{
  "slug": "road-trip-cost",
  "title": "Road Trip Cost Calculator",
  "heading": "Road Trip Cost Calculator",
  "category": "other",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/road-trip-cost",
  "summary": "Fuel, lodging, food, and per-person split for the whole trip.",
  "description": "Gas is only part of it. Add nights, meals, and tolls and split it across everyone in the car to see the real per-person number.",
  "formula": "Fuel = miles ÷ mpg × price; total adds lodging, food, tolls.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=road-trip-cost",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "miles",
      "label": "Round-trip distance",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 1200,
      "unit": "mi",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "mpg",
      "label": "Fuel economy",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 28,
      "unit": "mpg",
      "min": 1,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "price",
      "label": "Fuel price",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 3.6,
      "unit": "$/gal",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "nights",
      "label": "Nights of lodging",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 3,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "hotel",
      "label": "Cost per night",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 140,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "food",
      "label": "Food per person per day",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 45,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "people",
      "label": "Travelers",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 2,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 1,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "tolls",
      "label": "Tolls + parking",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 40,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "total",
      "label": "Total trip cost",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "perPerson",
      "label": "Cost per person",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "fuel",
      "label": "Fuel cost",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "lodging",
      "label": "Lodging",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "food",
      "label": "Food",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "gallons",
      "label": "Gallons needed",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Round-trip distance: 1200 mi",
      "Fuel economy: 28 mpg",
      "Fuel price: 3.6 $/gal",
      "Nights of lodging: 3",
      "Cost per night: 140 $",
      "Food per person per day: 45 $",
      "Travelers: 2",
      "Tolls + parking: 40 $"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Total trip cost: $974",
      "Cost per person: $487",
      "Fuel cost: $154.29",
      "Lodging: $420",
      "Food: $360",
      "Gallons needed: 42.9"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter round-trip distance (mi).",
      "Enter fuel economy (mpg).",
      "Enter fuel price ($/gal).",
      "Enter nights of lodging.",
      "Enter cost per night ($).",
      "Enter food per person per day ($).",
      "Enter travelers.",
      "Enter tolls + parking ($).",
      "Read your total 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": {
        "miles": 720,
        "mpg": 17,
        "price": 2.16,
        "nights": 2,
        "hotel": 80,
        "food": 25,
        "people": 1,
        "tolls": 25
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "miles": 1200,
        "mpg": 28,
        "price": 3.6,
        "nights": 3,
        "hotel": 140,
        "food": 45,
        "people": 2,
        "tolls": 40
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "miles": 1920,
        "mpg": 45,
        "price": 5.760000000000001,
        "nights": 5,
        "hotel": 220,
        "food": 70,
        "people": 3,
        "tolls": 65
      }
    }
  ],
  "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 road trip cost calculator work?",
      "a": "Gas is only part of it. Add nights, meals, and tolls and split it across everyone in the car to see the real per-person number. The underlying maths is: Fuel = miles ÷ mpg × price; total adds lodging, food, tolls."
    },
    {
      "q": "What do I need to enter?",
      "a": "8 values: round-trip distance, fuel economy, fuel price, nights of lodging, cost per night, food per person per day, travelers, and tolls + parking. 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 total 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": [],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Road Trip Cost Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/road-trip-cost)"
}