What does your car actually cost to fuel each week, month and year — and how much would a different car save? Look up your exact vehicle from the EPA's fuel-economy database, let the calculator pull this week's price where you live, and compare it side by side with a hybrid, an EV or the truck you're eyeing.
Key Answers About Your Fuel Costs
Your fuel bill comes down to three numbers: how far you drive, how efficient your vehicle is, and what fuel costs where you live. Here's how each one plays out right now.
Miles driven ÷ mpg × price per gallon. At 1,123 miles a month — the national average — a 26-mpg car uses about 43 gallons, which is $188 at today's $4.36 average.
For an average driver in a 26-mpg car, about $259 a year. Halve that if you drive like most retirees. That's why a price swing hits low-mpg trucks and SUVs hardest.
Only if your owner's manual says premium is required. Premium averages about 87¢ a gallon more than regular, which works out to roughly $450 a year for an average driver in a 26-mpg car.
Charging at the national average home rate of 18.3¢ per kWh, an efficient EV using about 26 kWh per 100 miles costs roughly $651 a year for average driving, versus about $2,259 for a 26-mpg gas car. Electricity prices vary widely by state, so the calculator pulls yours.
Short trips, cold engines, idling, hard acceleration and highway speeds over 60 all pull real mileage below the EPA rating. Use the city/highway slider in the calculator to match how you really drive.
The government's October outlook doesn't expect gasoline to average below $3.60 until next year. Budget at today's price for the rest of this year; use the price buttons in the calculator to see what a drop or spike would do to your monthly bill.
Fuel Cost Calculator
Set your location for local prices, pick your vehicle (or type its mpg), and tell us how much you drive. Add a second vehicle to compare — a hybrid, an EV, or the car you're thinking of buying.
Using U.S. average prices until you set a location.
Your fuel receipt appears here.
Vehicle ratings from the EPA/DOE fuel-economy database. Gas prices: daily statewide averages adjusted weekly with U.S. Energy Information Administration regional data. Electricity: EIA's latest monthly residential average for your state.
In our testing, the lookup's biggest value wasn't the vehicle you'd expect. A retired couple driving about 7,600 miles a year in an older V6 sedan rated 26 mpg came out near $107 a month at the national average. Swapping in a hybrid rated around 50 mpg cut that to roughly $56 — about $615 a year. That's real money, but at their mileage a newer car's higher insurance and payment could easily erase it. Heavy commuters see the opposite: at 20,000 miles, the same swap saves well over $1,500 a year.
Yearly Fuel Cost by MPG and Miles Driven
A quick reference at today's $4.36 national average for regular. Find your mpg, then read across to the mileage closest to yours.
| Fuel economy | 7,646 mi/yr (65+ average) | 13,476 mi/yr (U.S. average) | 20,000 mi/yr (long commute) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 mpg | $1,666 | $2,937 | $4,358 |
| 25 mpg | $1,333 | $2,349 | $3,487 |
| 30 mpg | $1,111 | $1,958 | $2,906 |
| 40 mpg | $833 | $1,468 | $2,179 |
| 50 mpg | $667 | $1,175 | $1,743 |
| EV · 30 kWh/100 mi, home charging | $420 | $740 | $1,099 |
How the Same Monthly Fuel Bill Has Changed
One average driver, one 26-mpg car, the same 1,123 miles a month — priced at the national average at four points over the past year.
Where to Cut Your Yearly Fuel Bill
Dollar figures below use an average driver's $2,259-a-year bill (13,476 miles, 26 mpg, $4.36). Scale them to your own receipt from the calculator.
| Change | Typical effect | Yearly savings | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Use regular when premium is only "recommended" | About 87¢ less per gallon | ≈ $450 | None |
| Gentle starts and early braking | Aggressive driving costs 10%–40% in town | $225+ | Habit change |
| Cruise at 65 instead of 75 | About 13% better highway mileage | ≈ $130 if half your miles are highway | Adds minutes |
| Cut 10 minutes of idling a day | Idling burns ¼–½ gallon an hour | $65–$130 | Low |
| Take the roof box off between trips | 6%–17% worse highway mileage when mounted | $70–$190 if half your miles are highway | Low |
| Use a 10¢/gal fuel reward every fill | Grocery points or membership discounts | ≈ $52 | Scan before pumping |
| Keep tires at the door-jamb pressure | 0.6% average, up to 3% | $14–$68 | Monthly check |
| Clear 100 lb out of the trunk | About 1% better mileage | ≈ $23 | One afternoon |
What the Numbers Mean for Your Situation
At low mileage, a more efficient car rarely pays for itself through fuel alone — the gap between 26 and 50 mpg is about $615 a year at 7,600 miles. Your best levers are free ones: combine errands into one loop, skip premium unless it's required, and use grocery fuel points on full fill-ups. If you're weighing whether to keep a second car at all, add its insurance and registration to its fuel receipt here; many couples find one car plus an occasional rideshare costs less.
Enter your daily round trip and days per week — the calculator turns it into a yearly number. This is the group where efficiency pays: at 20,000 miles a year, moving from 25 to 40 mpg saves about $1,300 a year at today's prices. If a hybrid or EV is on your list, put it in Vehicle 2 and watch the five-year line.
Home electricity is the number that decides it, and it ranges from roughly 15¢ per kWh in Florida to more than 33¢ in California. The calculator pulls your state's latest monthly average automatically; if you're on a time-of-use plan with cheap overnight rates, type that rate in instead. Public fast charging averages about 41¢ per kWh, so a driver who can't charge at home will save much less.
Run both cars through the comparison. When the gap is large, simply shifting your routine errands to the more efficient car can save hundreds a year without buying anything. We found that couples who swapped which car handled the daily driving often cut more than they would have by chasing cheaper gas stations.
Local charities, churches and Area Agencies on Aging sometimes offer gas cards or free rides to medical appointments, but programs change often. Dialing 211 connects you to a local specialist who knows what's available in your county this month. Older adults can also reach the Eldercare Locator for transportation help.
Vehicle fuel-economy ratings come from the EPA/DOE database at the time of lookup; real-world results vary with driving style, weather and maintenance. Gas prices start from AAA's daily statewide averages as of October 11, 2026, adjusted automatically by the U.S. Energy Information Administration's latest weekly regional change. Electricity prices use EIA's most recent monthly residential average by state. Average miles driven come from the Federal Highway Administration. Savings estimates use Department of Energy rules of thumb. This page is independent and not affiliated with any automaker, fuel retailer or utility.
Key sources: AAA Gas Prices · U.S. Energy Information Administration · FuelEconomy.gov · Federal Highway Administration