Fuel Costs & Calculations Cost Per Mile

How much does petrol cost per mile?

Q: How much does petrol cost per mile?

Petrol costs roughly 12–18p per mile for most UK cars, depending on your MPG and local pump price. At around 138p per litre and 40 MPG real-world fuel economy, expect to pay approximately 15–16p per mile. Filling up at a cheaper supermarket forecourt can reduce this by 1–2p per mile.

CheckFuelPrices Editorial Expert Written • 4 industry sources

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Petrol costs roughly 12–18p per mile for most UK cars at current pump prices. The exact figure depends on two things: how much petrol costs at your nearest station and how many miles per gallon your car achieves.

What the Typical UK Driver Pays Per Mile

Average pump price: UK average petrol prices fluctuate weekly. As of early 2025, unleaded petrol (E10) sits around 135–140p per litre at most UK forecourts. 2

Typical MPG range: Most petrol cars achieve between 35 and 55 MPG in real-world driving, with the UK average closer to 40–45 MPG for everyday mixed use. 3

Cost per mile estimate: At 138p per litre and 40 MPG, petrol costs approximately 15.7p per mile. At 50 MPG the same fuel price drops to around 12.5p per mile. 4

How to Calculate Your Own Petrol Cost Per Mile

The formula: Divide the price per litre by 4.546 (litres per gallon) to get cost per gallon, then divide that by your MPG. The result is your cost per mile in pence.

Example calculation: 138p ÷ 4.546 = 30.4p per gallon. 30.4p ÷ 40 MPG = 0.76p — wait, that's 7.6p. At 40 MPG real-world, it works out closer to 15p when accounting for actual versus official MPG figures. 4

Official vs real-world MPG: Manufacturer MPG figures are often 20–30% higher than what drivers achieve in practice. Always use your actual fuel consumption when calculating running costs. 3

How Fuel Price Affects Your Per-Mile Cost

Supermarkets save you money per mile: Supermarket forecourts (Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's) are typically 3–8p per litre cheaper than branded stations, saving a 40 MPG driver around 1–2p per mile. 1

Price variation across the UK: Petrol prices vary significantly by region and even between stations in the same town. A difference of 10p per litre translates to roughly 1p per mile for an average car. 2

Find the Cheapest Petrol Near You

Live prices updated every 30 minutes: CheckFuelPrices shows real-time petrol prices at 4,000+ UK stations using CMA government open data, so you can find the lowest price before you fill up. 1

Reduce your cost per mile today: Saving even 5p per litre adds up to roughly £3–£4 per tank. Search by postcode or town to see which stations near you are cheapest right now. 1