To calculate fuel cost per kilometer, match your consumption and fuel-price units. With a rating in litres per 100 kilometres (L/100 km), use (L/100 km × price per litre) ÷ 100. With a rating in kilometres per litre (km/L), use price per litre ÷ km/L. For example, 7.5 L/100 km at 1.80 currency units per litre costs 0.135 currency units per kilometer.
The two formulas you need
Fuel cost per kilometer is simply the fuel used for one kilometer multiplied by the price of that fuel. The only complication is that vehicles report consumption in different units.
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| Consumption format | Formula | What the result means |
|---|---|---|
| Litres per 100 kilometres (L/100 km) | (consumption × price per litre) ÷ 100 | Currency units spent on fuel for each kilometer |
| Kilometres per litre (km/L) | price per litre ÷ km/L | Currency units spent on fuel for each kilometer |
The first method calculates the cost of 100 kilometres and then divides by 100. The second starts with the price of one litre and spreads it across the kilometers that litre travels.
Example using L/100 km
A car rated at 7.5 L/100 km, with fuel priced at 1.80 currency units per litre:
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- Multiply consumption by price: 7.5 × 1.80 = 13.50 currency units per 100 km.
- Divide by 100: 13.50 ÷ 100 = 0.135 currency units per km.
Example using km/L
A car that travels 12 km/L at the same 1.80-per-litre price:
- Divide price per litre by distance per litre: 1.80 ÷ 12.
- The result is 0.15 currency units per km.
These are arithmetic illustrations, not a current fuel-price claim or a result for a particular vehicle.
Check the units before calculating
Most errors come from combining figures that use different units. Write the units beside every number before entering the calculation.
- For an L/100 km rating, use a fuel price per litre.
- For a km/L rating, use a fuel price per litre.
- Use the same currency for the entire calculation.
- Use kilometers, not miles, unless you first convert the distance and consumption basis.
- If a pump displays a price per gallon, convert it to a price per litre before using an L/100 km or km/L figure.
When converting a gallon price, identify whether it is a US gallon or an Imperial gallon, divide by the corresponding number of litres in that gallon, and label the converted figure. Do not mix a gallon-based consumption figure with a litre-based price.
Why L/100 km and km/L behave differently
L/100 km is a consumption measure: a lower number is better because fewer litres are needed to cover 100 kilometres. Km/L is an efficiency measure: a higher number is better because each litre takes the car farther. The formulas are two expressions of the same relationship, but they cannot be swapped without converting the units.
Calculate the fuel cost of a trip
Once you know the cost per kilometer, multiply it by the trip distance:
trip fuel cost = cost per kilometer × trip distance
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Using the 0.135-per-kilometer example:
- 50 km costs 0.135 × 50 = 6.75 currency units.
- 320 km costs 0.135 × 320 = 43.20 currency units.
- For a round trip, use the total distance driven in both directions, including any detours you expect to make.
This estimates fuel only. It does not include tolls, parking, servicing, insurance, depreciation, finance costs, or the purchase price of the vehicle.
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Estimate fuel spending for a week, month or year
Use the same multiplication for any period:
period fuel cost = cost per kilometer × kilometers driven during the period
| Input | Value in this example | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel cost per kilometer | 0.135 | Given | 0.135 per km |
| Weekly distance | 250 km | 0.135 × 250 | 33.75 per week |
| Monthly distance | 1,000 km | 0.135 × 1,000 | 135 per month |
| Annual distance | 12,000 km | 0.135 × 12,000 | 1,620 per year |
The distances in this table are hypothetical. Replace them with your odometer or trip-log totals. If your fuel price changes, recalculate using the price paid during the period or split the period into segments with different prices.
Calculate your real-world cost from a fill-up
A published economy rating is useful for planning, but your own full-to-full fuel records can show what your car actually consumed on your routes. Natural Resources Canada’s fuel-consumption calculator materials identify the key inputs as odometer readings, distance travelled and litres purchased. You can keep those inputs in a notebook, spreadsheet or notes app; a special logbook is optional.
Full-to-full method
- Fill the tank. Record the odometer reading and the litres purchased. For the most consistent comparison, use the same pump and filling practice when practical.
- Drive normally until the next refill. Record the new odometer reading.
- At the next fill, record the litres purchased and the price paid per litre.
- Subtract the earlier odometer reading from the later one to get kilometers driven.
- Calculate consumption: L/100 km = litres purchased ÷ kilometers driven × 100.
- Calculate fuel cost: cost per km = litres purchased × price per litre ÷ kilometers driven.
Worked fill-up example
Suppose the odometer rises from 48,200 km to 48,650 km, so the interval is 450 km. You buy 34 litres at 1.80 per litre.
- Consumption: 34 ÷ 450 × 100 = 7.56 L/100 km (rounded).
- Fuel paid for the interval: 34 × 1.80 = 61.20.
- Actual cost per kilometer: 61.20 ÷ 450 = 0.136 currency units per km (rounded).
The litres purchased represent the fuel used between comparable fill levels, so a partial top-up or an interval that does not begin and end at the same tank level can distort the result.
Use several intervals, not one short drive
One fill-up can be unusual because of a short trip, a traffic jam, weather, a heavy load or a different filling level. Track several full-to-full intervals and use a representative mix of your normal driving. You can calculate each interval separately or add all litres and all kilometers, then apply the same formulas to the totals. A longer record reduces the influence of one atypical journey.
Why your result may not match the vehicle rating
Official fuel-consumption numbers are controlled comparison measures, not promises that every driver will obtain the same economy. The Australian Government’s Green Vehicle Guide explains that its figures come from laboratory testing and that on-road results depend on how the vehicle is used.
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- Driving mix: stop-and-go urban driving and steady highway driving can produce different consumption.
- Route and traffic: congestion, hills and frequent short trips change the fuel used.
- Vehicle use: passengers, cargo and how the car is operated affect the result.
- Fuel price: a rating does not lock in what you pay at a particular station or on a particular date.
- Measurement basis: a laboratory rating and a full-to-full personal record answer different questions.
When you publish or share an estimate, state the fuel price and date, the consumption basis, the distance and the city/highway mix. That makes the number reproducible instead of implying universal performance.
Compare two cars on fuel cost per kilometer
To compare vehicles fairly, hold the assumptions constant. Use the same fuel price, distance and driving pattern for both cars, then calculate each fuel-only cost per kilometer.
| Vehicle | Consumption | Fuel price | Fuel cost per km | Fuel cost for 1,000 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Car A | 6.0 L/100 km | 1.80 per litre | (6.0 × 1.80) ÷ 100 = 0.108 | 108 |
| Car B | 8.0 L/100 km | 1.80 per litre | (8.0 × 1.80) ÷ 100 = 0.144 | 144 |
Under these assumptions, Car A uses 36 fewer currency units of fuel per 1,000 km. The comparison is only about fuel. Total ownership cost also includes purchase price, maintenance, insurance and other expenses, so fuel cost per kilometer should not be presented as a complete ownership-cost comparison.
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Natural Resources Canada states that its combined EnerGuide consumption rating reflects 55% city driving and 45% highway driving. Its annual fuel-cost estimate uses that combined rating, 20,000 km driven and the fuel price shown for the estimate. These are label assumptions, not a prediction of every driver’s annual distance or route. If your use is mostly urban, mostly highway or substantially different in distance, calculate with your own inputs.
Use a spreadsheet or calculator without losing the units
A spreadsheet makes repeated estimates easy, provided each column has a clear unit.
| Column | Example entry | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| A: date | 2026-10-16 | Records when the price was paid |
| B: odometer km | 48,650 | Measures distance between fills |
| C: litres purchased | 34 | Measures fuel used for the interval |
| D: price per litre | 1.80 | Stores the actual transaction price |
| E: distance since previous fill | 450 | Current odometer minus previous odometer |
| F: interval cost | 61.20 | Litres multiplied by price |
| G: cost per km | 0.136 | Interval cost divided by distance |
In a spreadsheet, the arithmetic is the same as on paper: interval cost is litres × price, and cost per kilometer is interval cost ÷ distance. Keep unrounded litres, prices and distances in the cells, and round only the displayed result so accumulated totals remain accurate.
Common mistakes and how to correct them
Multiplying km/L by the fuel price
If the car travels 12 km/L, multiplying 12 by 1.80 gives the wrong unit and an implausible result. Divide price per litre by km/L instead.
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With 7.5 L/100 km and 1.80 per litre, 7.5 × 1.80 gives 13.50 per 100 km, not per kilometer. Divide by 100 to obtain 0.135 per km.
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Using a stale or mismatched fuel price
Fuel prices vary by time and place. Use the price you actually paid, identify the date and location when precision matters, and do not combine a price in one currency with a consumption figure priced in another.
Confusing fuel cost with total driving cost
The formula answers the fuel-only question. Adding insurance, maintenance or depreciation without stating a separate method turns a clear fuel estimate into an undefined total-cost figure.
Treating a single fill-up as a permanent rating
A short interval can be unrepresentative. Check several full-to-full intervals and compare the result with the driving conditions during those intervals.
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Comparing unlike ratings
Do not compare one car’s laboratory combined rating with another car’s personal city-only record as if they were equivalent. Use the same type of consumption basis and the same assumptions, or label the comparison as an approximation.
How precise should the answer be?
Fuel cost depends on measurements that are not perfectly exact: the pump may stop at slightly different levels, the odometer may not measure every route identically, and the price can change between fills. For a personal estimate, two or three decimal places in currency per kilometer are usually enough to expose the calculation without suggesting laboratory precision. Keep the underlying figures and show the rounding rule you used.
For a trip budget, rounding the final trip total upward can provide a small practical buffer, but it is not a substitute for accounting for a different route, traffic or fuel price. If the estimate is used to reimburse someone, state whether the agreed rate is fuel-only and which date and price supplied the rate.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to do when fuel prices change
The consumption figure can stay the same while the cost changes whenever the pump price changes. For a short trip, use the price you expect to pay. For a completed trip or accounting record, use the transaction price shown on the receipt. For a month or year with several prices, calculate each segment separately—cost per kilometer at that segment’s price multiplied by the kilometers driven—then add the segment totals. This is more transparent than applying one end-of-period price to every kilometer.
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If you compare cars, use one clearly stated price for both vehicles. Changing the assumed price for one car would make the comparison invalid even if the consumption figures are accurate.
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A quick checklist
- Identify whether consumption is L/100 km or km/L.
- Record a fuel price per litre in the correct currency.
- Use (L/100 km × price per litre) ÷ 100, or price per litre ÷ km/L.
- Multiply cost per kilometer by trip or period distance.
- For a personal result, record odometer readings, distance and litres over several full-to-full fills.
- State the fuel price, date, consumption source and driving mix when comparing results.
- Keep fuel-only cost separate from total ownership cost.
What official comparison methods do—and do not—tell you
EU Implementing Regulation 2018/732 describes comparison cost per 100 km as fuel price per conventional unit multiplied by consumption per 100 km. Its comparison convention uses an average fuel price over no more than the previous calendar quarter. That convention supports standardized comparisons; it is not a requirement that an individual driver use a quarterly average. For your own budget, the price you actually pay is the more direct input.
Similarly, the Green Vehicle Guide’s laboratory disclaimer and the Alternative Fuels Data Center’s adjustable city/highway and price inputs both point to the same practical rule: treat published figures as a consistent starting point, then replace them with your own records when the question is what your car costs on your roads.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does my car cost per kilometer in fuel?
Find the vehicle’s consumption and your fuel price per litre. For L/100 km, multiply the two numbers and divide by 100. For km/L, divide the price per litre by km/L. The result is the fuel-only cost for one kilometer.
How do I calculate fuel cost per kilometer from km per litre?
Use price per litre ÷ kilometers per litre. At 1.80 per litre and 12 km/L, the result is 0.15 currency units per kilometer.
How much fuel will a trip cost?
Multiply your fuel cost per kilometer by the total trip distance. Include the return journey and expected detours. This figure covers fuel only, not tolls, parking, maintenance or other ownership costs.
Should I use the car’s advertised fuel economy?
It is suitable for a quick comparison, but official figures come from controlled testing and may differ from on-road use. For a personal budget, track several full-to-full intervals with odometer readings, distance and litres purchased.
How many fill-ups do I need for a reliable estimate?
There is no single required number. Several full-to-full intervals covering a representative mix of city and highway driving reduce the effect of one unusual trip, traffic event, weather condition or partial fill.
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Calculators may use different fuel prices, daily distances, city/highway shares or published consumption ratings. Check that both calculations use the same currency, fuel unit, distance, date and driving assumptions.
Is a fuel logbook necessary?
No. A notebook, spreadsheet or notes app is enough. You need odometer readings, distance travelled, litres purchased and the price paid. A physical logbook can make repeated entries convenient but does not change the arithmetic.
Does fuel cost per kilometer equal total cost per kilometer?
No. Fuel cost excludes purchase price, finance, insurance, servicing, depreciation, tolls and parking. Add those categories only with a separate, clearly stated ownership-cost method.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: Use (L/100 km × price per litre) ÷ 100, or price per litre ÷ km/L. Multiply that result by the trip or period distance, and use your own full-to-full records over several intervals when you need a realistic figure. Keep the fuel price, date, units and driving mix visible so the estimate can be checked and updated.
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