The sticker price is the smallest lie in car buying. This calculator adds what actually empties your account – depreciation, fuel or electricity, insurance, maintenance and tax – and gives you the number that matters: cost per month and per kilometre, in your currency. Run two cars through it and the “cheaper” one often loses.
💰 True Cost of Ownership Calculator
Resale rules of thumb: a new car keeps roughly 40–50% after 5 years; a 3–4-year-old used car keeps ~55–65% of what YOU paid after another 5. Popular reliable models hold more, luxury and EVs often less.
How to read the result
Depreciation usually dwarfs fuel - which is why a lightly-used car with higher consumption often beats a brand-new efficient one on total cost. Cost per km is the great equalizer: it lets you compare a cheap thirsty car against an expensive frugal one, or a petrol car against an EV, in one number.
Getting honest inputs
Insurance: get a real quote for the exact model before buying - group ratings swing costs wildly. Maintenance: budget more for German premium brands out of warranty, less for the reliability champions; EVs typically need 30–50% less servicing. Resale: check what today's 5-year-old versions of the model sell for - the market has already told you the depreciation.
FAQ
Where does financing interest fit?
Add your total loan interest (from our loan calculator) to the purchase price - that's your true acquisition cost.
Comparing petrol vs EV?
Run each through this tool with its own energy numbers, or use the quick fuel vs EV comparator first, then bring the winner here.
What about parking, tolls, tyres?
Fold them into maintenance/fees - the structure doesn't care which line they sit on, only that they're counted.
