Road Trip Budget Calculator

Road trip budget calculator for estimating total trip cost

A road trip usually feels cheap until the small costs stack up. Fuel is only one part of the spend. Accommodation, food, tolls, parking, and attractions can easily match or exceed the fuel bill, especially on multi day trips. This road trip budget calculator is built for one decision: how much money you should set aside for a planned drive, so you can book with confidence and avoid running out of cash mid trip.

Use the default view when you only know the basics: distance, fuel efficiency, and fuel price. That already produces a useful answer because it estimates fuel litres needed and fuel cost, which is the minimum cost of any road trip. If you know more, open the optional inputs to add realistic day to day costs. The calculator then returns a total budget plus a few practical breakouts, such as cost per day, cost per kilometre, and cost per person.

The calculation works by estimating fuel litres from your distance and vehicle efficiency (litres per 100 km). It then multiplies those litres by your fuel price per litre. Next, it adds optional line items such as accommodation, food, tolls, parking, and activities. Finally, it applies an optional contingency percentage to cover normal unknowns like detours, queues, price changes, snacks, and unplanned stops. The output is meant to be a planning number, not an accounting record.

Assumptions and how to use this calculator

• Fuel efficiency is assumed to be an average for the whole trip; heavy traffic, mountains, towing, and high speeds can increase fuel use materially.
• Accommodation nights are assumed to be days minus one (a 1 day trip implies 0 nights); if your trip includes extra nights at the destination, increase the day count to match your nights.
• Food cost is calculated per person per day and includes meals, drinks, and small convenience stops; set it to 0 if you will self cater or if food is included in accommodation.
• Tolls, parking, and activities are treated as total trip amounts; if you only have a rough estimate, use a conservative number and rely on contingency for the rest.
• Contingency is applied to the full base cost (fuel plus extras); if your plan is tight, use 10% to 15% as a practical buffer rather than 0%.

Common questions

Does this include vehicle maintenance or wear and tear?

No. This page is locked to trip out of pocket spending. It estimates what you will pay during the road trip. It does not try to price depreciation, tyre wear, servicing, insurance, or long term ownership costs. If you want that, you need a vehicle running cost model, which is a different use case and a different decision.

What if I do not know my exact fuel efficiency?

Use a reasonable average from your dashboard history, your owner manual, or a recent tank to tank check. If you are unsure, use a slightly worse number (higher L/100 km) so you do not under budget. A small error in efficiency becomes a meaningful money difference on long distances.

How should I handle a return trip or detours?

Set the distance to the total kilometres you expect to drive, not just the map distance between two points. If you are doing a return trip, include both directions. If you expect scenic routes, add those kilometres upfront. If you are uncertain, add contingency rather than guessing a perfect distance.

How do I estimate accommodation if we are not sure where we will stop?

Pick a typical nightly rate that matches your normal standard (budget, mid range, premium). Keep it simple. The purpose is to avoid being surprised by the total. If you might mix types of stays, use a blended average per night and increase contingency slightly.

Why does the calculator show cost per person and cost per day?

Those views help decisions. Cost per person helps you split fairly when sharing expenses. Cost per day helps you judge whether you should shorten the trip, reduce paid activities, or choose cheaper accommodation. If the per day number feels too high, it is usually easier to cut discretionary extras than to cut fuel.