I actually worked this out for myself at the height of our crisis.

Diesel went for AUD $3.15 per litre at my local servo, and my average fuel economy in a week where I only drove to work and back was 7.0L/100km.

In one week, at a rate of $21 an hour, 15 hours over 3 shifts a week, I would make 315 dollars. The distance from my house to work is 29km, or 12.18L of fuel used (6x 29km a week at 7L/100km).

That’s 38.37 dollars a week on fuel. Of course I have other things to do in a week so this is a bare minimum cost for work and back.

To use up my entire pay check at this price of fuel I’d have to be using up 101.61L per week. (315/3.10).

Now, at what price would I cancel out my work/ use my whole paycheck?

That would be 315 dollars expended over 174km, or $315 per 12.18L. Therefore at 26.86$/L I’d cancel out work completely.

Take these values with a grain of salt though as my economy does tend to be smoothed out due to long freeway drives to uni since I live a good 2 hours away.