Free calculator
Cost per mile to drive calculator
With the US starting values (13,476 miles a year at 25.5 mpg and $4.32 per gal, sources under each field), a mile costs about $0.84 all-in and a year costs $11,276; fuel is only $0.17 of it. Type your own car's numbers to see your real cost per mile, what is fixed and what grows with every mile.
Result
- Cost per mile
- $0.84
- Cost per year
- $11,276
- Cost per 100 miles
- $84
- Fuel or energy per year
- $2,282
- Variable cost per mile
- $0.28
- Fixed costs per year
- $7,505
Fixed costs (depreciation, insurance, tax, parking, loan interest) are paid whether you drive or not; fuel, maintenance and tyres grow with every mile. The result is only as good as the numbers you type; starting values carry their source and date.
| Cost | Per year | Per mile | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel or energy | $2,282 | $0.169 | variable |
| Maintenance and repairs | $1,251 | $0.093 | variable |
| Tyres | $237 | $0.018 | variable |
| Depreciation | $4,054 | $0.301 | fixed |
| Insurance | $2,638 | $0.196 | fixed |
| Tax, registration, inspection | $813 | $0.060 | fixed |
| Parking and tolls | $0 | $0.000 | fixed |
| Loan interest | $0 | $0.000 | fixed |
| Total | $11,276 | $0.837 |
Get the printable driver cost report
One page with your real cost per mile, fixed against variable, what you keep per hour and the break-even payout, from the numbers you typed here. Print it or save it as PDF.
How it works
Cost per year = fuel or energy + maintenance and repairs + tyres + depreciation + insurance + tax, registration and inspection + parking and tolls + loan interest. Cost per mile = cost per year / miles per year. Fuel per year = miles per year / fuel economy x price per gal (for an electric car: miles x energy per mile x price per kWh, blended between home and public charging by the share you set). Depreciation = the car’s current value x the share of value it loses this year.
Fuel, maintenance and tyres are variable: they grow with every mile. Depreciation, insurance, tax, parking and loan interest are fixed: you pay them whether the car moves or not, so the more you drive, the thinner they are spread. With the US starting values, doubling the yearly distance to 26,952 miles takes the cost per mile from $0.84 to $0.50, while the yearly bill rises from $11,276 to $13,558.
Every number is yours to change; the starting values only save typing. There are no live fuel prices and no claims about your car. All calculations run in your browser and the inputs stay there, so the rideshare driver calculator can pick up your cost per mile.
Sources of the US starting values
- Distance per year: FHWA, Office of Highway Policy Information, Average Annual Miles per Driver by Age Group: 13,476 miles per driver per year, 2026-09-18
- Gas fuel economy (mpg): EPA Automotive Trends Report (MY2024): real-world new-vehicle average 27.2 mpg, 1.7 mpg lower without BEVs and PHEVs = 25.5 mpg for a gas car, 2026-09-18
- Gas price: EIA Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update: regular gasoline, U.S. average $4.319/gal, week of 2026-09-14 (released 2026-09-15), 2026-09-18
- Diesel fuel economy (mpg): fueleconomy.gov, MY2025 diesel light vehicles: 2025 Chevrolet Silverado 2WD 3.0L diesel, 26 mpg combined (the rest of the list are 23-24 mpg trucks and SUVs), 2026-09-18
- Diesel price: EIA Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update: on-highway diesel, U.S. average $6.285/gal, week of 2026-09-14 (released 2026-09-15), 2026-09-18
- EV efficiency (mi/kWh): EPA Automotive Trends Report (MY2024): Tesla fleet 117.1 MPGe = 117.1 / 33.7 kWh per gallon-equivalent = 3.47 mi/kWh (17.9 kWh/100 km), used as the typical EV, 2026-09-18
- Home electricity price: EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: U.S. residential average 18.34 cents/kWh, June 2026, 2026-09-18
- Public charging price: Paren, Q1 2026 U.S. DC fast charging report: $0.53/kWh average excluding free chargers ($0.49 including them), 2026-09-18
- Vehicle value: Cox Automotive: average used-vehicle listing price $27,028, July 2026 (published 2026-08-14), 2026-09-18
- Depreciation rate: CarEdge: a new car loses about 20 % in year one, then about 15 % a year up to year four, 2026-09-18
- Insurance: Bankrate: national average full-coverage car insurance $2,638 per year (press release, February 2025), 2026-09-18
- Maintenance and repairs: Derived: AAA Your Driving Costs 2025 puts maintenance, repair and tires at 11.04 cents/mile; the 84 % maintenance share comes from AAA 2016 (maintenance 5.28, tires 1.00 cents/mile); x 13,476 miles (second source), 2026-09-18
- Tyres: Derived: 16 % tyre share of AAA 2025 maintenance, repair and tires (11.04 cents/mile), share from AAA 2016 (tires 1.00 of 6.28 cents/mile); x 13,476 miles (second source), 2026-09-18
- Tax, registration, inspection: AAA Your Driving Costs 2025: license, registration and taxes $813 per year (national average, includes purchase taxes spread over ownership), 2026-09-18
- Parking and tolls: No default: parking and tolls depend on where you drive; type your own yearly total (visitor's choice), 2026-09-18
- Loan interest: Owned outright by default (0); type the interest you pay per year if the car is on a loan, 2026-09-18
- Driver: distance per week: Derived: Gridwise 2026 Annual Gig Mobility Report (2025 data): $522 gross per week at $0.94 per mile driven = ~555 miles per week, 2026-09-18
- Driver: paid share of distance: Fehr & Peers for Uber and Lyft (2019), Estimated TNC Share of VMT in Six US Metropolitan Regions: about 40 % of ride-hail miles are deadheading (no passenger), so 60 % are paid, 2026-09-18
- Driver: hours per week: Gridwise 2026 Annual Gig Mobility Report (2025 data): Uber rideshare drivers average 21.2 hours per week, 2026-09-18
- Driver: gross pay per week: Gridwise 2026 Annual Gig Mobility Report (2025 data): $522 gross per week ($23.88 per hour), 2026-09-18
- Driver: weeks per year: Assumption: 48 working weeks a year (4 weeks off); edit to match your year, 2026-09-18
- IRS standard mileage rate, business (Jul-Dec 2026): IRS: 76 cents per mile from 2026-07-01 (IR-2026-29); 72.5 cents Jan-Jun 2026 (IR-2025-128)
UK and metric starting values have their own sources, shown under each field when you switch region.
Cost per mile formula
The calculator runs this sum, item by item:
- Cost per year = fuel + maintenance and repairs + tyres + depreciation + insurance + tax and registration + parking and tolls + loan interest.
- Cost per mile = cost per year / miles driven per year.
- Fuel per mile = price per gal / mpg. (Inside, the code works in km and litres: miles x 1.609344 / 100 x litres per 100 km x price per litre, which is the same number.)
- Electric: energy per mile = 1 / mi/kWh x price per kWh.
- Depreciation per year = value of the car x share lost a year.
Worked example with the US starting values (13,476 miles a year, 25.5 mpg, $4.32 per gal, a $27,028 car):
| Item | Per year | Per mile |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel or energy | $2,282 | $0.169 |
| Maintenance and repairs | $1,251 | $0.093 |
| Tyres | $237 | $0.018 |
| Depreciation | $4,054 | $0.301 |
| Insurance | $2,638 | $0.196 |
| Tax, registration, inspection | $813 | $0.060 |
| Parking and tolls | $0 | $0.000 |
| Loan interest | $0 | $0.000 |
| Total | $11,276 | $0.837 |
Cost of 100 miles of gas by mpg and price
Fuel alone for 100 miles = 100 / mpg x price per gal. The starred row and column are the starting values; the calculator adds the other seven items on top. The guide how much is 100 miles of gas gives the gallons and longer trips, and how much it costs to drive 100 miles the all-in figure for gas, diesel and electric.
| Fuel economy (mpg) | $3.00/gal | $3.50/gal | $4.00/gal | $4.319/gal* | $4.50/gal | $5.00/gal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | $15.00 | $17.50 | $20.00 | $21.60 | $22.50 | $25.00 |
| 25 | $12.00 | $14.00 | $16.00 | $17.28 | $18.00 | $20.00 |
| 25.5* | $11.76 | $13.73 | $15.69 | $16.94 | $17.65 | $19.61 |
| 30 | $10.00 | $11.67 | $13.33 | $14.40 | $15.00 | $16.67 |
| 35 | $8.57 | $10.00 | $11.43 | $12.34 | $12.86 | $14.29 |
| 40 | $7.50 | $8.75 | $10.00 | $10.80 | $11.25 | $12.50 |
| 50 | $6.00 | $7.00 | $8.00 | $8.64 | $9.00 | $10.00 |
* Starting values of the calculator: fuel economy 25.5 mpg (EPA Automotive Trends Report (MY2024): real-world new-vehicle average 27.2 mpg, 1.7 mpg lower without BEVs and PHEVs = 25.5 mpg for a gas car); price $4.319 per gallon (EIA Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update: regular gasoline, U.S. average $4.319/gal, week of 2026-09-14 (released 2026-09-15), read 2026-09-18).
In the UK? The guide on the average cost per mile to drive a car in the UK has the same figures in pence per mile, and the calculator switches to litres and pounds.
How much does a car cost per mile? Gas, diesel and electric, US and UK
Each row is the typical car of that kind with the calculator's starting values for the country, driven the country's average miles a year (13,476 in the US, 7,100 in the UK). “Fuel” is gas, diesel or home electricity alone; “all in” adds depreciation, insurance, maintenance, tyres and tax, which are the same for the three cars of a country, so only the fuel line differs. The UK figures are the ones the UK cost per mile guide breaks down item by item.
| Car | Fuel per mile | All in per mile | Per year | Miles a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US gas | $0.169 | $0.837 | $11,276 | 13,476 |
| US diesel | $0.242 | $0.909 | $12,251 | 13,476 |
| US electric (home charging) | $0.053 | $0.720 | $9,705 | 13,476 |
| UK petrol | £0.213 | £0.887 | £6,299 | 7,100 |
| UK diesel | £0.211 | £0.885 | £6,281 | 7,100 |
| UK electric (home charging) | £0.076 | £0.750 | £5,322 | 7,100 |
Starting values and their sources: US, the list above; UK, under each field when you switch the calculator to UK. The US diesel is a 26 mpg pickup at $6.285 a gallon (fueleconomy.gov, MY2025 diesel light vehicles: 2025 Chevrolet Silverado 2WD 3.0L diesel, 26 mpg combined (the rest of the list are 23-24 mpg trucks and SUVs)), so that row is a truck's figure, not a car's.
Cost per mile by miles driven per year
The same US gas car driven more or fewer miles. Fuel, maintenance and tyres grow with every mile, so their part per mile stays at $0.280; depreciation, insurance and tax are paid by the year, so each extra mile makes their part smaller. The step-by-step article has the full table from 5,000 to 30,000 miles and where each of the eight numbers comes from.
| Miles a year | Fixed per mile | Variable per mile | Total per mile | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10,000 | $0.751 | $0.280 | $1.030 | $10,303 |
| 13,476* | $0.557 | $0.280 | $0.837 | $11,276 |
| 20,000 | $0.375 | $0.280 | $0.655 | $13,101 |
| 30,000 | $0.250 | $0.280 | $0.530 | $15,899 |
* FHWA, Office of Highway Policy Information, Average Annual Miles per Driver by Age Group: 13,476 miles per driver per year. If you set a rate per mile for customers or a delivery contract, the guide on how much to charge per mile starts from this figure, US and UK.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cost per mile formula?
- Cost per mile = everything the car costs in a year / miles driven that year. With the US starting values: $11,276 / 13,476 = $0.84 per mile. Fuel alone is price per gal / mpg: $4.32 / 25.5 = $0.169 per mile.
- How much does it cost to drive 100 miles?
- About $84 all-in with the US starting values, of which $17 is fuel (25.5 mpg at $4.32 per gal). Fuel alone is 100 / fuel economy x price; the rest is depreciation, insurance, maintenance, tyres and tax spread over the year's miles. Type your own car to get your figure.
- What is included in the cost per mile?
- Eight items: fuel or energy, maintenance and repairs, tyres, depreciation, insurance, tax and registration, parking and tolls, and loan interest. Fuel, maintenance and tyres scale with distance; the other five are paid per year whatever you drive. Financing counts the interest only, not the repayments, because the repayments buy the car, which depreciation already accounts for.
- Is my cost per mile the same as the standard mileage rate?
- No. IRS standard mileage rate, business (Jul-Dec 2026) ($0.760 per mile) is one figure for every car, set by IRS: 76 cents per mile from 2026-07-01 (IR-2026-29); 72.5 cents Jan-Jun 2026 (IR-2025-128). Your real cost depends on your car, your miles and your prices, and can sit well above or below it. The rideshare driver calculator puts the two side by side; it is not tax advice.
- How do I work out depreciation per mile?
- Current value x share of value lost this year / miles per year. With the US starting values, a car worth $27,028 losing 15% a year over 13,476 miles costs $0.301 per mile in depreciation alone ($4,054 a year). New cars lose a bigger share; old ones a smaller one.
- Do you use live fuel or electricity prices?
- No. You type the prices you pay. The starting values come from public sources, each shown with its date under the field, and are refreshed by hand; they are there to save typing, not to describe your car.
- Does driving more lower the cost per mile?
- Per mile, yes: the fixed costs are spread over more miles. Doubling the US starting distance takes the cost from $0.84 to $0.50 per mile. Per year, no: the bill rises from $11,276 to $13,558, because fuel, tyres and maintenance grow with every mile.
- How much does a car cost per mile?
- About $0.84 per mile all in for the typical US gas car at 13,476 miles a year ($11,276 a year), from $1.03 at 10,000 miles to $0.53 at 30,000, because the fixed costs spread over the miles. The typical UK petrol car costs 89p a mile at 7,100 miles a year. The two tables above have gas, diesel and electric for both countries and the figure by yearly miles; type your own car for yours.
- What is the driving cost per mile in the UK?
- All in, at 7,100 miles a year with the UK starting values: 89p a mile for the typical petrol car (21p of it petrol), 88p for the diesel and 75p for the electric car charged at home. The UK guide linked above has every item in pence per mile and the figure by yearly mileage; switch the calculator to UK for your own.
- What is the wear and tear cost per mile?
- Maintenance and repairs, tyres and depreciation together: maintenance and repairs $0.093 + tyres $0.018 + depreciation $0.301 = $0.41 of the $0.84 per mile of the typical US car. Fuel, insurance and tax are on top. The standard mileage rate is meant to stand in for all of these costs, not only wear and tear.
- How do I calculate cost per mile for my car?
- Add up a year of fuel, maintenance and repairs, tyres, depreciation (the car's value x the share it loses in a year), insurance, tax and registration, parking and tolls, and loan interest; divide by the miles you drove that year. With the US starting values: $11,276 / 13,476 = $0.84. Type the eight numbers above; the step-by-step article linked above shows where to find each one.
Guides
- How much does it cost to drive 100 miles?
Fuel alone and the all-in cost of 100, 200 and 1,000 miles in a typical gas, diesel and electric car, US and UK, by mpg and fuel price, plus 100 miles line by line.
- How much should I charge per mile? Your real cost, US and UK
Charge at least your cost per mile: diesel and petrol fuel by mpg and price, the all-in figure by miles a year, and the IRS and HMRC rates against it. US and UK.
- How much does it cost to own a car per year?
Yearly and monthly cost of a typical gas, diesel and electric car, item by item: fuel, depreciation, insurance, maintenance, tyres and tax. US, UK and EU.
- How much does it cost to drive 100 km?
Fuel for 100 km by L/100 km and price per litre, 100 to 1,000 km all in for petrol, diesel and electric, and km per litre to L/100 km and mpg.
- How much is 100 miles of gas? Gallons and cost by mpg
Gallons of gas for 100 miles and what they cost by mpg and gas price, the same for longer trips, and litres and pounds for a UK petrol car.
- Average cost per mile to drive a car in the UK
Pence per mile for a typical UK petrol, diesel and electric car, fuel only and all in, item by item, by yearly mileage, and against the HMRC rate.