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Everydaytravel

Road Trip Cost Calculator

The full cost of a road trip, including tolls and the wear the distance puts on the car, compared against the fare for going by train or air. Comparing a fare to fuel alone is the mistake: it leaves out tolls and the several rupees a kilometre the car itself costs.

Also called: road trip cost calculator, travel cost calculator.

km
Return trip
km/L
₹
₹
₹
₹
₹
Trip cost
₹11,306

₹11,306 in all, or ₹3,769 each between 3. Fuel is 5906.25 of it and tolls 1400, with 3600 of wear and depreciation the distance costs whether or not anyone accounts for it. Cash out of pocket is 7706.25; the true cost is 11306.25. Enter a fare each to compare against the train or a flight, remembering to compare against the whole cost and not the fuel alone.

Fuel
₹5,906
Tolls
₹1,400
Each person
₹3,769
Cost a kilometre
₹13
Wear and depreciation on the distance
₹3,600
The alternative, for everyone
₹0
Total distance
900
Where it goes
Fuel is 5906.25 of it and tolls 1400, with 3600 of wear and depreciation the distance costs whether or not anyone accounts for it. Cash out of pocket is 7706.25; the true cost is 11306.25.
Against the alternative
Enter a fare each to compare against the train or a flight, remembering to compare against the whole cost and not the fuel alone.
How this is calculated

Where the money goes

Total₹11,306
Fuel ₹5,906 (52%)Tolls ₹1,400 (12%)Extras ₹400 (4%)Wear ₹3,600 (32%)

The trip cost

ItemAmountEach
Fuel₹5,906₹1,969
Tolls₹1,400₹467
Parking and extras₹400₹133
Accommodation₹0₹0
Wear and depreciation₹3,600₹1,200
Method and background

How this is calculated

Fuel, tolls and extras are the cash costs and the easy part. The comparison against a fare is where people go wrong, because they weigh a train ticket against fuel alone and ignore both the tolls and the wear. A car costs several rupees a kilometre in tyres, servicing and depreciation regardless of the fuel, and a long trip consumes that at the same rate as any other kilometre. The page shows the cash cost and the true cost separately, and splits both by the number of people, because sharing is what usually decides the comparison rather than the mode itself.

fuel plus the fixed costs of the journey, with the per-kilometre wear shown separately because it is real and invisible
d
Total distance
e
Efficiency

Worked examples

Each of these is asserted on every build. If a change to the engine ever moved one of these answers, the build would fail before the page could print it.

a 450 km return trip for three

One way distance
450 km
Return trip
Yes
Fuel efficiency
16 km/L
Fuel price a litre
₹105
Tolls, each way
₹700
Parking and extras
₹400
Accommodation
₹0
People sharing
3
Fare each, if going by train or air
₹0

Trip cost₹11,306

900 km of fuel, tolls both ways, and 4 a kilometre of wear

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against a train fare

One way distance
450 km
Return trip
Yes
Fuel efficiency
16 km/L
Fuel price a litre
₹105
Tolls, each way
₹700
Parking and extras
₹400
Accommodation
₹0
People sharing
3
Fare each, if going by train or air
₹2,500

Trip cost₹11,306

boundary: cheaper than driving once tolls and wear are counted, dearer than the fuel alone

Open this example

Method and limits

What it assumes

  • A per-kilometre running cost of roughly 4 units of currency for wear and depreciation.

What it deliberately does not model

  • Driving time has a value that varies by person and is not costed here.
  • A fare comparison ignores the onward travel a train or flight usually needs at each end.

Formula version 1.0.0 · definition 1.0.0 · India · Report a problem with this calculator

Frequently asked questions

Should I compare a train fare to my fuel cost?
No, and that is the common error. Add the tolls and the per-kilometre wear on the car, which together often exceed the fuel. Then divide by the number of people travelling.