Vehicle EconomicsVehicle Cost Per Mile
Split fixed (own-it-either-way) cost from variable (drive-it) cost, so you know what an extra trip actually costs.
Why this comes up
"What does this trip actually cost me" or "should I take the job with the longer commute" are per-mile questions, not per-year questions. A blended cost-per-mile figure answers the wrong version of that question, because it bakes in costs you'd pay either way. This engine splits fixed from variable so the per-mile number actually matches the decision you're making.
How we calculated this
Fixed cost (depreciation, insurance, registration) is divided by annual miles to get a fixed cost per mile. Variable cost (fuel, maintenance, repairs) is added on top per mile driven, since it scales directly with use.
Worked example, using this page's own defaults (12,000 annual miles, $2,400 depreciation, $1,200 insurance, $300 registration, $0.17 combined variable cost per mile): total cost per mile comes to approximately $0.495. Run the calculator above with your own numbers.
What this means
- Driving more miles only costs the variable rate, not the blended total, an extra 1,000 miles costs the variable portion times 1,000, not the full per-mile figure.
- A lower annual mileage estimate raises the fixed cost per mile, since the same fixed costs spread over fewer miles, don't assume "I barely drive" automatically means "cheap per mile."
- If fuel is the variable you want to isolate further, Fuel Cost Calculator breaks that piece out on its own with gas-price sensitivity.
Limitations
Depreciation and per-mile operating figures are your own estimates. See Methodology.
Methodology
This engine combines Vehicle Economics' ownership total cost model (every ownership cost, depreciation, financing, fuel, insurance, maintenance, repairs, and fees, summed over your horizon) and fuel and charging cost model (your own miles, MPG or kWh, and rates converted directly to a dollar cost). See Methodology for the full detail.