{
  "slug": "fuel-cost",
  "title": "Fuel Cost Calculator",
  "heading": "Fuel Cost Calculator",
  "category": "other",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/fuel-cost",
  "summary": "How much a trip costs in gas.",
  "description": "Estimate the fuel cost of a trip from distance, vehicle efficiency, and gas price.",
  "formula": null,
  "dateModified": "2026-10-03",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=fuel-cost",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "distance",
      "label": "Trip distance",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 350,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "unit",
      "label": "Units",
      "kind": "select",
      "hint": null,
      "default": "mpg",
      "options": [
        {
          "value": "mpg",
          "label": "Miles / mpg / $ per gallon"
        },
        {
          "value": "kml",
          "label": "Km / km per liter / $ per liter"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "efficiency",
      "label": "Efficiency",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 28,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 0.1,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "price",
      "label": "Fuel price",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 3.5,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "cost",
      "label": "Trip cost",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "fuel",
      "label": "Fuel used",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Trip distance: 350",
      "Units: Miles / mpg / $ per gallon",
      "Efficiency: 28",
      "Fuel price: 3.5"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Trip cost: $43.75",
      "Fuel used: 12.5"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter trip distance.",
      "Enter units.",
      "Enter efficiency.",
      "Enter fuel price.",
      "Read your trip cost on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "distance": 210,
        "unit": "mpg",
        "efficiency": 16.8,
        "price": 2.1
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "distance": 350,
        "unit": "mpg",
        "efficiency": 28,
        "price": 3.5
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "distance": 560,
        "unit": "mpg",
        "efficiency": 44.800000000000004,
        "price": 5.6000000000000005
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Estimates assume standard, average conditions — local rules, pricing, and materials vary.",
    "Results are rounded for readability; add a buffer before ordering, booking, or committing.",
    "Double-check anything with a real cost attached against a local quote."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "How does the fuel cost calculator work?",
      "a": "Estimate the fuel cost of a trip from distance, vehicle efficiency, and gas price."
    },
    {
      "q": "What do I need to enter?",
      "a": "4 values: trip distance, units, efficiency, and fuel price. Each field starts with a sensible default, so you can change one number at a time and watch the result move."
    },
    {
      "q": "What does the trip cost result mean?",
      "a": "It is returned as a money amount in US dollars and updates live as you edit the inputs, so you can compare two or three versions of a scenario in a few seconds."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is this calculator free, and do I need an account?",
      "a": "Yes, it's free, and no account is required. Nothing you type is stored on our servers — the maths runs entirely in your browser."
    },
    {
      "q": "How accurate is the result?",
      "a": "It applies the standard formula exactly, so the arithmetic is precise. Estimates assume standard, average conditions — local rules, pricing, and materials vary."
    },
    {
      "q": "Who is this tool for?",
      "a": "It's built for anyone doing everyday planning maths — a quick estimate that would otherwise need four browser tabs and a calculator app."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/gas-mileage"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Fuel Cost Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/fuel-cost)"
}