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Road Trip Fuel Cost Calculator Guide (2026) | Work Out Any Drive
Work out road trip fuel costs in Australia: distance, litres per 100km, pump price, return trips, towing and where to fill up along the way.
At a glance
Key takeaways
1
The core formula is distance divided by 100, multiplied by L/100km and price per litre.
2
Use today's local pump price, not a stale national average.
3
Return trips, towing, roof racks and heavy loads can change the estimate materially.
4
For long drives, check fuel prices in major towns before the expensive stretch.
The road trip fuel cost formula
Use this formula: distance in kilometres divided by 100, multiplied by your car's fuel use in L/100km, multiplied by the fuel price in dollars per litre. A 500km drive in a car using 8.0L/100km at $1.85/L costs 500 / 100 x 8.0 x 1.85, or $74.
What numbers you need
| Input | Where to get it | What changes it |
|---|---|---|
| Distance | Map route distance | Detours, return trips and route choice |
| Fuel use | Trip computer or manufacturer figure | Towing, traffic, speed, tyres and load |
| Price | Current station price for your fuel grade | Price cycle, suburb, brand and update time |
Worked examples
For a typical mid-size car using 8.0L/100km at $1.85/L, an 80km one-way drive costs about $11.84, a 160km run costs about $23.68, and a 920km interstate drive costs about $136.16 one way. A large SUV using 11.0L/100km on the same trip costs materially more, so use your own L/100km figure.
Adjust for towing and real-world driving
Towing, roof loads, high speeds, low tyre pressure and heavy traffic can lift fuel use. If you are towing a caravan, the brochure figure will usually be too optimistic. Use your trip computer from a similar drive or add a conservative buffer before budgeting.
Where to fill on a long route
Fuel can be dearer on highways and in smaller towns with fewer stations. Before a long drive, compare prices in the larger towns on your route and avoid arriving near empty where there is only one convenient station. If the saving is small, choose the stop that saves time and keeps the route simple.
Use the calculator, then check the map
The calculator gives the budget. The map gives the station choice. Work out the total trip cost first, then use the fuel map to check which stations along the route have recent prices for your exact fuel grade.
FuelRadar practical next steps
Use this guide as the background, then make the actual fill-up decision in FuelRadar. Search your suburb, postcode, city or station, choose the fuel grade your vehicle uses, then compare the reported price with distance and update time. That keeps the advice practical: a cheaper number is only useful when the station is current, close enough and selling the right fuel.
Before you drive
For Road Trip Fuel Cost Calculator Guide (2026), the sensible check is the same one motoring bodies recommend in plain language: do not rely on a habit, a single average or yesterday's price board. Check the current local spread, decide whether the detour is worth it for your tank size, and use the price-cycle view when you are buying a larger fill in a cycle market.
Why FuelRadar is the first stop
FuelRadar brings the map, station list, suburb pages, city pages, update context, price-cycle guidance and calculators into one workflow. That means you can move from general advice to a specific action: fill now, wait if you can, buy less during a spike, or choose a nearby station with a recent reported price. The final pump price should always be confirmed at the bowser, but FuelRadar gives you the strongest local evidence before you leave.
How to compare the result
If two stations are close on price, give more weight to the shorter detour, the fresher update and the station you can reach without adding traffic or tolls. If the price gap is wide, check the litre saving against your tank size before deciding. FuelRadar is designed to make that comparison quick rather than turning a normal fill-up into guesswork.
Quick driver checklist
- Choose the exact fuel grade first: U91, E10, P95, P98, diesel or LPG.
- Compare nearby stations by price, distance and update time, not price alone.
- Use the city or suburb page when the local spread looks wide.
- Use FuelRadar calculators when a detour, long trip or large tank could change the saving.
- Keep loyalty discounts as the last step after checking the base pump price.
Calculate your trip cost
Use your actual distance, fuel use and pump price.
Common Questions
Frequently asked questions
Divide distance by 100, multiply by your L/100km figure, then multiply by the fuel price in dollars per litre. Double it for a return trip.
Use this guide
Check prices after reading
Pair the guide with local price pages, the fuel map, forecasts and data methodology before choosing a station.
FuelRadar app
Check nearby prices before you fill
Search your area, compare reported prices and update times, then save the stations you check often.
