UK fuel cost calculator for petrol and diesel
Work out what a UK car journey will cost in petrol or diesel. We use live prices reported by forecourts near your starting point and the real road distance for every stop.
Your route
Start at A and add stops in the order you'll drive them. Towns, cities, addresses and postcodes all work.
Car and fuel
Use your car's real-world MPG if you know it. It's usually lower than the brochure figure.
Find my car's MPG
Estimates only. Traffic, speed, load and hills all change real consumption.
Popular UK journeys
- Birmingham to Cornwall 237 mi
- Birmingham to Manchester 84 mi
- Bristol to Birmingham 98 mi
- Bristol to Cardiff 44 mi
- Edinburgh to Inverness 157 mi
- Glasgow to Edinburgh 47 mi
- Glasgow to Inverness 170 mi
- Leeds to Edinburgh 221 mi
- London to Bath 111 mi
- London to Birmingham 118 mi
- London to Brighton 54 mi
- London to Bristol 119 mi
Fuel prices in your area
See typical petrol and diesel prices and the cheapest stations in 56 UK towns and cities. Wondering what happens if a camera catches you? Try the speeding fine calculator.
How the fuel cost calculator works
Enter where you're starting, any stops along the way, and your destination. We find the fastest driving route using OpenStreetMap data and measure every leg in miles. Then we look up what fuel actually costs near your starting point: in the UK from the government's Fuel Finder scheme, which every forecourt must report to, and in the US from the Energy Information Administration's weekly survey.
The cost is simply the miles you'll drive, divided by your car's miles per gallon, multiplied by the price of the fuel. Add the number of people travelling to see each person's share.
The formula
UK: cost = miles ÷ mpg × 4.546 × price per litre. A UK gallon is 4.546 litres.
US: cost = miles ÷ mpg × price per gallon.
Frequently asked questions
How much does petrol cost per mile in the UK?
At around 136p a litre in a 45 mpg car, petrol costs roughly 14p a mile. Use the calculator for your own car and today's local price.
Is it cheaper to drive or take the train in the UK?
For one person, a long train journey booked in advance is often cheaper. With two or more people sharing fuel costs, driving usually wins. Enter the number of people to see each person's share.
Should I use imperial or US MPG?
Use UK (imperial) mpg. A UK gallon is about 20% bigger than a US gallon, so UK figures are higher for the same car. Brochure figures in the UK are imperial.
Where do your UK fuel prices come from?
From the government's Fuel Finder scheme, which every UK forecourt must report to within 30 minutes of a price change. We refresh it every 30 minutes.
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