Fuel cost calculator
Get gallons, price per mile and cost per person from your own numbers.
Open calculator →PLANNING / BUDGET
Build a real road trip budget
Energy is only one cost. Bring everything into one clear plan before you leave.
Build a road trip budget
FREE · NO ACCOUNTDefault numbers are illustrative, not live prices. Confirm local fuel and electricity rates before planning.
Make the budget complete
Enter your expected fuel or charging spend, tolls, parking, accommodation, meals and other planned costs. Every amount starts as an editable example, not a live local quote.
What if you do not know a cost yet?
Do not mistake a blank estimate for a confirmed zero. Put in a rough budget, document the assumption and update it when you get a quote. Parking and lodging prices often vary substantially by destination and date.
Worked example: Los Angeles to Las Vegas, two people, two nights
Here is a complete budget for one specific trip, so you can see which lines matter. Two people drive from Los Angeles, CA to Las Vegas, NV, stay two nights and drive back the same way. Google Maps routing (through RoadCost's route lookup on November 13, 2026) gives 269.9 miles one way and about 4 h 4 min of driving without stops, so the round trip is 539.8 miles (2 × 269.9).
The car is a 2026 Honda Accord (1.5L turbo), rated 37 MPG highway by fueleconomy.gov. Fuel is priced at the California average of $5.562 per gallon for regular gasoline, week of November 9, 2026, from the EIA Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update. We use California because the tank is filled in Los Angeles; the EIA weekly table has no Nevada figure.
For lodging and meals we did not invent hotel or restaurant prices. Instead we used the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) per diem for Las Vegas (Clark County) in November 2026, fiscal year 2027: a $147.00 nightly lodging ceiling and $86.00 per day for meals and incidentals, or $64.50 on the first and last travel day. These are federal travel allowances, not market quotes, but they are a dated, public benchmark. Even GSA's own Las Vegas ceiling moves with the season, from $120 to $173 a night across fiscal year 2027.
| Budget line | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel | 539.8 mi ÷ 37 MPG = 14.59 gal × $5.562 | $81.15 |
| Lodging (1 room) | 2 nights × $147.00 GSA ceiling | $294.00 |
| Meals and incidentals | ($64.50 + $86.00 + $64.50) × 2 people | $430.00 |
| Tolls | Not included: the route lookup does not return toll data | — |
| Parking | Not included: get a quote from your hotel | — |
| Total | Fuel + lodging + meals | $805.15 |
| Per person | $805.15 ÷ 2 | $402.58 |
Fuel is only about 10% of this budget. If you filled up at the U.S. average of $3.995 instead of the California price, the same 14.59 gallons would cost $58.29, a $22.86 difference. A third night in the hotel would move the total more than any change in gas price. That is why it pays to check how many gallons the drive needs and then spend most of your planning time on the stay. If two cars or several riders are involved, split the gas money separately from the shared hotel bill, and if you are not taking the same road back, price each leg with the round trip calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Does this book hotels or parking?
No. It is a planning worksheet, not a booking platform.
Does splitting apply to every category?
In this version yes. For unequal splits, calculate different cost groups separately.
How much should two people budget for two nights in Las Vegas driving from Los Angeles?
Using GSA per diem rates for November 2026 and EIA's California gas price for the week of November 9, 2026, our example comes to $805.15, or $402.58 each: $81.15 fuel, $294.00 lodging and $430.00 meals and incidentals. Tolls and parking are extra.
What should a road trip budget include besides gas?
At minimum: lodging for each night, meals for each traveler and day, tolls, parking at the destination, and a line for anything you already know you will pay for, such as tickets. Mark each line as quoted or estimated so you know which numbers still need checking.
How do I estimate hotel and food costs before I have quotes?
Use a published benchmark and say so. The GSA per diem tables list a nightly lodging ceiling and a daily meals allowance for each U.S. city and month. For Las Vegas in November 2026 they are $147.00 and $86.00. Replace them with real quotes once you have them.
Is gas the biggest expense on a short road trip?
Often not. In the Los Angeles to Las Vegas example, gas is $81.15 out of $805.15, about 10% of the total. Lodging and meals for two people cost about 8.9 times as much as the fuel.
Do GSA lodging rates include hotel taxes?
Treat them as before tax. GSA tells federal travelers to give hotels a tax exemption certificate, where applicable, so state and local taxes are left off their bills. A leisure traveler pays those taxes, so add them on top of the $147.00 figure.
Keep exploring
EV road trip charging cost
Model a realistic charging mix instead of pretending every kWh costs the same.
Open calculator →A road trip budget that includes more than gas
A more useful travel budget lists what is known, what is estimated and what still needs a quote.
Open guide →