Petrol in Pakistan is sold by the litre, but car manuals, American recipes and some water tank labels use gallons. To make it more confusing, there are two different gallons: the US gallon and the UK (imperial) gallon. This guide explains how to convert liters to gallons correctly for both, with examples and a chart. Our free Liters to Gallons converter shows both results at once.
Two different gallons
| Gallon | In liters |
|---|---|
| US gallon | 3.78541 L |
| UK (imperial) gallon | 4.54609 L |
The UK gallon is about 20% bigger. Always check which one a source means. American sources use US gallons; older British sources use imperial gallons.
Formulas
US gallons = liters ÷ 3.78541
UK gallons = liters ÷ 4.54609
Examples
- 40 L fuel tank = 10.57 US gal or 8.80 UK gal
- 1,000 L water tank = 264.2 US gal or 220.0 UK gal
- 5 US gal water bottle = 5 × 3.785 = 18.9 L
Quick chart
| Liters | US gallons | UK gallons |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.26 | 0.22 |
| 5 | 1.32 | 1.10 |
| 10 | 2.64 | 2.20 |
| 20 | 5.28 | 4.40 |
| 50 | 13.21 | 11.00 |
| 100 | 26.42 | 22.00 |
Fuel economy: km/l vs mpg
Pakistan measures fuel economy in kilometres per litre. American sources use miles per US gallon, British sources miles per UK gallon.
mpg (US) = km/l × 2.352
mpg (UK) = km/l × 2.825
A car that gives 15 km/l does about 35.3 mpg (US) or 42.4 mpg (UK). To estimate trip costs in rupees, the Petrol Cost Calculator works directly in km and litres.
Water tanks
Overhead water tanks in Pakistan are often sold by gallon capacity, such as “500 gallons”. Many local manufacturers use imperial gallons, so a 500-gallon tank holds roughly 2,273 litres; if it means US gallons, it would be about 1,893 litres. Ask the seller. Read water tank sizes in gallons and liters for help choosing a tank.
Cooking
US recipes use cups and quarts as well: 1 US gallon = 4 quarts = 16 cups. For smaller kitchen units, the Unit Converter covers cups, millilitres and fluid ounces.
Frequently asked questions
How many liters are in a gallon?
3.785 L in a US gallon and 4.546 L in a UK gallon.
How do I convert liters to gallons?
Divide by 3.785 for US gallons or by 4.546 for UK gallons.
Which gallon is used in Pakistan?
Petrol is sold in litres; for tanks, ask the seller which gallon they mean, as imperial is common.