True Cost Per Mile to Drive Calculator
Add up fuel, maintenance, depreciation and insurance to find what every mile really costs you to operate your car for gig work.
What does it really cost to drive per mile?
Add up fuel, maintenance, depreciation and insurance, then divide by your yearly miles. On the defaults — 30,000 miles at 28 MPG, $3.40/gal, plus $1,400 maintenance, $3,200 depreciation and $1,800 insurance — the car costs about $10,043 a year, or roughly $0.33 per mile. Depreciation and fuel are usually the two biggest slices.
Your numbers
Total cost per mile
$0.33
to operate your car
Annual operating cost
$10,043
Fuel cost per mile
$0.12
Insight — Most gig drivers dramatically underestimate this number because depreciation is invisible — the car silently loses value every mile. A typical sedan runs $0.30–$0.55 per mile all-in, which is exactly why your per-mile pay rate matters more than the fare total.
Data behind the defaults
- $3.4/gal·Editorial estimate· as of 2026-06-01· medium confidence
These defaults are starting points from the sources above — every field is editable, and results are estimates, not quotes. All data sources →
What if Annual miles changes?
| Annual miles | Total cost per mile |
|---|---|
| 5,000 mi | $1.4 |
| 10,000 mi | $0.76 |
| 15,000 mi | $0.55 |
| 20,000 mi | $0.44 |
| 30,000 mi · now | $0.33 |
Cover your rideshare miles
Personal policies often exclude app driving. Benchmark the cost here before you buy a rideshare endorsement.
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Typical range: all-in operating cost commonly lands around $0.30–$0.55 per mile for an average car (published annual driving-cost studies are in this ballpark), with depreciation — not fuel — usually the single largest component on newer vehicles. Your figure depends on the inputs above.
How this calculator works
The tool adds your four real operating costs for a year — fuel computed from your miles, MPG and pump price, plus your maintenance, depreciation and insurance figures — then divides the total by the miles you drive. It also breaks the per-mile number into its parts so you can see how much of each mile goes to fuel versus the depreciation most drivers overlook.
Formula
Total annual cost = (miles ÷ MPG × fuel price) + maintenance + depreciation + insurance. Cost per mile = total annual cost ÷ annual miles.
Worked example
30,000 miles at 28 MPG and $3.40/gal: fuel = 30,000 ÷ 28 × $3.40 ≈ $3,643. Add $1,400 maintenance, $3,200 depreciation and $1,800 insurance for about $10,043 a year. Divided by 30,000 miles, that's about $0.33 per mile — roughly $0.12 fuel and $0.11 depreciation.
What affects your result
- →Fuel economy and local fuel price
- →Annual mileage, which spreads fixed costs across more miles
- →Maintenance and tire spending
- →Depreciation — often the largest and most invisible cost per mile
- →Insurance premium, especially a rideshare or commercial one
What this estimate includes
- ✓Total cost per mile to operate the car
- ✓Annual operating cost
- ✓A per-mile breakdown for fuel, maintenance, depreciation and insurance
What it does not include
- ×Financing interest on a car loan
- ×Parking, tolls and registration fees
- ×Your own time behind the wheel
- ×One-off major repairs or accident costs
Good to know
Clear, practical answers about the cost per mile calculator.
What is a typical cost per mile to drive?＋
For an average gas car, all-in operating costs (fuel, maintenance, depreciation and insurance) commonly fall between $0.30 and $0.55 per mile. Larger SUVs and trucks run higher; efficient compacts and many EVs run lower. Your exact number depends on fuel economy, how fast the car depreciates and your insurance.
Why include depreciation if I'm not paying it in cash?＋
Because every mile lowers your car's resale value, which is real money you lose when you eventually sell or replace it. Ignoring depreciation makes gig work look more profitable than it is. It's often the biggest cost per mile on a newer vehicle, even bigger than fuel.
How does this compare to the standard mileage rate?＋
The standard mileage rate is a flat allowance meant to approximate these same costs for tax purposes. This calculator builds the number from your actual figures, so you can compare your true cost against that standard rate and see whether your car is cheaper or pricier than average to run.
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