Rental Car Fuel Cost
Free Rental Car Fuel Cost calculator with clear step-by-step results.
About Rental Car Fuel Cost
Fuel is usually the largest variable cost of a rental after the rate itself, and rental companies price it at a premium. Distance and consumption give the litres burned; the pump price gives what a self-service refill costs. The desk figure applies the fuel-purchase-option or refuelling-service markup, which is typically 20-40% above street price, so the gap between the two numbers is what returning the car full actually saves.
Formulas
Fuel used
Litres = distance ÷ 100 × consumption (L/100km)
Cost comparison
Pump cost = litres × price; desk cost = pump cost × (1 + markup)
Worked example
With the default values below, Rental Car Fuel Cost returns Cost if You Refuel Yourself of $75.60. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.
Inputs used
- Distance drivenminimum 0 km
- 600 km
- Fuel consumptionminimum 0.1 L/100km
- 7.2 L/100km
- Pump price per litreminimum 0 $
- 1.75 $
- Rental desk fuel markupaccepts 0–200 %
- 25 %
Results
- Cost if You Refuel Yourself
- $75.60
- Fuel Used
- 43.2 L
- Cost via the Rental Desk
- $94.50
- Fuel Cost per km
- $0.126
Step by step
- 1Values used
- 2Fuel used
- 3Cost comparison
- 4Cost if You Refuel Yourself= $75.60
- 5Fuel Used= 43.2 L
- 6Cost via the Rental Desk= $94.50
- 7Fuel Cost per km= $0.126
Assumptions and limits
- The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
- In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
- Figures are rounded for display to 3 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
- Fuel prices move daily and rental refuelling charges vary by supplier and location. Check the rental agreement for the exact refuelling policy and per-litre rate.
How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.
Fuel prices move daily and rental refuelling charges vary by supplier and location. Check the rental agreement for the exact refuelling policy and per-litre rate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the prepaid fuel option ever worth it?
Only if you will return the tank nearly empty and value the time saved, since unused fuel is not refunded. Returning full at a station near the airport is almost always cheaper.
What consumption figure should I use?
Add roughly 10-20% to the manufacturer's combined figure for real-world driving, and more for mountains, heavy loads or constant air conditioning. A small hatchback typically runs 6-8 L/100km, a mid-size SUV 9-12.
How do I convert from miles per gallon?
For US mpg, L/100km = 235.2 ÷ mpg. For imperial mpg, use 282.5 ÷ mpg.