handles this instantly for any trip.
Updated for 2026 · Free for US drivers
Driving Cost Intelligence for US Drivers
The free driving cost calculator US drivers use to estimate gas, road trip fuel, MPG, cost per mile and EV charging — across 300+ vehicles and 5,600+ city-to-city routes.
Fuel Cost Estimator
Updates as you type
Estimated cost
$30.80
for 250 miles
Gallons
8.93
Per mile
$0.123
gallons = distance ÷ MPG · cost = gallons × price
Coverage snapshot · Updated for 2026
Routes analyzed
5,600+
US city-to-city pairs
Vehicles tracked
300+
EPA MPG & MPGe data
States covered
50
+ DC gas & electricity
US avg gas
$3.45/gal
Regular · 2026 baseline
Popular today
Most searched driving costs
Curated cost checks across routes, vehicles and states.
Featured route
Los Angeles → Las Vegas
Most-checked weekend route · ~270 mi
Full breakdown of fuel cost, drive time, halfway stops and best vehicles for this route.
See full breakdownMiami → Orlando
~235 mi · Florida
Dallas → Houston
~240 mi · Texas
Toyota Camry fuel cost
Sedan · annual estimate
Ford F-150 fuel cost
Truck · per-mile cost
Data snapshot · Updated for 2026
Cost intelligence snapshot
A curated, data-backed view of US driving costs — built from DriveCosts coverage across routes, vehicles and states.
Coverage
5,600+
Routes analyzed
Updated 2026
300+
Vehicles tracked
+ DC
50
States covered
High
$4.65
California avg gas /gal
Budget pick
Mississippi
Cheapest gas state
High
California
Most expensive gas state
EV friendly
Seattle → Portland
Best EV corridor
High interest
LA → Las Vegas
Popular road trip
Budget pick
Toyota Prius
Best MPG pick · 57 MPG
Head-to-head
F-150 vs Silverado
Top truck comparison
Tools
Most Popular Driving Cost Calculators
Eight free calculators covering fuel, trips, MPG, EV charging and ownership cost.
Discover
Popular Fuel Cost Searches
The most-searched gas, trip and vehicle cost lookups on DriveCosts.
- Cost to drive from Miami to Orlando
- Cost to drive from Dallas to Houston
- Cost to drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas
- Cost to drive from New York to Boston
- Toyota Camry fuel cost per year
- Honda Civic fuel cost
- Ford F-150 gas cost per mile
- Tesla Model Y charging cost
- Chevrolet Silverado fuel cost
- EV charging cost calculator
- Cost per mile calculator
- Trip gas cost calculator
Head-to-head
Popular Vehicle Comparisons
Side-by-side MPG, annual fuel cost and cost per mile.
Vehicles
Browse by Vehicle Type
Compare fuel costs across body styles and powertrains.
Routes
Popular Drives Across the US
30 curated short-distance drives between major US metros — calculated fuel cost, distance and drive time.
Fort Lauderdale, FL → Miami, FL
30 mi · 0.5 h
Sacramento, CA → San Francisco, CA
89 mi · 1.4 h
Monterey, CA → San Francisco, CA
101 mi · 1.6 h
Aspen, CO → Denver, CO
124 mi · 2.0 h
Cheyenne, WY → Denver, CO
115 mi · 1.9 h
Milwaukee, WI → Chicago, IL
96 mi · 1.5 h
Key West, FL → Miami, FL
153 mi · 2.5 h
Indianapolis, IN → Chicago, IL
185 mi · 3.0 h
Madison, WI → Chicago, IL
144 mi · 2.3 h
Boulder, CO → Denver, CO
28 mi · 0.5 h
Oakland, CA → San Francisco, CA
10 mi · 0.2 h
Sedona, AZ → Phoenix, AZ
118 mi · 1.9 h
Indianapolis, IN → Louisville, KY
126 mi · 2.0 h
Charlotte, NC → Raleigh, NC
165 mi · 2.5 h
Fort Worth, TX → Dallas, TX
36 mi · 0.6 h
Atlanta, GA → Asheville, NC
195 mi · 3.1 h
Columbus, OH → Cleveland, OH
149 mi · 2.4 h
Louisville, KY → Nashville, TN
182 mi · 2.9 h
Madison, WI → Milwaukee, WI
89 mi · 1.4 h
St. Paul, MN → Minneapolis, MN
11 mi · 0.2 h
Asheville, NC → Charlotte, NC
118 mi · 1.9 h
Montgomery, AL → Atlanta, GA
172 mi · 2.8 h
Cleveland, OH → Pittsburgh, PA
136 mi · 2.2 h
Fresno, CA → San Francisco, CA
190 mi · 3.1 h
Chattanooga, TN → Nashville, TN
134 mi · 2.2 h
Myrtle Beach, SC → Charleston, SC
103 mi · 1.7 h
Columbia, SC → Charleston, SC
125 mi · 2.0 h
Washington, DC → Atlantic City, NJ
170 mi · 2.7 h
Chattanooga, TN → Atlanta, GA
123 mi · 2.0 h
Myrtle Beach, SC → Columbia, SC
147 mi · 2.4 h
Browse road trips by collection
Driving costs by location
Real-world gas prices, commute budgets and state-specific road trips.
Gas price intelligence
Where gas is cheapest — and where it stings
State-level pump data, commute cost breakdowns and budget routing.
Highest in the USSee California breakdown
California gas prices
Average ~$4.65/gal — about $1.20/gal above the national mean. State excise tax, cap-and-trade fees and special summer blends drive the gap.
Regular
$4.65
vs US avg
+35%
Diesel
$5.10
Cheapest gas states
Mississippi, Texas, Missouri
Gas prices by state
All 50 states + DC
Commute cost by city
Top 100 US cities
Average gas price by state
2026 baseline data
Best MPG
Cheapest Vehicles to Drive
Hybrids, EVs and efficient compacts with the lowest fuel costs per mile.
High Fuel Use
Most Expensive Vehicles to Drive
Trucks, diesels and large EVs with the highest fuel or charging costs.
Trending
Popular tools right now
A snapshot of what other US drivers are looking up.
Quick Calculator
Estimate your fuel cost
Live results update as you type. Built for US gallons and miles.
miles
mpg
$/gal
Estimated Fuel Cost
$0.00
Gallons Needed
0.00gal
Calculation: gallons = distance ÷ MPG; cost = gallons × price.
Why drivers use DriveCosts
Designed to be the fastest, clearest way to plan driving expenses.
Accurate Calculations
Built on standard US fuel economy formulas drivers can trust.
Fast & Free
No signup, no ads in your way. Instant live results as you type.
US Fuel Standards
Miles, US gallons, and dollars — designed for American drivers.
Mobile Friendly
Optimized for phones at the pump and tablets at home.
Guides
Understanding driving costs in the US
Short, useful explainers that cover the math behind every calculator on this site.
Why gas prices vary by state
State and local fuel taxes can swing pump prices by more than $1/gal. California, Washington and Illinois sit at the top; Texas, Mississippi and Missouri are usually cheapest. Refinery distance and seasonal blends also matter — plan road trips to fuel up in low-tax states when you can.
EV charging vs gasoline road trip costs
Home charging usually costs 60–70% less than gasoline per mile. Road trip Supercharger or DC fast charging closes that gap — often only 20–40% cheaper than gas. Use the EV charging calculator with both home and public rates to compare.
How to estimate real cost per mile
Real cost per mile adds insurance, maintenance, tires and depreciation on top of fuel. AAA estimates ~$0.70/mi for the average new car in 2024. The cost per mile calculator lets you plug in your own numbers.
Why vehicle MPG matters for long commutes
A 30-mile daily commute in a 20-MPG truck at $3.45/gal costs about $2,690/yr — the same commute in a 50-MPG hybrid costs $1,075. Over five years that's $8,000 in your pocket. Use the MPG calculator to find your real-world MPG, then plug it into the vehicle fuel cost tool.