The sticker price is a lie. See what a car really costs in United States.
Buy a car with your eyes open. Add up the purchase price, fuel or electricity, insurance, tax, maintenance and depreciation — and see the real monthly, yearly and per-kilometre cost before you commit. For United States drivers this uses real local figures where we have them — a state inspection costs about $0 per test and annual state vehicle fees is not charged for private cars. Prices default to USD and miles per US gallon.
Car Ownership Cost Calculator
Work out the real monthly, yearly and per-mile cost of owning a car: fuel, tax and depreciation.
Electric Car Cost Calculator
Estimate EV charging costs at home and at public chargers, plus cost per 100 km and per year.
Petrol vs Diesel vs Hybrid vs Electric: which really costs less?
Compare petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric over 1, 3, 5 and 10 years, including tax and depreciation.
Buy vs Lease vs PCP Car Calculator
Compare buying outright, hire purchase, PCP and leasing: total cost, payments and fees.
Car Affordability Calculator
Check whether a car fits your budget: income, expenses, deposit and running costs.
Fuel Cost Calculator
Calculate trip, daily, weekly, monthly and yearly fuel costs in L/100 km, MPG or km/L.
EV Charging Calculator
Estimate the cost and time to charge an electric car from one charge level to another.
Car Depreciation Calculator
Estimate how much a car loses in value: total depreciation, per year, per month and per mile or km driven.
Car Trip Cost Calculator
Estimate the fuel or energy cost of any trip: distance, consumption and fuel price — one-way and return cost.
Car Comparison Calculator
Compare two cars side by side: purchase price, fuel, tax, insurance and 5-year running cost.
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Why cost of ownership matters
The purchase price is only the beginning. Fuel or electricity, insurance, state vehicle fees, the state inspection, servicing, tyres, repairs and depreciation together usually cost more than the car itself over a few years. Use this tool to see the full picture before you buy.
How to use this calculator
Enter realistic figures for your situation — what you actually pay for insurance, what you expect to drive in a year — and the tool breaks the total down into monthly, weekly, yearly and per-distance costs. Adjust any figure and the results update instantly.
Frequently asked questions
What does the car cost calculator include?
The full cost of running a car in the US, not just the purchase price: fuel or electricity, insurance, state vehicle fees, the state inspection, servicing, tyres, repairs, finance and depreciation.
Which local costs does it use?
Figures are entered and shown in USD, and the breakdown names state vehicle fees and the state inspection, so the result reflects what you actually pay rather than a generic average.
Does it show the cost per month and per mile or kilometre?
Yes. The same total is broken down per year, per month, per week and per distance driven, so you can see both the annual burden and what each journey really costs.
How accurate is the result?
It is an estimate built entirely from the figures you enter. Prices and rates change over time, so review the inputs against current official sources before you commit to a car.
Estimate only: results depend entirely on the inputs. Prices and rates change; check current official sources before committing.