Fuel Cost Calculator
Calculate your trip fuel expenses
Fuel Saving Tips
- Maintain steady speed to improve mileage
- Keep tires properly inflated
- Avoid aggressive acceleration and braking
- Regular vehicle servicing improves fuel efficiency
How Fuel Cost Is Calculated
The trip fuel cost depends on three numbers: the distance you'll drive, your vehicle's mileage (km per litre), and the current per-litre fuel price. The formula is:
Fuel Cost = (Distance ÷ Mileage) × Fuel Price per LitreWorked example. For a 400 km trip in a car that gives 15 km per litre, with petrol at ₹100 per litre: (400 ÷ 15) × 100 = 26.67 litres × ₹100 = ₹2,667. The calculator above does this math instantly for any distance, mileage, and price you enter — including round trips, multi-stop journeys, and side-by-side petrol vs diesel comparisons.
Fuel Cost Lookup — Distance × Mileage
Quick reference table for the most-searched trip distances. Calculated at ₹100 per litre (round-number petrol price for easy scaling). To get the exact cost for your own fuel price, multiply the litres-required column by your local rate.
| Distance | @ 12 km/l (small car) | @ 15 km/l (sedan) | @ 18 km/l (hatchback) | @ 22 km/l (diesel) | Litres @ 15 km/l |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 km | ₹833 | ₹667 | ₹556 | ₹455 | 6.67 L |
| 150 km | ₹1,250 | ₹1,000 | ₹833 | ₹682 | 10.00 L |
| 200 km | ₹1,667 | ₹1,333 | ₹1,111 | ₹909 | 13.33 L |
| 300 km | ₹2,500 | ₹2,000 | ₹1,667 | ₹1,364 | 20.00 L |
| 400 km | ₹3,333 | ₹2,667 | ₹2,222 | ₹1,818 | 26.67 L |
| 500 km | ₹4,167 | ₹3,333 | ₹2,778 | ₹2,273 | 33.33 L |
| 600 km | ₹5,000 | ₹4,000 | ₹3,333 | ₹2,727 | 40.00 L |
| 800 km | ₹6,667 | ₹5,333 | ₹4,444 | ₹3,636 | 53.33 L |
| 1,000 km | ₹8,333 | ₹6,667 | ₹5,556 | ₹4,545 | 66.67 L |
| 1,500 km | ₹12,500 | ₹10,000 | ₹8,333 | ₹6,818 | 100.00 L |
| 2,000 km | ₹16,667 | ₹13,333 | ₹11,111 | ₹9,091 | 133.33 L |
How to scale for your local price: Take the litres column and multiply by your city's actual price. Example: 400 km × 15 km/l in Mumbai (petrol ₹103.44) = 26.67 L × ₹103.44 = ₹2,759.
City-wise Petrol & Diesel Prices + Real Cost per km
Fuel prices in India vary by ₹10–13 per litre between cities thanks to state-level VAT differences. Below are the current rates across the 8 largest metros, plus the per-km cost comparison across petrol, diesel, CNG, and EV — the analysis most calculators skip. Prices as of April 2026.
Current Fuel Prices Across Major Indian Cities
| City | Petrol (₹/L) | Diesel (₹/L) | CNG (₹/kg) | Petrol vs Diesel gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi | 94.77 | 87.67 | 79.50 | ₹7.10 |
| Ahmedabad | 94.49 | 90.17 | 75.10 | ₹4.32 |
| Chennai | 100.85 | 92.44 | 81.50 | ₹8.41 |
| Bengaluru | 102.86 | 88.94 | 89.50 | ₹13.92 |
| Pune | 104.03 | 90.57 | 87.00 | ₹13.46 |
| Kolkata | 104.95 | 91.76 | 86.00 | ₹13.19 |
| Hyderabad | 107.46 | 95.70 | 94.40 | ₹11.76 |
| Mumbai | 103.44 | 89.97 | 79.00 | ₹13.47 |
Cost per km — Petrol vs Diesel vs CNG vs EV
Same mid-size hatchback as a reference. Real-world mileage, real-world prices. The per-km cost is what actually matters for monthly fuel budgeting — not the per-litre headline.
| Fuel Type | Typical Mileage | Price (Delhi) | Cost per km | Annual cost (15,000 km) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 15 km/L | ₹94.77/L | ₹6.32 | ₹94,800 |
| Diesel | 20 km/L | ₹87.67/L | ₹4.38 | ₹65,750 |
| CNG | 25 km/kg | ₹79.50/kg | ₹3.18 | ₹47,700 |
| Electric (EV) | 5 km/kWh | ₹8.00/kWh | ₹1.60 | ₹24,000 |
The numbers most people don't compute: Switching from a petrol car to an EV saves ~₹70,800 per year in fuel — roughly enough to cover the EV's monthly EMI on a 5-year loan. Switching from petrol to CNG saves ₹47,100 per year. The break-even on a CNG retrofit kit (~₹70,000) is just 18 months. Diesel makes sense above 18,000 km/year of usage; below that, petrol is cheaper after factoring the diesel price premium on the car itself.
Cut Your Fuel Bill 25% — Tactics That Actually Move the Number
Most "fuel-saving tip" articles focus on small habit changes that move the bill 2–3%. Here are the four levers that, combined, regularly cut a ₹10,000/month fuel bill to ₹7,500 — backed by real-world testing in Indian driving conditions.
1. Drive at 60–80 km/h, not 100+
Most cars hit their best fuel efficiency between 60–80 km/h. Above 100 km/h, aerodynamic drag increases as the cube of speed — a car doing 120 km/h burns ~30% more fuel than the same car at 80 km/h. On highway runs, holding 80 km/h instead of 110 km/h saves ~25% fuel for negligible time difference (a 300 km trip takes 19 extra minutes for ₹600+ savings).
2. Tyre pressure check every 15 days
Tyres lose 1–2 PSI per month naturally. A tyre 5 PSI below spec causes ~5% efficiency loss. Most Indian drivers check pressure once in 6 months — meaning they're losing 4–8% on every km. Cost of a digital tyre gauge: ₹400. Annual fuel saved at 15,000 km: ₹4,500+.
3. AC at low fan + 24°C, not max
A car AC running at max consumes ~8–12% of fuel. Setting AC to 24°C with low fan speed (and using the recirculation mode) cuts that to ~4–6%. On a 15 km/l car, this difference adds 0.8–1.0 km per litre — equivalent to ₹500/month of fuel saved during summer months.
4. Plan refuels with Fuel Pass apps
Apps like IndianOil's XtraRewards, BPCL SmartFleet, and HPCL DriveTrack offer 1–3% cashback plus loyalty points. Combined with a co-branded fuel credit card (HDFC IOC, ICICI HPCL, Axis IOCL), real net discount reaches 5–7% on every refuel. On a ₹10,000/month fuel spend that's ₹500–700/month back.
Pro tip — fuel up in the morning. Petrol is denser when cold. Filling at 6 AM in summer can give you 1–2% more fuel by volume vs filling at 2 PM, because pump dispensers measure litres not mass. Small win, but free.
The single biggest one-time lever: If you drive more than 1,500 km/month, a CNG kit retrofit (~₹65,000–80,000) cuts per-km cost from ₹6.32 to ₹3.18 — saving ~₹4,700/month on a 1,500 km usage pattern. Payback time: 14–17 months. After that, every km is pure savings for the kit's 8–10 year life.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is fuel cost for a trip calculated?
Fuel cost is calculated by dividing the total trip distance by your vehicle's mileage (km per litre) to get the litres required, then multiplying by the fuel price per litre. For example, a 300 km trip at 15 km/l mileage with fuel at Rs 100/litre costs Rs 2,000.
What is a good mileage for a car in India?
For petrol cars, 12-18 km/l is typical for city driving and 15-22 km/l on highways. Diesel cars generally deliver 15-25 km/l. Actual mileage varies based on driving conditions, traffic, vehicle maintenance, and driving style.
How can I improve my vehicle's fuel efficiency?
Maintain steady speeds, avoid rapid acceleration and braking, keep tyres properly inflated, and service your vehicle regularly. Driving at 60-80 km/h on highways is generally the most fuel-efficient speed range for most cars.
Should I use petrol or diesel fuel cost for my calculation?
Use the current price of whichever fuel your vehicle runs on. Diesel is typically Rs 5-10 cheaper per litre than petrol in India, but diesel vehicles usually have a higher purchase cost. Enter the exact fuel price from your nearest pump for the most accurate estimate.
How do I calculate fuel cost for a round trip?
Simply enter the total round-trip distance (double the one-way distance) into the calculator along with your mileage and fuel price. The result will show the total fuel expense for the entire journey both ways.