What does this gas station detour calculator calculate?

It calculates whether driving to a cheaper gas station actually saves you money after accounting for the extra fuel burned on the detour (and optionally, the value of your time).

What distance should I enter?

Enter the extra one-way distance to the farther station compared to your nearest station. The calculator treats this as a round trip (there and back).

Does it support metric and imperial units?

Yes. Metric uses km, liters, and $/L. Imperial uses miles, gallons, and $/gal, with MPG (US) for fuel economy.

Which fuel economy formats can I use?

In metric mode you can use L/100km or km/L. In imperial mode you can use MPG (US).

How does the calculator decide if it is worth it?

It compares your price savings on the fuel you plan to buy against the cost of fuel burned during the detour. If the result is positive, it is worth it; if negative, it is not.

Can I include the value of my time?

Yes. Expand the optional time section and enter the extra minutes for the detour (round trip) and your value per hour to see a time-adjusted result.

01 Jan 2026 6 min read Savings

Is It Worth Driving to a Cheaper Gas Station?

Another calculator in the series is one that calculates if you can or cannot save money by driving to a different gas station.

At first glance, the decision feels obvious - if gas is cheaper a few kilometers or miles away, it must be worth the drive. But once you factor in extra distance, fuel consumption, and even your time, that "cheaper" fill-up doesn’t always save you money.

This calculator breaks it down for you. Enter the price at your nearest station, the price at a farther one, and a few details about your vehicle, and it will tell you whether the detour is actually worth it or if you’re better off filling up closer to home.

Is it worth driving to a cheaper gas station?

Compare the price difference vs. the fuel you’ll burn on the extra drive.

Inputs

Units

Preset vehicle

Nearest station price ($/L)

Farther station price ($/L)

Extra distance to farther station (one-way, km)

This should be the extra distance compared to your nearest station.

Fuel consumption format

Fuel to purchase (L)

Fuel consumption

Example: 8.5 L/100km

Optional: value your time

Extra time for detour (minutes, round trip)

If you enter time, we’ll also show “time-adjusted” worth-it results.

Your time value ($/hour)

Results

Enter your numbers and click Calculate.

Is it worth driving to a cheaper gas station?

Inputs

Results

Optimized

You might also like...