Fuel Cost Calculator
Estimate fuel cost for a trip. Handles L/100km, mpg (US and Imperial), and per-litre or per-gallon pricing.
Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is sent to our servers.
About this tool
Estimates the fuel cost of a trip. Handles every common unit combination Canadians run into — kilometres and miles for distance, L/100km and mpg (both flavours) for fuel economy, and per-litre or per-gallon pricing.
Fuel economy: the units are confusing
- L/100km (Canada's standard): how many litres your car burns to travel 100 km. Lower is better.
- mpg (US): miles per US gallon. Higher is better. Most online specs from US sources.
- mpg (Imperial): miles per Imperial gallon. Higher than US mpg for the same car (the Imperial gallon is bigger). Used in older Canadian/British contexts.
- km/L: kilometres per litre. The inverse of L/100km. Used in some Asian markets.
Cross-border quick conversions
- 30 US mpg ≈ 7.8 L/100km
- 25 US mpg ≈ 9.4 L/100km
- 20 US mpg ≈ 11.8 L/100km
- 1 US mpg ≈ 1.20 Imperial mpg
Frequently asked questions
- Why are there two mpg units?
- Because there are two gallons. A US gallon is 3.785 L; an Imperial gallon (used historically in Canada and the UK) is 4.546 L — 20% larger. So a car that gets 30 mpg US is closer to 36 mpg Imperial. Always check which gallon a spec is using.
- What price should I use for "current"?
- Whatever's on the pump. Canadian prices vary daily and by province — Vancouver and the GTA tend to be highest; Alberta and Manitoba tend to be lowest. CAA, GasBuddy, and PetroCanada's app all show real-time prices.
- How accurate is the estimate?
- For highway driving, very close. City driving consumes more — typically 20–30% above the rated highway economy. Cold weather, AC use, headwinds, and aggressive driving all hurt economy. The tool assumes your stated economy is what you'll actually achieve.
- What if I have an EV?
- This tool is for gas/diesel vehicles. EV trip costs are dominated by electricity rates and charging-station fees, which are too situational to fit into a single calculator. We may add an EV-specific version later.
Last updated: May 17, 2026