Fuel Cost for a Trip

Excel Formulas › Automotive & Fleet

All versions

Estimate a trip’s fuel cost: distance divided by MPG gives gallons, times the price per gallon gives the dollar cost. One formula plans any drive.

Quick formula: fuel cost from distance, MPG, and price:
=distance / MPG * fuel_price
Distance over MPG is gallons needed; times the price per gallon gives the trip's fuel cost.

The example

450 miles, 30 MPG, $3.50/gal.

AB
1ItemValue
2450 / 3015 gal
3× $3.50→ $52.50

The formula

The formula:

=B2 / MPG * fuel_price // distance ÷ MPG × price

How it works

How it works:

  1. distance / MPG gives the gallons the trip needs.
  2. Multiply by price per gallon for the dollar cost.
  3. Split a shared trip by passengers: cost / people.
  4. For a round trip, double the distance first.

Compare two vehicles instantly. The same trip at 30 MPG vs 20 MPG: 450/30×3.50 = $52.50 vs 450/20×3.50 = $78.75. Building a tiny comparison — trip cost per vehicle in a column — turns “which car for the road trip” into a one-glance answer, and scales to a fleet routing decision.

Try it: interactive demo

Live demo

Distance, MPG, fuel price.

Gallons · Cost

Variations

Round trip

Double distance:

=2 * distance / MPG * fuel_price

Cost per person

Split it:

=trip_cost / passengers

Gallons needed

Plan fill-ups:

=distance / MPG

Pitfalls & errors

Real-world MPG. Highway vs city differ — use a realistic figure.

Round trip. Double the one-way distance if returning.

Price changes. Use the price you’ll actually pay en route.

Practice workbook

📊
Download the free Fuel Cost for a Trip practice workbook
A fuel-cost sheet with the round-trip, per-person, and gallons variants, plus 4 challenges with answers. No sign-up required.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate trip fuel cost in Excel?
Use =distance / MPG * fuel_price. 450 miles at 30 MPG and $3.50/gal is $52.50.
How do I split a trip's fuel among riders?
Divide by passengers: =trip_cost / passengers.
How do I handle a round trip?
Double the distance: =2 * distance / MPG * fuel_price.

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