Car Ownership Cost Calculator
Calculate the true total cost of owning a car — depreciation, fuel, insurance, maintenance and financing.
About the Car Ownership Cost Calculator
The true cost of owning a car goes far beyond the sticker price. This calculator adds up every major expense — financing, fuel, insurance, maintenance, road tax, and depreciation — to give you the real number over your full ownership period.
What is included?
The calculation covers purchase price minus down payment (financed at your loan rate), annual fuel costs based on your efficiency and mileage, insurance, maintenance, road tax, and depreciation. Depreciation is typically the single largest cost of car ownership and is often overlooked in simple budgets.
Depreciation rates explained
New cars typically lose 20–25% of their value in the first year, then around 15% per year after that. Japanese and Korean brands tend to hold their value better (10–12%/yr) while luxury European brands can depreciate faster (20–25%/yr). Used cars depreciate more slowly since the steepest initial drop has already occurred.
- 15%/yr — average, suits most mainstream used cars
- 20–25%/yr — new cars or luxury/European brands
- 10%/yr — well-regarded used Japanese or Korean models
How to use this tool
Enter your purchase price, down payment, and loan details. Add your running costs — fuel efficiency, annual mileage, insurance, maintenance, and road tax. Set your depreciation rate and how long you plan to keep the car. The results show your total cost, monthly cost, cost per km/mile, and a year-by-year depreciation breakdown.