Cost Per Mile Calculator
What every mile you drive really costs.
Cost per mile:
Annual driving cost:
Fuel portion per mile:
How to use this calculator
Enter annual miles, MPG, gas price, annual depreciation and insurance-plus-maintenance, then press Calculate. Cost per mile, annual cost and fuel portion are shown.
What the result means
Cost per mile is the true cost of driving — fuel, depreciation and upkeep combined. It's the honest number for car-sharing decisions and mileage reimbursement: your total annual car spending divided by the miles you drive, and the fairest way to compare cars or decide whether a commute or a delivery side-gig is actually economical.
The inputs explained
- Fuel economy and gas price set the fuel portion: annual miles / MPG x price per gallon.
- Depreciation is what the car loses in value each year - the biggest hidden line.
- Insurance and maintenance are the fixed-ish costs you pay regardless of each mile.
Worked example
A car driven 12,000 miles with $2,200 fuel, $2,500 depreciation, and $2,300 insurance and maintenance costs about $7,000 a year, or about 58 cents a mile. Driving the same car 6,000 miles does not halve that figure, because depreciation and insurance barely change.
What to do with the number
Compare candidates at the same annual mileage. Use it to price a delivery gig: if you are paid per mile, subtract your real cost per mile first. And if you drive very few miles, an efficient or electric car saves far less than you might expect, since the fixed costs dominate.
Frequently asked questions
What's the IRS rate?
The IRS standard mileage rate (about 67c/mile in 2024) is a good proxy for total driving cost.
Why is depreciation included?
Because wear from driving lowers resale value — it's a real cost of every mile.
Why does the IRS mileage rate look different from my number?
The IRS rate includes business-related depreciation and overhead assumptions; your real cost depends on your actual car and driving.