Convert miles per gallon and fuel price into cost per mile.

A car doing 35 MPG on 6.50 per gallon fuel costs about 18.6 pence per mile. Drive 12,000 miles a year and that is 2,229 in fuel — useful when comparing two cars or weighing whether to switch to a more efficient model.

What the result means

Cost per mile lets you compare cars regardless of tank size or fill frequency. Annual cost at your mileage shows the real budget impact. Use the same calculator with a different MPG to see what a more efficient model would save.

For litres-per-gallon conversions: 1 gallon = 4.546 litres; 1 gallon = 3.785 litres. Enter fuel price per the gallon unit you are using for MPG.

Run it with sensible defaults

Using miles per gallon of 35, fuel price per gallon of 6.5, annual mileage of 12,000, the calculation works out to 0.19. Nudge the inputs toward your own situation and the output recalculates instantly. The defaults are meant as a starting point, not a recommendation.

The levers in this calculation

The inputs — Miles Per Gallon, Fuel Price Per Gallon, and Annual Mileage — do not pull with equal force. Frequency and unit price pull the total in different directions. The biggest surprise for most people is how small recurring amounts compound into large annual figures — that's where this calculation earns its keep.

How the math works

Cost per mile is fuel price divided by MPG. Annual cost is cost per mile times annual miles. Monthly cost is annual divided by twelve. Maintenance, insurance, depreciation and tax are out of scope — this is fuel only. The working is transparent — you can verify every step yourself in the formula section below. No black box, no opaque "proprietary model".

Using this without guilt

The figure here isn't a verdict on whether the spending is "worth it". That judgment is yours to make. What the number does is shift the question from "can I afford this?" to "is this what I want my money doing over a decade?". Both questions matter.

What this doesn't capture

The tool prices the money; it can't weigh the enjoyment. A coffee habit, gym membership, or streaming bundle might cost what the math says but deliver value that's harder to quantify. Use the number to make the trade-off visible — the decision is yours.