How much does it cost to drive 100 miles?
About $16.94 (3.92 gallons) of gas for 100 miles in a typical US car (25.5 mpg at $4.32 per gal), but about $83.67 once depreciation, insurance, maintenance, tyres and tax are spread over the year's 13,476 miles. An electric car charged at home does the same 100 miles on $5.29 of electricity; a UK petrol car needs £21.35 of fuel. The tables below give the fuel-only figure for any mpg and price, then 100, 200 and 1,000 miles for gas, diesel and electric, US and UK, all computed by the same code as the calculators.
Open the cost per mile calculator
1. Fuel only: 100 miles by mpg and fuel price
Fuel for 100 miles = 100 / mpg x price per gal. US gallons and dollars; a UK reader should use table 3 or type litres into the calculator. The starred row and column are the US starting values (25.5 mpg, $4.319).
| 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).
Doubling the mpg halves the bill; a dollar on the gallon price adds 100 / mpg dollars to every 100 miles. The guide on how much 100 miles of gas is gives the gallons too, and the cost per mile calculator does the same sum for any mpg, price and distance.
2. 100, 200 and 1,000 miles in a gas, diesel or electric car (US)
Each column is the typical US car of that kind with the calculator's starting values: gas 25.5 mpg at $4.32, diesel 26 mpg at $6.29, electric 3.47 mi/kWh charged at home at $0.183 per kWh. “All in” adds depreciation, insurance, maintenance, tyres and tax spread over 13,476 miles a year; the other costs are the same for the three cars, so only the fuel differs.
| Distance (miles) | Gas: fuel | Gas: all in | Diesel: fuel | Diesel: all in | Electric: fuel | Electric: all in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | $16.94 | $83.67 | $24.17 | $90.91 | $5.29 | $72.02 |
| 200 | $33.87 | $167 | $48.35 | $182 | $10.57 | $144 |
| 1,000 | $169 | $837 | $242 | $909 | $52.85 | $720 |
The electric car saves $11.65 of energy per 100 miles against gas at these prices. Whether that pays for a dearer car is the question the EV vs gas calculator answers; the guide on what it costs to charge an EV at home has the monthly and yearly figures.
3. The same distances in the UK: petrol, diesel and electric
UK starting values: petrol 35.8 mpg (UK gallon) at £1.681 per litre, diesel 41.1 mpg at £1.907 per litre, electric at the Ofgem cap rate of £0.2632 per kWh, and 7,100 miles a year for the all-in figure. Fewer miles a year means the fixed costs (depreciation, insurance, tax) weigh more on each one, so the all-in figure is many times the fuel figure even though the car itself is cheaper. The guide on the average cost per mile to drive a car in the UK breaks it down in pence per mile.
| Distance (miles) | Petrol: fuel | Petrol: all in | Diesel: fuel | Diesel: all in | Electric: fuel | Electric: all in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | £21.35 | £88.72 | £21.09 | £88.46 | £7.59 | £74.95 |
| 200 | £42.69 | £177 | £42.19 | £177 | £15.17 | £150 |
| 1,000 | £213 | £887 | £211 | £885 | £75.85 | £750 |
4. What 100 miles cost, line by line: fuel, wear and tear, depreciation (US gas car)
The all-in figure is the year's cost of the typical US gas car ($11,276) divided by its 13,476 miles, times 100. Gas, maintenance and tyres grow with every mile (maintenance and tyres are the wear and tear); depreciation, insurance and tax are charged by the year in the calculator, so they weigh more on each mile of a car that is driven little. Parking, tolls and loan interest are $0 in the starting values because they depend on where you drive and how you paid; the calculator has a field for each.
| Cost item | Per year | Per 100 miles | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel or energy | $2,282 | $16.94 | 20% |
| Maintenance and repairs | $1,251 | $9.28 | 11% |
| Tyres | $237 | $1.76 | 2% |
| Depreciation | $4,054 | $30.08 | 36% |
| Insurance | $2,638 | $19.58 | 23% |
| Tax, registration, inspection | $813 | $6.03 | 7% |
| Parking and tolls | $0 | $0.00 | 0% |
| Loan interest | $0 | $0.00 | 0% |
| Total | $11,276 | $83.67 | 100% |
Shares are rounded to whole percent, so the items may add up to 99% or 101%; the total is the sum of the unrounded items.
5. Fuel or all in: which figure to use
For a trip in a car you already own, the fuel figure is the cash that leaves your pocket. For deciding whether to drive at all, to take a job that pays per mile (the rideshare driver cost calculator does that sum for a week of work), or to charge someone for a journey (the guide on how much to charge per mile starts from the all-in figure), the all-in figure is the honest one: the typical US gas car costs 4.9 times its fuel once everything is counted. Both are estimates for planning from public starting values, not a statement about your car; the calculator takes your own mpg, prices and yearly miles.
Sources of the starting values used here: US fuel economy, 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); US 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); US diesel, 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) and 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); electric efficiency, 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); US home electricity, EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: U.S. residential average 18.34 cents/kWh, June 2026 (2026-09-18); US yearly distance, FHWA, Office of Highway Policy Information, Average Annual Miles per Driver by Age Group: 13,476 miles per driver per year (2026-09-18); UK petrol and diesel prices, DESNZ Weekly road fuel prices: ULSP (unleaded) 168.14 p/litre, week of 2026-09-14 and DESNZ Weekly road fuel prices: ULSD (diesel) 190.72 p/litre, week of 2026-09-14 (2026-09-18); UK electricity, Ofgem energy price cap: electricity unit rate 26.32 p/kWh, Direct Debit, average across England, Scotland and Wales, 1 October to 31 December 2026 (was 26.11 p for 1 July to 30 September 2026; read 2026-10-01) (2026-10-01); UK yearly distance, DfT National Travel Survey, table NTS0901 (updated 2026-09-10): average annual mileage per car in England, 2025: 7,100 miles (petrol 6,200, diesel 8,000) (2026-09-18). The other costs of each car (depreciation, insurance, maintenance, tyres, tax) are the calculator's starting values, listed with their sources on its page.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does it cost to drive 100 miles in a petrol car?
- Fuel only: 100 / mpg x the price per gal. At 25.5 mpg and $4.32 per gal (US starting values) that is $16.94; at 20 mpg and $5.00 it is $25.00, at 50 mpg and $3.00 only $6.00. All in, the typical US gas car costs $83.67 per 100 miles.
- How much does it cost to drive 100 miles in an electric car?
- $5.29 of electricity at home with the US starting values (3.47 mi/kWh at $0.183 per kWh), £7.59 in the UK at the Ofgem cap rate of £0.2632 per kWh. Public fast charging costs several times the home rate, so a trip charged on the road can cost as much as gas. All in, with the same other costs as the gas car, the US electric car is $72.02 per 100 miles.
- How much does it cost to drive 100 miles in the UK?
- £21.35 of petrol at 35.8 mpg (UK) and £1.681 per litre, £21.09 of diesel at 41.1 mpg and £1.907 per litre, £7.59 of home electricity. All in, over 7,100 miles a year: £88.72 for the petrol car, £74.95 for the electric one. Table 3 has 200 and 1,000 miles too.
- How much does it cost to drive 100 miles in diesel?
- $24.17 in the US (26 mpg at $6.29 per gallon, where diesel costs more than gas and the diesel models on sale are mostly trucks), £21.09 in the UK (41.1 mpg UK at £1.907 per litre). A diesel car's economy is what makes or breaks the sum: type your own mpg into the calculator.
- How much does it cost to drive 1,000 miles?
- Ten times the 100-mile figure: $169 of gas, $242 of diesel or $52.85 of home electricity with the US starting values, and $837 all in for the gas car. For a one-off trip in a car you already own, the fuel figure is the cash you spend; the all-in figure is what the miles really cost you over the year.
- Why is the all-in cost so much more than the fuel?
- Because fuel is only one of eight items. With the US starting values the gas car's all-in cost is 4.9 times its fuel: depreciation, insurance and tax are paid whether you drive or not, and maintenance and tyres wear with every mile. For an electric car the ratio is 13.6 because the energy is cheap and the other costs are the same. The cost per mile calculator shows each item for your own car.
- How much gas is 100 miles?
- Gallons = 100 / mpg. 3.92 gallons at the US starting 25.5 mpg, 5 gallons at 20 mpg, 2 at 50 mpg; at $4.319 a gallon the 3.92 gallons cost about $16.94. Table 1 has the cost for every mpg and price pair, and the guide on how much 100 miles of gas is gives the gallons at each mpg.
- What is the average cost per mile to drive a car?
- All in, $0.837 per mile for the typical US gas car at 13,476 miles a year, of which $0.169 is gas; 89p per mile for the typical UK petrol car at 7,100 miles a year, of which 21p is petrol. Both are the calculator's starting values put through its own sum, not a survey; the yearly miles matter because the fixed costs spread over them. The cost per mile calculator gives your own figure.
- How much is diesel per mile?
- Fuel only: about 24 cents per mile in the US at 26 mpg and $6.285 a gallon, about 21p per mile in the UK at 41.1 mpg and £1.907 a litre (fuel per mile = price per gallon / mpg; in the UK, pence per litre x 4.54609 / mpg). All in, with the other costs of the typical car, $0.909 per mile in the US (a 26 mpg pickup with the gas car's other costs, so a truck's figure, not a car's) and 88p in the UK. If you charge for diesel miles, the guide on how much to charge per mile has the figure by mpg and pump price.
- What would 100 miles cost at 100 mpg, and is there a 100 mpg diesel?
- At 100 mpg, 100 miles use exactly one gallon: $4.32 of gas or $6.29 of diesel at the US starting prices. No MY2025 diesel light vehicle on fueleconomy.gov is rated anywhere near it (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); the source of our diesel starting value), so the 100 mpg figure is a what-if, not a car you can buy.
More guides
- 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.
Last updated 2026-10-03. Cost estimates from published starting values (EPA, EIA, AAA, DESNZ, Ofgem, IRS/HMRC), each with its source and date, put through the same arithmetic as the calculators. Your car, prices and mileage move every figure. Information for planning, not financial or tax advice.