Monthly Fuel Budget Calculator
Turn how far you drive, your car’s MPG and the pump price into a monthly, weekly and yearly fuel budget.
How it works
Gallons = miles ÷ MPG · Monthly cost = gallons × price · Yearly = monthly × 12
Your fuel bill is simply how many gallons you burn times what a gallon costs, and gallons burned is your distance divided by your real-world MPG. Because MPG sits in the denominator, small economy differences matter more at high mileage — a 5-mpg improvement saves far more for a 20,000-mile-a-year driver than for someone who barely drives. Use your car’s actual trip-computer average rather than the window sticker, which is usually optimistic.
Worked example
At 1,000 miles a month and 28 mpg you burn about 35.7 gallons. At $3.50 a gallon that is $125 a month, roughly $1,500 a year and about $28.85 a week.
Frequently asked questions
Should I use city or highway MPG?
Use a blended, real-world figure that matches how you actually drive. If most of your miles are short city trips, lean toward the lower city rating; the trip computer’s long-term average is the most honest number.
How do I budget when gas prices swing?
Budget at a price slightly above the current pump price so a spike does not blow your plan. Re-check the number whenever prices move more than about 30 cents a gallon.
Does driving style change the result?
A lot. Hard acceleration, high speeds and short cold-engine trips can cut real MPG by 15–30% versus steady highway cruising, so your effective monthly cost can be well above the sticker-based estimate.
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This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.