Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
True cost per mile
$0.645
Annual cost of ownership
$7,743
Monthly cost
$645.24
Annual fuel cost
$1,543
Fuel cost per mile
$0.129
Fuel share of total cost
19.9%
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One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
How to use this
- 1Enter miles driven per year.
- 2Enter fuel economy (mpg).
- 3Enter fuel price per gallon ($).
- 4Enter annual insurance ($).
- 5Enter annual maintenance + tires ($).
- 6Enter annual depreciation ($).
- 7Enter registration, parking, tolls ($).
- 8Read your true cost per mile on the right — it updates as you type.
- 9Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Fuel is usually less than a third of the real cost per mile. Depreciation, insurance, tires, and maintenance make up the rest — which is why mileage reimbursement rates sit near 65–70 cents.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Miles driven per year: 12000
- Fuel economy (MPG): 28
- Fuel price per gallon: 3.6 $
- Annual insurance: 1600 $
- Annual maintenance + tires: 900 $
- Annual depreciation: 3200 $
- Registration, parking, tolls: 500 $
Results
- True cost per mile: $0.645
- Annual cost of ownership: $7,742.86
- Monthly cost: $645.24
- Annual fuel cost: $1,542.86
- Fuel cost per mile: $0.129
- Fuel share of total cost: 19.9%
What each field means
Inputs
- Miles driven per year
- The miles driven per year used in the calculation. Starts at 12000 so you have a working example on load.
- Fuel economy (MPG)
- The fuel economy (mpg) used in the calculation. Starts at 28 so you have a working example on load.
- Fuel price per gallon ($)
- The fuel price per gallon used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 3.6 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Annual insurance ($)
- The annual insurance used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 1600 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Annual maintenance + tires ($)
- The annual maintenance + tires used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 900 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Annual depreciation ($)
- The annual depreciation used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 3200 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Registration, parking, tolls ($)
- The registration, parking, tolls used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 500 $ so you have a working example on load.
Results
- True cost per mile
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Annual cost of ownership
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Monthly cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Annual fuel cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Fuel cost per mile
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Fuel share of total cost
- Returned as a percentage. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
How does the cost per mile to drive calculator work?
Fuel is usually less than a third of the real cost per mile. Depreciation, insurance, tires, and maintenance make up the rest — which is why mileage reimbursement rates sit near 65–70 cents. The underlying maths is: Cost per mile = (Fuel + fixed costs + maintenance + depreciation) ÷ Annual miles.
What do I need to enter?
7 values: miles driven per year, fuel economy (mpg), fuel price per gallon, annual insurance, annual maintenance + tires, annual depreciation, and registration, parking, tolls. Each field starts with a sensible default, so you can change one number at a time and watch the result move.
What does the true cost per mile result mean?
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.
Is this calculator free, and do I need an account?
Yes, it's free, and no account is required. Nothing you type is stored on our servers — the maths runs entirely in your browser.
How accurate is the result?
It applies the standard formula exactly, so the arithmetic is precise. Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
Who is this tool for?
It's built for anyone comparing money scenarios before committing — budgeting a payment, sanity-checking a quote, or seeing what a change in rate or term actually costs.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Cost Per Mile Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/cost-per-mile
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/cost-per-mile" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cost Per Mile Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Cost Per Mile Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/cost-per-mile) (2026).