Fuel and car costs · rates of EIA and EPA
Cost per mile calculator
Put in your miles, your MPG and what the car costs you each year: the result is your own cost per mile, next to the IRS rate.
Published by Radif Partners · Rules and data · Editorial policy
Your cost per mile
$0.818
$9,816 a year · IRS business rate $0.76
| Fuel per mile | $0.156 |
| Maintenance per mile | $0.10 |
| Fixed costs per mile | $0.563 |
| Above the IRS rate by | $0.058 |
Fixed costs fall per mile as you drive more: that is why a low-mileage car often costs more per mile than the IRS rate. How this is calculated.
With the same car and the same yearly bills, driving 6,000 miles costs $1.381 a mile, 12,000 miles $0.818 and 25,000 miles $0.526, in the example used by the calculator above (28 mpg, gasoline at the EIA U.S. average of $4.354, 10 cents a mile of maintenance, $1,800 of insurance, $250 of registration, $3,500 of loss of value and $900 of loan interest a year). Fixed costs do not care how much you drive, so they shrink per mile as the odometer turns. Compare your figure with the IRS business rate of 76 cents a mile since July 1, 2026: if your cost is lower, a reimbursement at the IRS rate leaves you a margin; if it is higher, the rate does not cover your car. Every input except the default fuel price is yours, because no official table gives one car's insurance or depreciation.
Two kinds of cost
Running costs grow with every mile: fuel, oil, tires, brakes, scheduled maintenance. Ownership costs arrive whether the car moves or not: insurance, registration, the loss of value, loan interest, a parking permit. The calculator keeps them apart and shows both per mile. Fuel per mile is simply the price per gallon divided by MPG: at $4.354 and 28 mpg, $0.156. The gas cost calculator gives the price of your state.
Loss of value is the heaviest fixed line on a newer car and the hardest to know. Use the difference between what you paid and what similar cars of the same age sell for, spread over the years you have owned it. The car depreciation calculator turns a yearly percentage into dollars.
Fuel for a drive at U.S. average prices
Fuel cost
$46.65
| 10.7 gal × $4.354 | $46.65 |
| Per mile | $0.156 |
| Same miles at the IRS rate ($0.76) | $228 |
How the IRS builds its rate
The business standard mileage rate rests on an annual study of fixed and variable costs that an independent contractor runs for the IRS (Notice 2026-10). It is an average over many cars and drivers, which is why it fits some cars well and others badly. Of the 2026 rate, 35 cents a mile is depreciation. The mid-year increase to 76 cents (Announcement 2026-11) reflected fuel prices, the most volatile variable cost.
Who should run this calculation
Rideshare and delivery drivers who are paid per trip need their real cost per mile to judge whether an offer pays; the IRS rate is what they may deduct as independent contractors, not what they spend. Employees paid a flat rate per mile by their employer can check whether it covers their car. Self-employed people choosing between the standard rate and actual costs see which is higher: the business mileage deduction calculator does that comparison with the business share. Households comparing two cars can run it twice with each car's MPG, insurance and price.
Reading the example
The three mileages in the summary use exactly the same car and the same bills; only the odometer changes. Between 6,000 and 25,000 miles a year, fuel and maintenance per mile stay flat at about $0.256, while the fixed part falls from $1.125 to $0.27. A second car that sits in the driveway most of the week is the classic case of a high cost per mile; a commuter car on the highway every day the opposite. If you are deciding whether to keep a little-used second car, the yearly total in the result is the number to weigh against rentals or rideshares for those few trips.
The bar under the result shows how the cost splits between fuel, maintenance and fixed costs, so it is easy to see which input deserves a better estimate. Most people know their fuel and insurance well and their loss of value badly.
Limits of the figure
Repairs come in lumps, so a single year can look cheap or expensive; average over several years if you can. Loan interest falls as a loan ages. Insurance depends on where you live and your record. The per-mile figure is a snapshot of the inputs you type; change one and watch the bar move.