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Cost Per Km Calculator

Add fuel, maintenance, insurance, depreciation, and other yearly car costs, then divide by annual distance for the true per-kilometre rate. Fuel alone understates driving — this counts the whole car. An estimate for comparing options, not an accounting valuation.

Last updated: September 30, 2026

Your result · Cost per km

$0.37

Total yearly cost: $5,600.00
Monthly cost: $466.67

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What your result means

Cost per km is the headline: every yearly dollar divided by every kilometre. Compare it against taxis, rentals, or a second car.

Yearly and monthly totals show the same money in budgeting units — the figure that actually leaves your account.

How the calculation works

Add all yearly car costs: fuel, maintenance, insurance, depreciation, and other.
Divide the total by annual kilometres for the per-km rate.
Divide by twelve for the monthly view.

Formula

total = fuel + maintenance + insurance + depreciation + other; per km = total ÷ annual km

Annual totalfuel + maintenance + insurance + depreciation + other
Per kmannual total ÷ annual kilometres
Per monthannual total ÷ 12

Worked examples

Example: 15,000 km year, $5,600 total costs
annualKm: 15000fuelCost: 1800maintenance: 600insurance: 900depreciation: 2000other: 300
Result: Total yearly cost $5,600.00 · Cost per km $0.37 · Monthly cost $466.67
Example: fuel-only view, 12,000 km
annualKm: 12000fuelCost: 1500
Result: Total yearly cost $1,500.00 · Cost per km $0.13 · Monthly cost $125.00

Assumptions

What this calculation takes for granted — check these before relying on the result.

Assumptions:

Default values are an example 15,000 km year — replace every figure with yours.
Costs are one full year in today’s money; fuel-price moves are averaged in.
Depreciation is straight-line (price minus resale over ownership years).

Limitations

Why your real figure may differ:

Depreciation guesses dominate the figure and are the least certain input.
A low-mileage year inflates per-km cost dramatically — the car still depreciates parked.
Financing interest, opportunity cost, and accident risk are excluded.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my per-km cost higher than fuel alone?

Fuel is usually under half the total. Depreciation, insurance, and maintenance accrue whether you drive or not — dividing them by kilometres reveals the real rate.

How do I estimate depreciation?

Take purchase price minus realistic resale, divided by years you will keep the car. Check used listings for your model and age — that spread, annualized, is the figure.

Does driving more lower my per-km cost?

Yes, up to a point: fixed costs spread thinner. But extra kilometres add fuel, wear, and faster depreciation — the curve flattens rather than falling forever.

Should I include the car loan?

Include interest as a cost, but not principal repayments — those build equity, recovered partly at resale. Depreciation already captures the value lost.

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