RealCost Guide
Cost of Driving 5 Miles UK
A 5-mile journey usually costs less than people expect in fuel, but short trips can still add up if they are repeated often for school runs, commuting, errands, deliveries or local journeys.
Use this page to estimate the fuel cost of driving 5 miles, compare one-way versus return journeys, and avoid ignoring parking, waiting time and repeated short-trip wear.
Calculate the cost of driving 5 miles
Enter 5 miles into the calculator below, then add your fuel price and MPG. For a return journey, enter 10 miles instead.
This calculator estimates fuel cost only. It does not automatically include parking, waiting time, vehicle wear, insurance, road tax, maintenance or depreciation.
Quick answer: At £1.60 per litre and 40 MPG, driving 5 miles costs about 91p in fuel. A 5-mile journey there and back is 10 miles, which costs about £1.82 in fuel.
5 miles one-way vs 5 miles return
This is where short journey estimates often go wrong.
5 miles one-way
Use 5 miles if you only want the cost of getting there.
5 miles each way
Use 10 miles if the trip is 5 miles there and 5 miles back.
Example fuel cost to drive 5 miles
These examples use petrol at £1.60 per litre.
50 MPG car
5 miles costs about 68p in fuel.
40 MPG car
5 miles costs about 85p in fuel.
30 MPG car
5 miles costs about £1.14 in fuel.
When 5 miles costs more than fuel
For short urban trips, fuel can be the smallest part of the real cost.
What affects a 5-mile driving cost?
Small trips are simple, but the result still changes depending on your car and route.
Higher petrol or diesel prices increase the cost immediately.
A 50 MPG car costs much less per mile than a 30 MPG car.
Urban traffic can make a short trip less efficient.
A small trip done daily becomes a monthly cost.
Repeated 5-mile journeys add up
A single 5-mile journey is cheap. Repeating it every day is the real cost.
5 miles a day
At 40 MPG and £1.60/litre, this is about £18 per month if repeated 20 times.
5 miles each way
A 10-mile return trip is about £34 per month if repeated 20 times.
Daily short trips
Add parking, traffic, waiting and wear before judging the trip as cheap.
Useful calculators and guides
Use these next if you want a wider driving cost estimate.
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