Road Trip Cost Calculator

Estimate what your next road trip will really cost — fuel, lodging, food, and tolls — then split it evenly per person. Everything updates live as you type and never leaves your browser.

📖 How it works & FAQ

Distance (miles, one way)

Trip type

Vehicle fuel economy (MPG)

Gas price ($ per gallon)

Nights of lodging

Lodging cost per night ($)

Days on the road

Food per day ($, whole group)

Tolls & parking ($, total)

Travelers splitting the cost

Budget the whole trip, not just the gas

Most road trip budgets fall apart because they only count fuel. This calculator adds up the four costs that actually hit your wallet: fuel, lodging, food, and tolls. Fuel is estimated the standard way — distance divided by your vehicle's MPG gives gallons burned, multiplied by the price per gallon. Flip the round trip toggle and the distance doubles automatically, which is the mistake most people make when they eyeball it.

On top of fuel, the tool adds nights times your lodging rate, days on the road times your daily food spend, and a flat amount for tolls and parking. Everything updates live as you type, and every rate is editable, so you can price a budget motel run and a nicer hotel version of the same trip in seconds. The per-person figure splits the grand total evenly across however many travelers are chipping in — handy for settling up with friends before anyone gets in the car.

How to use it

Enter the one-way distance in miles and choose round trip or one way.
Set your vehicle's real-world MPG and the current gas price per gallon.
Add the number of nights you'll pay for lodging and the average nightly rate.
Enter days on the road and what the whole group spends on food per day.
Drop in a total for tolls and parking, then set how many travelers split the bill.
Read the total, the fuel line, the per-person share, and the all-in cost per mile.

These are estimates only, not professional or financial advice — fuel prices, tolls, and lodging rates vary by route and season.

FAQ

What MPG should I use?: Use your real highway average, not the window-sticker number. A loaded car with a roof box can lose 10-25% of its rated MPG, so round down if you're packed heavy.
Is the food number per person or for everyone?: It's the whole group's spend per day. If you think in per-person terms, multiply your per-person budget by the number of travelers before entering it.
How do I estimate tolls?: Check your route in a mapping app with tolls shown, or use your state toll authority's trip calculator, then enter the round-trip total here.
Why show cost per mile?: It's the quickest way to compare driving against flying or a rental. Multiply any alternate route's mileage by your cost per mile for a fast ballpark.