Journal · Travel
Road trips: splitting petrol, tolls and parking fairly
Share petrol, tolls and parking, thank the car owner fairly and handle costs across borders.
A road trip to Melaka, a drive up the Great Ocean Road, a weekend to Ipoh. Sharing a car saves money, but who pays for what?
The costs to share
- petrol or charging
- tolls
- parking
- car rental, if you rented
These are shared by everyone in the car, usually equally.
What about the car owner?
If one friend drives their own car, petrol is not the only cost. The car also wears tyres, needs servicing and loses value with every kilometre. Many groups thank the owner by:
- not asking them to pay for petrol, or
- adding a small amount per kilometre, agreed beforehand, or
- covering the driver's meals on the trip.
Agree on this before you leave, not at the petrol station.
A worked example
Four friends drive from Singapore to Melaka and back in Kai's car.
- Petrol: S$90
- Tolls: S$24
- Parking: S$18
- Total: S$132, or S$33 each
The group agrees to cover Kai's share as thanks for driving. The other three pay S$44 each, and Kai pays nothing.
Crossing borders
On cross-border trips, some costs are in a different currency, such as tolls and petrol in RM. Record each cost in the currency it was paid, and convert at the day's rate when you settle.
Rental cars
For a rented car, split the rental, insurance and fuel equally. If one person adds an extra driver fee or chooses a bigger car, they can pay the difference.
With Perpax
Perpax, coming soon from Goldmend Money, will keep a trip log in any currency, with an option to cover the driver's share.
General information, not financial or legal advice. Figures are examples. Check your receipt and official sources.