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Fuel & TripsRoad Trip Cost Calculator — Fuel Cost and Per-Person Split
Sketch the fuel budget for a road trip and split it fairly. Enter the round-trip distance, your MPG, the price per gallon, and how many people are chipping in.
How this calculator works
We work out gallons (distance ÷ MPG), multiply by the price per gallon for the total, then divide by the number of travelers for an even split. Enter the full round-trip distance if you want the cost of getting there and back.
What changes the number
- Highway-heavy trips usually beat your combined MPG — use the highway figure for a tighter estimate.
- Mountains, headwinds, AC, and a fully loaded car all push fuel use up.
- Fuel is only part of a trip budget — lodging, food, and tolls are usually larger.
Frequently asked questions
Should I enter one-way or round-trip distance?
Enter whatever you want the cost for. For the whole journey there and back, use the round-trip total.
Is it fair to split fuel evenly?
Even splits are the simplest and most common. Some groups weight it by who rode which legs, but per-head is the usual default — and what this calculator shows.
What about the driver’s wear and tear?
Some groups add a little extra for the car owner to cover tires, oil, and depreciation. A rough way to size that is the cost-of-ownership calculator’s per-mile figure.