Common Conversions: 1, 2, 5, 10, and 20 Litres to Kilograms
Quick reference charts for converting 1, 2, 5, 10, and 20 liters to kilograms for water, oil, milk, and fuel. Find exactly how many litres in a kilo.
Read articleConvert KG to Liters
Convert kilograms to litres for water, milk, oil, fuel, honey and 20+ other substances — every answer is worked out from the substance's real density.
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How it works
Enter your weight and substance
Type the amount in kilograms and pick your substance from the list — or choose Custom and enter its density in kg/L.
Flip the direction if you need it
Switch Convert to Litres → Kilograms to turn a volume back into a weight using the same density.
Read the result and the formula
See the answer in litres, millilitres and gallons, with the exact formula shown beneath it.
How to Convert Kilograms to Litres
Kilograms measure mass — the amount of matter — while litres measure volume, the space something takes up. You cannot turn one into the other without knowing the substance's density: how much mass fits into one litre. For water at 4°C the density is 1 kg/L, so 1 kilogram takes up exactly 1 litre; for every other substance the answer is different. The formula is simply litres equals kilograms divided by density (L = kg ÷ density), and to reverse it, kilograms equals litres multiplied by density (kg = L × density). Because density in kg/L is numerically identical to grams per millilitre, any food or product label that lists g/mL can be used directly. In practice that means 1 kg of honey (1.42 kg/L) takes up 0.70 L, 1 kg of petrol (0.74 kg/L) takes up 1.35 L, and 1 kg of whole milk (1.03 kg/L) takes up 0.97 L.
L = kg ÷ Density (kg/L)
kg = Litres × Density (kg/L)
Water: 1 kg ÷ 1.000 = 1.000 L
Honey: 1 kg ÷ 1.420 = 0.704 L
Petrol: 1 kg ÷ 0.740 = 1.351 L
Milk: 1 kg ÷ 1.030 = 0.971 LExample
Convert 5 kilograms of olive oil to litres. Olive oil has a density of 0.910 kg/L, so L = 5 ÷ 0.910 = 5.49 L. Reversing it: 5.49 L × 0.910 = 5 kg.
Worked examples
| Scenario | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2 kg of water (cooking) | 2 ÷ 0.998 kg/L | 2.004 L |
| 10 kg of diesel (vehicle) | 10 ÷ 0.835 kg/L | 11.98 L |
| 0.5 kg of honey (baking) | 0.5 ÷ 1.420 kg/L | 0.35 L |
| 3 kg of whole milk | 3 ÷ 1.030 kg/L | 2.91 L |
| 15 kg of petrol (fuel calc) | 15 ÷ 0.740 kg/L | 20.27 L |
Conversion reference
| Substance | Density (kg/L) | 1 kg = | 5 kg = | 10 kg = |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (pure, 20°C) | 0.998 | 1.002 L | 5.01 L | 10.02 L |
| Water (4°C, max density) | 1.000 | 1 L | 5 L | 10 L |
| Seawater | 1.025 | 0.976 L | 4.88 L | 9.76 L |
| Milk (whole) | 1.030 | 0.971 L | 4.85 L | 9.71 L |
| Honey | 1.420 | 0.704 L | 3.52 L | 7.04 L |
| Olive Oil | 0.910 | 1.099 L | 5.49 L | 10.99 L |
| Petrol (gasoline) | 0.740 | 1.351 L | 6.76 L | 13.51 L |
| Diesel | 0.835 | 1.198 L | 5.99 L | 11.98 L |
| Concrete (wet mix) | 2.300 | 0.435 L | 2.17 L | 4.35 L |
Quick facts
- Water at 4°C has a density of exactly 1.000 kg/L — the SI reference standard (BIPM) and the only case where 1 kilogram equals 1 litre.
- Honey is about 42% denser than water: 1 kilogram of honey takes up only 0.704 L.
- 1 kilogram of petrol takes up 1.351 litres — roughly 35% more volume than the same weight of water.
- Density in kg/L is numerically identical to grams per millilitre (g/mL), so a label reading 1.03 g/mL is also 1.03 kg/L.
From the blog
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Read articleFrequently asked questions
Divide the weight in kilograms by the substance's density in kg/L: litres = kilograms ÷ density. For example, 3 kg of milk at 1.03 kg/L is 3 ÷ 1.03 = 2.91 L. Look up the density in the table above or read it from the product label.
The formula is: Volume (L) = Mass (kg) ÷ Density (kg/L). To use this formula, you must know the specific density of the material you are converting. For water, the density is roughly 1, so the formula simplifies to L = kg ÷ 1.
1 kg of water takes up almost exactly 1 litre. At its densest point (4°C) the density is exactly 1.000 kg/L, and at room temperature (20°C) it drops slightly to about 0.998 kg/L, so 1 kg takes up roughly 1.002 L.
About 0.97 litres. Whole milk has a density near 1.030 kg/L because the dissolved proteins, sugars and minerals make it slightly denser than water, so 1 kg takes up slightly less than a litre.
Cooking and fuel oils are lighter than water, so 1 kg takes up more than 1 litre. Olive oil (0.91 kg/L) takes up about 1.10 L per kg.
No. The 1 kg = 1 litre rule is only true for pure water. Anything denser than water (honey, milk, seawater) takes up less space per kilogram, and anything lighter (oil, petrol, ethanol) takes up more space, so you must use the substance's density.
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