Fuel Cost Calculator — South Africa
Calculate your monthly or annual fuel spend. Enter your km driven, fuel price, and vehicle consumption.
Last updated: May 2026
Estimates your monthly and annual fuel spend based on your vehicle's consumption, monthly km driven, and the current fuel price.
Key inputs explained
- Monthly km
- Your average distance driven per month.
- Fuel consumption
- Litres per 100 km — find this in your vehicle's spec sheet or measure it yourself over a few tanks.
- Fuel price
- The current pump price in your area. Petrol prices change monthly in SA.
Keeping your tyre pressure correct can improve fuel efficiency by up to 3%. At R24/litre, that's a meaningful monthly saving over tens of thousands of km.
Frequently Asked Questions
Monthly fuel cost = (Monthly km ÷ Vehicle fuel consumption per 100km) × 100 × Fuel price per litre. For example, if you drive 1,500 km/month in a car that uses 8L/100km and fuel costs R23/litre: (1500 ÷ 100) × 8 × 23 = R2,760/month.
South Africa's fuel price is adjusted on the first Wednesday of each month by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy. The adjustment is based on the international Brent crude oil price and the rand/dollar exchange rate over the preceding month. Inland and coastal prices differ slightly due to transport levies.
The AA (Automobile Association of SA) publishes regular cost-per-km estimates including fuel, tyres, maintenance, insurance, licensing, and depreciation. For a medium-sized petrol car, total running costs are typically R4–R7 per km. Fuel alone accounts for roughly 30%–50% of this, depending on the vehicle and fuel price.
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