Fuel cost calculator · About 120 miles
Gas cost from Los Angeles to San Diego
The drive from Los Angeles, CA to San Diego, CA is about 120 miles, so a round trip costs about $45.98 in gas at this week's average of $5.75 a gallon. Change the car, fuel or distance below for your own figure.
What the trip costs by vehicle
| Vehicle | One way | Round trip |
|---|---|---|
| Compact car (33 mpg) | $20.90 | $41.80 |
| Midsize sedan (30 mpg) | $22.99 | $45.98 |
| Hybrid (50 mpg) | $13.80 | $27.59 |
| Minivan (22 mpg) | $31.35 | $62.71 |
| SUV (24 mpg) | $28.74 | $57.48 |
| Pickup truck (19 mpg) | $36.30 | $72.61 |
Regular gas at $5.748 a gallon, this week's California price, from the EIA’s weekly survey. Fuel only: tolls and parking are not included.
Fuel economy figures are round examples for each kind of vehicle, not official ratings. Your own car's EPA rating is on fueleconomy.gov.
Distance: fastest route between city centres, rounded to the nearest 5 miles, calculated with OSRM on OpenStreetMap road data (© OpenStreetMap contributors), measured November 2026.
120 miles in California
$22.99
4 gallons at $5.75 a gallon
$6.38 more than the same trip at the national average.
- Per mile
- 19.2¢
- A full tank
- $86.22
- about 450 miles
- A year of driving
- $2,299
- $192 a month
Los Angeles to San Diego by car
- How much does gas cost from Los Angeles to San Diego?
- About $22.99 one way, or $45.98 for the round trip, in a car that gets 30 mpg. That assumes 120 miles and this week's average regular price of $5.75 a gallon. An SUV at 24 mpg spends about $28.74 one way; a hybrid at 50 mpg about $13.80.
- How far is Los Angeles from San Diego by car?
- About 120 miles on the fastest route between the two city centres, measured on OpenStreetMap road data. Your own start and end points may make it a little longer or shorter; type your distance into the calculator for an exact figure.
- How many gallons of gas does the drive take?
- About 4.0 gallons one way at 30 mpg. That fits in a typical 15-gallon tank, so most cars can make it without stopping for fuel.