Step one: fuel cost from distance and mileage
For a 600 km trip in a vehicle averaging 15 km/l: 600 ÷ 15 = 40 liters of fuel needed. At ₹100 per liter, that's 40 × ₹100 = ₹4,000 in fuel cost.
Step two: adding tolls and food/lodging
Tolls for the trip: ₹500. Food and lodging at ₹2,000 per day for a 2-day trip: 2,000 × 2 = ₹4,000. Adding all three categories together: ₹4,000 (fuel) + ₹500 (tolls) + ₹4,000 (food/lodging) = ₹8,500 total estimated cost.
Why fuel cost depends on two separate inputs
Fuel cost isn't a single number pulled from the trip distance alone — it depends equally on the vehicle's mileage and the fuel price. A less efficient vehicle, or a higher fuel price, both push the fuel cost up for the exact same 600 km distance, which is why mileage is an input here rather than an assumed constant.
What's deliberately left out
This estimate doesn't include vehicle wear-and-tear, parking, or emergency costs — those are separate line items to budget for on top of this total, as the companion article on parking cost and the connecting piece on mileage assumptions both cover.