How the Fuel Cost Calculator Works
Enter where you are starting and where you are going, or type the distance yourself. The calculator finds the road distance, divides it by your vehicle’s mileage to work out how much fuel you will use, and multiplies that by the fuel price in your state. You can add a return trip, split the cost between travellers and allow for hilly roads.
Fuel prices used
The price is filled in automatically from the state of your starting point, using retail prices in each state’s main city. Prices change daily and differ slightly between cities, so you can type your local pump price for a more exact figure.
Typical mileage on Indian roads
| Vehicle | Petrol | Diesel | CNG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hatchback | 16–20 km/L | 20–24 km/L | 24–28 km/kg |
| Sedan | 14–17 km/L | 18–21 km/L | 20–24 km/kg |
| Compact SUV (Brezza, Nexon) | 14–17 km/L | 17–20 km/L | 20–24 km/kg |
| SUV | 10–13 km/L | 13–16 km/L | – |
| MUV / MPV (Ertiga, Innova) | 12–15 km/L | 13–17 km/L | 18–22 km/kg |
| Tempo Traveller | – | 9–11 km/L | – |
| Motorcycle | 45–65 km/L | – | – |
| Cruiser bike (350cc+) | 28–35 km/L | – | – |
Real-world mileage is usually lower than the company figure. Expect it to fall further on mountain roads, in heavy traffic and with the air conditioning on.
The Formula Behind Every Result
The calculation itself is simple, and you can check any result by hand:
Fuel needed = distance ÷ mileage
Fuel cost = fuel needed × price per litre (or per kg for CNG)
The road distance comes from OpenRouteService, which plans the actual driving route between the two places rather than a straight line. If you already know the distance from your odometer or a previous trip, you can type it in and skip the route search entirely.
A worked example
Suppose you drive 250 km one way in a petrol sedan that returns 15 km per litre, and petrol costs ₹102.12 in Delhi. The car needs 250 ÷ 15 = 16.7 litres, which costs about ₹1,702. A return trip doubles both figures to roughly 33 litres and ₹3,404. With four travellers sharing the car, the return fuel works out to about ₹851 each.
If the same 250 km runs through the hills, the calculator lowers the mileage by 15%, to 12.75 km per litre. The car now needs about 19.6 litres one way, and the cost rises to roughly ₹2,002. That ₹300 difference is the reason a mountain trip should never be budgeted at highway mileage.
When the Hill Allowance Applies
When the calculator plans a route, it also reads the total climb along the way. If the road gains more than about 8 metres of height for every kilometre driven, a note appears suggesting the hilly-route option. Routes into Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir usually cross this threshold, while drives across the plains of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh rarely do.
What Changes Your Real Mileage
- Speed: most cars are most efficient between 60 and 80 km/h. Cruising at 110 km/h on an expressway can cut mileage noticeably.
- Load and luggage: a full car with roof-carrier luggage uses more fuel than a driver travelling alone.
- Air conditioning: running the AC on a long summer drive typically costs a little mileage.
- Traffic and town sections: city stretches with frequent stops lower the average for the whole trip.
- Tyre pressure and servicing: under-inflated tyres and a dirty air filter both raise consumption.
About the Fuel Prices
Petrol and diesel prices are listed for each state’s main city, with the date of the last update shown under every result. Prices in other towns of the same state can differ by a rupee or two because of local taxes and transport costs. CNG is set at a typical ₹80 per kg, since its price varies more from city to city. For the closest estimate, enter the price shown at your local pump.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the fuel cost include tolls?
No. This calculator covers fuel only. Use our Toll Calculator to see the toll plazas and estimated toll cost on the same route.
Why does a hilly route cost more?
Climbing, frequent gear changes and slow traffic on ghat roads reduce mileage. For trips to places such as Shimla, Manali or Dharamshala, allowing about 15% extra fuel gives a more realistic budget.
How accurate is the estimate?
It is a planning estimate. The actual cost depends on your driving style, load, traffic, detours and the price at the pump where you refuel.