Fuel and Charging Costs
Calculate monthly fuel costs accurately using distance, fuel efficiency, and current fuel price — and include this figure in any vehicle ownership budget.
In this lesson
Fuel and Charging Costs is part of The True Cost of Transport. This preview shows how transport-costs connects to everyday family decisions such as earning, saving, spending choices, goals, approvals, or parent-guided money conversations inside Progress Penguin.
Think about this money choice
Chukwu drives 40km a day to work. Petrol costs 700 in local currency a litre and his car does 12km per litre.
How it works
Fuel cost is one of the most significant and predictable running costs of a vehicle. It can be estimated accurately by dividing the daily distance by the vehicle's fuel efficiency (km per litre) and multiplying by the fuel price per litre. Doing this calculation monthly provides a reliable budget line for transportation expenses.
Apply it to a real decision
Real-life money moment: Chukwu drives 40km per day, 20 working days a month. His car does 12km per litre. Fuel costs 700 in local currency/litre. Daily fuel: 40 ÷ 12 × 700 in local currency = 2333 in local currency. Monthly fuel: 2333 in local currency × 20 = 46667 in local currency. That is 46667 in local currency/month — just for fuel. Before buying the car, he needs to confirm this fits in his budget.
Activity preview
Test the trade-off
Use the lesson to complete this short practice activity.
Practice funding your spending account
Open Requests and make a deposit request so you can see how money gets added before spending. Parent approval can happen later.
Quiz preview
Fuel and charging costs are ongoing vehicle expenses that:
Your car averages 10L/100km and fuel costs 700 in local currency/litre. A 200km trip costs: