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Car Cost Calculator

Work out the total cost of owning a car — fuel or electricity, insurance, VED, servicing and depreciation — plus what that works out to per year and per mile.

Estimate only. This is an estimate for general information only, not financial or motoring advice. Fuel prices, insurance, VED, servicing costs and depreciation all vary — check current rates and get quotes for your specific vehicle before making a decision. Sources: gov.uk Vehicle Excise Duty rates, gov.uk weekly road fuel prices, RAC Cost of Motoring guide.

Total cost of ownership
£17,028
3 years
Cost per year
£5,676
Cost per mile
56.8p
Cost breakdown
Fuel/electricity per year
£1,495
Running cost per year
£2,685
Depreciation over the period
£8,973
Total cost of ownership
£17,028

How the total cost of ownership is calculated

The running cost each year is fuel (or electricity), insurance, VED and servicing/MOT added together. Fuel cost is worked out from your annual mileage and fuel economy (miles per gallon, converted using the UK imperial gallon of 4.54609 litres) at your chosen fuel price; electric cars use miles per kWh against an electricity price instead. That annual running cost is multiplied by how many years you'll keep the car, then depreciation — the drop in the car's value over that period — is added on top, since it's a real cost even though you don't pay it as a bill. The total is also shown per year and per mile so you can compare cars fairly regardless of how long you keep them or how far you drive.