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Fuel Trip Cost Calculator

Distance ÷ mileage × price. Useful when comparing road trip vs train/flight, or splitting fuel costs with friends.

500 km
15.0 km/L
₹100.00/L
Total fuel cost (round trip)
₹6,667
66.67 litres

The formula

Fuel cost = (distance in km ÷ mileage in km/L) × price per litre. So a 500 km drive in a car that gives 15 km/L at ₹104/L petrol costs (500 ÷ 15) × 104 = ₹3,467. Diesel is roughly 10–15% cheaper per kilometre at typical urban prices.

Real-world mileage vs ARAI claim

Indian car spec sheets quote ARAI mileage — measured on a dynamometer at constant speeds with no AC or traffic. Real-world mileage is typically 15–25% lower. A car rated 20 km/L will give you 16–17 km/L in mixed city + highway use, and 11–13 km/L in stop-and-go city traffic with AC on.

Typical Indian-vehicle mileages

  • Hatchback (Maruti Swift, Hyundai i10) — 16–22 km/L petrol
  • Sedan (Honda City, Hyundai Verna) — 14–18 km/L petrol, 18–22 km/L diesel
  • Compact SUV (Brezza, Venue, Sonet) — 14–17 km/L petrol, 18–21 km/L diesel
  • Full SUV (Creta, Seltos, XUV700) — 12–15 km/L petrol, 15–18 km/L diesel
  • Bike (Splendor, Pulsar 150) — 45–65 km/L
  • Scooter (Activa, Jupiter) — 45–55 km/L

Road trip cost comparison

For 4 people driving Bengaluru → Goa (~600 km each way, 1200 km round trip) in a Creta at 15 km/L and ₹104/L petrol, fuel cost is ₹8,320 or about ₹2,080 per person. That's usually cheaper than train (2A: ₹1,800 × 4 = ₹7,200 plus first/last-mile) and dramatically cheaper than flight (₹4,000+ × 4). Always include tolls (use FASTag toll estimator) — Mumbai-Pune is ₹320 one-way, Bengaluru-Chennai is ₹500+.

EV trip cost

An EV like Tata Nexon EV (~₹1.5 per km at home charging) makes a 600 km round trip about ₹900 — five times cheaper than a petrol Creta. DC fast-charging on highways pushes that to ₹3 per km but still beats petrol. See the EV vs petrol cost calculator for break-even math.

FAQ

My actual fuel use is higher — why?

Real-world mileage is 15-25% lower than advertised due to AC use, traffic, hilly terrain, poor maintenance, lower-quality fuel. Use a realistic mileage (drop 20% from manual claim) for cost estimates.

Is electric vehicle cost similar to petrol?

No — EVs cost ~₹1-2/km vs ₹6-8/km for petrol. For a 1,000 km trip: petrol ~₹7,000, EV ~₹1,500. Charging time and infrastructure are the trade-offs.

Should I include toll in trip cost?

Yes if budgeting end-to-end. Use the FASTag Toll Calculator to add toll for your specific route. For Delhi-Mumbai / Bangalore-Chennai etc., toll can be 30-50% of fuel cost.