Cost per km calculator: what your vehicle really costs to run
This cost per km calculator adds up everything it takes to run a car, bike, scooter or electric vehicle — fuel or electricity, tyres, servicing, insurance, tax, parking, loan interest and depreciation — and divides it by the distance you drive. You get the true running cost per km or per mile, the cost per month and year, and a breakdown showing where the money goes.
Fuel is often less than half of the real cost: depreciation and insurance can matter as much. Add a margin and the page also gives a rate per km to charge for a taxi, rental or delivery job. It works in rupees, dollars, pounds and euros, in km or miles, entirely in your browser.
How to calculate running cost per km
- Choose the currency and km or miles.
- Pick the Fuel — petrol, diesel, CNG or electric — and enter the Distance a year.
- Enter the fuel price and real-world economy, or for an EV the energy use, electricity price and charging loss.
- Fill in the Yearly costs: insurance, servicing, parking, tyre price and life, tax, loan interest and any other cost.
- Enter the purchase price, expected resale value and years you will keep it for depreciation, then read the cost per km and the breakdown.
Vehicle Running Cost per Km Calculator features
Every cost in one place
Energy, tyres, servicing, insurance, tax, parking, interest, depreciation and other costs, per year, month and km.
Petrol, diesel, CNG or EV
Fuel per litre or gallon with km/L, L/100 km or mpg; CNG per kg; EVs with charging losses.
Running vs fixed costs
Splits costs that rise with distance from those you pay anyway, so you can see the cost of an extra trip.
Rate per km
Add a margin to get a hire or reimbursement rate per km or mile.
Breakdown chart
A bar for each cost per km and a table with its share of the total.
The cost per km formula
Cost per km = total yearly cost ÷ km driven a year. Fuel per km = price per litre ÷ km per litre; for an EV, energy use per km × price per kWh ÷ (1 − charging loss). Tyres per km = price of a set ÷ its life in km. Depreciation a year = (purchase price − resale value) ÷ years kept.
Worked example: 12,000 km a year in a petrol car doing 15 km/L on ₹100 petrol uses ₹80,000 of fuel. Add tyres (₹24,000 every 40,000 km = ₹7,200), insurance ₹25,000, servicing ₹12,000, parking ₹6,000 and depreciation (₹8,00,000 − ₹4,00,000) ÷ 5 = ₹80,000. The total is ₹2,10,200 a year — ₹17.52 per km, of which fuel is only ₹6.67.
Running costs and fixed costs
Some costs grow with every km; others arrive whether you drive or not. Knowing which is which answers different questions:
| Type | Includes | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Running (per km) | Fuel or electricity, tyres, servicing | The cost of one more trip, or comparing a drive with a train fare |
| Fixed (per year) | Insurance, tax, parking, loan interest, depreciation | Deciding whether to own a vehicle at all |
| Total ÷ distance | Both | True cost per km, rate per km for hire work |
Cost per mile for an EV, and a fair rate per km
- For an electric car, choose Electric and enter the kWh figure from the trip computer. The charging loss adds the energy the meter supplies but the battery never stores. The EV charging cost calculator works out single charges and home vs public prices.
- Depreciation often decides whether an EV or a petrol car is cheaper overall — the car depreciation calculator helps estimate the resale value.
- A rate per km for taxi or delivery work should cover the full cost plus a margin for your time and risk. For the cost of a single journey only, use the fuel cost calculator.
Vehicle Running Cost per Km Calculator FAQ
How do I calculate the cost per km of my car?
Add up a year’s fuel, tyres, servicing, insurance, tax, parking, loan interest and depreciation, then divide by the km you drive that year. The cost per km calculator above does this and shows each item.
What is a good cost per mile for a car?
It depends on the car, fuel prices and how far you drive — high-mileage drivers spread fixed costs over more miles, so their cost per mile is lower. Enter your own figures rather than relying on an average.
How do I work out cost per mile for an EV?
Choose Electric, enter energy use (for example 4 mi/kWh), the electricity price and charging loss, plus the yearly costs. The calculator includes depreciation, which often matters more than electricity.
How do I calculate a rate per km for a taxi or rental?
Find your full cost per km, then add a margin. With a 20% margin, a ₹17.52 cost becomes a ₹21.02 rate per km.
Should depreciation be included?
Yes for the true cost of owning a vehicle. Leave the purchase price at 0 if you only want running costs.
Is this financial advice?
No. It is an estimate based on the numbers you enter.