How Vehicle Operating Cost Calculator Works?
This tool works by adding fuel cost per mile, maintenance and tire cost per mile, and insurance and depreciation cost per mile. The result is the all-in cost of driving 1 mile (1.609 km).
Enter fuel cost per mile
Divide fuel price by miles per gallon (MPG). $3.25 at 25 MPG equals $0.13.
Enter maintenance and tires per mile
Divide yearly maintenance and tire spending by yearly miles.
Enter insurance and depreciation per mile
Divide yearly insurance plus value lost by yearly miles.
Read the all-in cost per mile
The tool returns the total operating cost per mile.
Vehicle Operating Cost Calculator Formula
The formula is Total Cost per Mile = Fuel per Mile + Maintenance per Mile + Fixed Costs per Mile.
Cost per Mile = Fuel/mi + Maintenance/mi + Insurance & Depreciation/miFormula variables
- Fuel/mi
- Fuel price ÷ MPG.
- Maintenance/mi
- Oil, tires, brakes, and repairs per mile.
- Insurance & Depreciation/mi
- Fixed ownership costs spread over miles driven.
Worked example
- Fuel Cost per Mile: $0.13/mi
- Maintenance & Tires / Mile: $0.09/mi
- Insurance & Depreciation / Mi: $0.28/mi
- Add the 3 costs: $0.13 + $0.09 + $0.28 = $0.50 per mile.
- Convert to kilometers: $0.50 ÷ 1.609 = $0.31 per km.
Result: $0.50 ($/mile all-in)
Fuel makes up 26% of the total in this example. Driving 12,000 miles per year at $0.50 per mile costs $6,000.
Vehicle Operating Cost Calculator Conversion Table
The table shows all-in cost per mile for 3 fuel costs and 3 maintenance costs, with insurance and depreciation fixed at $0.28 per mile.
Rows: Fuel Cost per Mile ($/mi). Columns: Maintenance & Tires / Mile ($/mi). Cells: $/mile all-in.
| $/mi | $0.06/mi | $0.09/mi | $0.12/mi |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0.08/mi | $0.42 | $0.45 | $0.48 |
| $0.13/mi | $0.47 | $0.50 | $0.53 |
| $0.20/mi | $0.54 | $0.57 | $0.60 |
Values held constant: Insurance & Depreciation / Mi = $0.28/mi.
An efficient car at $0.08 fuel and $0.06 maintenance costs $0.42 per mile, while a thirsty older car at $0.20 and $0.12 costs $0.60.
What is Vehicle Operating Cost Calculator?
The Vehicle Operating Cost Calculator is a tool that finds the full cost of driving 1 mile, including fuel, upkeep, and ownership costs. The tool shows the true price of each mile.
Fuel is the cost drivers see most often, but fuel is usually the smaller share of the total. Depreciation and insurance often cost more per mile than fuel.
The all-in figure helps with car buying, business pricing, and deciding between owning a car and using rideshare or rentals.
What are the uses of Vehicle Operating Cost Calculator?
There are 4 main uses of the Vehicle Operating Cost Calculator: comparing car ownership with alternatives, pricing business driving, comparing vehicles before buying, and setting mileage reimbursement rates.
Comparing car ownership with alternatives
Households compare $0.50 per mile with rideshare or car-share costs.
Pricing business driving
Contractors charge clients a per-mile rate that covers all costs.
Comparing vehicles before buying
Buyers compare all-in costs, not just fuel.
Setting mileage reimbursement rates
Employers base rates on full operating cost.
Need every metric in one place? Open the main MPG Cost Calculator or browse all 101 fuel calculators.