Car Running Cost Calculator

Add every cost of keeping a car on the road and see the true monthly, yearly and per-mile figure.

Free, no sign-up
Runs in your browser
Updated 4 Nov 2026

1. Fuel or charging

Miles a year

miles

Fuel

2. Yearly costs

Example values: replace with yours

The car is under 3 years old (no MOT yet)

Older car or not sure of the tax? Work it out with the road tax calculator.

3. Finance and depreciation (optional)

Finance payment

£a month

Estimate a payment

Depreciation

£a year

Estimate depreciation

Your car costs

Running costs only
Running cost per mile
Finance + depreciation
Per week

Where the money goes

How to use the car running cost calculator

1 Enter your yearly mileage and choose petrol, diesel or electric with your economy and price.
2 Fill in the yearly costs you know: tax, insurance, MOT, servicing, tyres, breakdown cover and parking.
3 Add a monthly finance payment and an allowance for depreciation if you want the full cost of ownership.
4 Read the monthly, yearly and per-mile totals and see which costs are the biggest.

Worked example

A petrol hatchback doing 7,400 miles

Fuel: 45 MPG at 172.8p: £1,292
Tax, MOT: £200 + £54.85
Insurance, servicing, tyres, cover: £600 + £250 + £200 + £90

£1,292 + £200 + £54.85 + £600 + £250 + £200 + £90

= £2,687 a year, £224 a month, 36.3p a mile before finance and depreciation

Assumptions and limitations

The example values are placeholders, not averages. Replace them with your own quotes and bills.
Vehicle tax default is the £200 standard rate for cars registered from 1 April 2017. Older cars pay by CO2 band, so use the road tax calculator for yours.
MOT default is the maximum fee for a car, £54.85. Cars under 3 years old do not need one.
Default fuel price: UK average pump prices, week commencing 2 November 2026 (DESNZ weekly road fuel prices). Electricity: Ofgem price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026 (GB average, Direct Debit).

The costs people forget

Fuel and insurance are easy to remember. Tyres, wiper blades, a cambelt every few years, breakdown cover, parking permits and clean air zone charges are not, and they add up. Spreading them into a monthly figure is the best way to stop them becoming a surprise.

If your car is due a big service or new tyres soon, enter a realistic yearly average rather than this year's exact bill.

Per-mile cost: the number to compare cars with

Dividing the yearly total by your mileage gives a cost per mile that you can compare between cars, or against a train fare or company mileage allowance. Low-mileage drivers often find their per-mile cost is high, because the fixed costs are shared over fewer miles.

Should depreciation be included?

For the true cost of ownership, yes: the value a car loses each year is usually its biggest single cost. It is optional here because you do not pay it month by month. Use the depreciation calculator to estimate a yearly figure, then add it.

For the tax figure on an older car, use the road tax calculator.

Official guidance and sources

Run a free vehicle check

Check the tax status and MOT record of the car you are costing.

MOT history, tax status & DVLA data · No sign-up

All free tools

Fuel Cost Calculator Cost of any journey, return trip or a year of driving from miles, MPG and pence per litre. Car Finance Calculator Monthly payments for HP, a personal loan or a PCP-style deal, with total payable and interest. Car Depreciation Calculator Low, base and high estimates of a car's future value from price, age, mileage and type. Not a valuation.

Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on the car, your mileage and where you live, which is why the calculator uses your own figures. As a worked example, a 45 MPG petrol car doing 7,400 miles a year with £600 insurance, £200 tax, an MOT, servicing, tyres and breakdown cover comes to about £2,687 a year, or £224 a month, before finance and depreciation.

Fuel or charging, vehicle tax, insurance, the MOT, servicing and repairs, tyres, breakdown cover, parking and any tolls or clean air zone charges. For the full cost of ownership, add finance payments and depreciation.

The maximum fee for a car MOT is £54.85, set by the government. Many garages charge less. Cars need their first MOT when they are three years old, then every year.

Add up everything the car costs you in a year and divide by the miles you drive. The calculator does this for you, with and without finance and depreciation.

Yes. Choose Electric and enter your miles per kWh and electricity price instead of MPG and fuel price. Everything else works the same way.

Figures and guidance last checked 4 November 2026. An independent free tool from Free Car Tax MOT Check; not affiliated with DVLA, DVSA or GOV.UK. Results are estimates to help you plan, not financial, legal or mechanical advice.