Total Car Ownership Calculator
The full monthly and annual cost of owning a car — not just the loan payment. Useful for honest budgeting.
Inputs
Result
Monthly cost
$895
Annual $10,740.00 · 5-yr total $53,700.00
Visual breakdown
Monthly
$895.00
Annual
$10,740.00
5-yr total
$53,700.00
Per day
$29.40
Formula
Monthly = payment + insurance + fuel + maintenance + fees + parking. Annual = monthly × 12. Total = annual × years.
Example
$450 payment + $130 ins + $180 fuel + $60 maint + $25 fees + $50 parking = $895/mo, ≈ $10,740/yr, ~$53,700 over 5 years.
Related: Auto loan · Fuel cost · Commute cost
How to use
- Use realistic insurance and fuel — pull last 3 months from statements.
- Maintenance averages ~$60–$120/mo on most reliable cars.
- Include depreciation separately if comparing buying vs leasing.
When it's useful
- Deciding if a new car fits the budget.
- Comparing two cars beyond the loan payment.
- Showing the all-in cost vs public transit.
Common examples
Beyond the payment
Insurance, fuel, maintenance, registration, parking add up fast.
$400 payment isn't $400/mo
Real cost is often $700–$1,200/mo all-in.
5-year horizon
Multiply monthly all-in × 60 to see the true commitment.
Frequently asked
Should depreciation be in here?
We focus on cash outflow. Depreciation matters for resale value but isn't a monthly cost.
Does this include taxes on registration?
Yes — combine your annual registration, plates and any property/excise tax into the registration row.
What if I don't have a payment?
Set payment to $0 — the rest still adds up to a useful all-in number.
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