🧮 Car True Cost Calculator
What is my car actually costing me?
Most people know what fuel costs and have no idea what their car costs. The largest line is depreciation, which never sends a bill and is usually invisible until the trade-in. This adds everything up and divides by the kilometres you actually drive.
Figures reviewed September 2026. Free, no signup, nothing stored on our servers.
What this means
The annual figure is what running the car genuinely costs you, including the value it loses while sitting outside. For most Irish households it is the second largest cost after housing, and it is almost never budgeted as a single number.
Cost per kilometre is the useful unit for a decision. It tells you what a journey actually costs, which matters when weighing a car against public transport, against a second car in the household, or against a shorter commute. Fuel alone typically accounts for well under half of it.
Depreciation dominates on newer cars and fades on older ones. A three-year-old car losing 12% of its value a year is losing more than it burns in fuel; a twelve-year-old car losing 7% of a much smaller number is not. That is the real economic argument for buying used, and it is invisible until you write the number down.
What affects the result
- Depreciation rate, which is steepest on new cars and on models the Irish market has turned against.
- Annual kilometres, which spread the fixed costs — insurance, tax, depreciation — over more or fewer journeys.
- Insurance, which varies enormously by age, address, claims history and engine size.
- The motor tax band. A pre-2008 car taxed on engine size can cost several times a modern equivalent.
- Whether the car is on finance. Payments and depreciation overlap, so the honest figure depends on how the finance is structured.
- Servicing. A main-dealer schedule on a premium car is a different cost from an independent garage on a common model.
What is my car actually costing me?
What to do with the number
Compare it with the alternatives honestly. If the car costs €7,000 a year and does 8,000 kilometres, that is 87 cent a kilometre, which is more than a taxi for some journeys. That is the case for one car in a household rather than two, and it is a case that is never made because nobody has the figure.
Reducing it
Insurance is the line most people can move this month, by shopping the renewal rather than accepting it. Fuel is next — FuelFinder shows live forecourt prices near you. Depreciation is reduced by buying a car that has already done its steepest falling, which the depreciation calculator makes visible.
Before you change car
Check what the current one is worth with the valuation tool, compare the ways of paying with PCP vs HP vs cash, and if a repair is the reason you are thinking about it, run it through repair or replace first.
Important assumptions
Every figure on this page rests on these. Where one does not match your situation, the answer moves — sometimes a great deal.
- Depreciation is applied as a declining percentage of the value at the start of each year, then averaged over the period you set.
- Motor tax rates are the CO2-based bands for private cars registered from July 2008, as published by Motor Tax Online. Cars registered before then are taxed on engine size — enter your own figure.
- Fuel and electricity prices are yours to set. Irish prices move weekly.
- Finance payments are counted in full. Where the finance is buying a car whose depreciation is also counted, there is overlap — treat the total as an upper bound.
- Parking, tolls, fines and the cost of the driveway are not included.
Official sources
Where this tool applies a published rule, this is where the rule comes from. Check the source before acting on anything that matters.
- Motor Tax Online — rates
The official annual motor tax rates by CO2 band and by engine size.
- CSO — Transport and motor vehicle statistics
Official Irish data on vehicle numbers, licensing and average annual mileage.
- RSA — NCT requirements
When the NCT is due and what it costs, which is part of the annual figure.
Common questions
How much does it cost to run a car in Ireland?
For a typical family car at average mileage, the full cost including depreciation usually lands between €5,000 and €9,000 a year. Fuel is generally under 40% of it. Depreciation, insurance and servicing make up most of the rest, and none of those arrive as a weekly reminder the way fuel does.
Why include depreciation if I am not selling the car?
Because you will eventually, and the value it loses is real money whether or not it has been realised yet. A car that cost €25,000 and is worth €12,000 four years later has cost €13,000 in depreciation — more than the fuel, insurance and servicing combined on most cars.
What is a realistic depreciation rate?
Roughly 15–20% in the first year from new, settling to about 10–13% a year for a three-to-six-year-old car and less after that. High mileage accelerates it. The car depreciation calculator projects it year by year.
Is it cheaper to run an electric car?
On fuel and motor tax, almost always — home charging is a fraction of petrol per kilometre and the EV motor tax band is the lowest. Depreciation and insurance can offset some of that. The EV vs petrol comparison puts both cars through the same arithmetic.
What to check next
Is this car worth the money?
An estimated Irish market value from make, model, year and mileage.
Car ValuationNewWould an EV actually save me money?
Both cars costed over the years you will keep them, at your mileage and your electricity price.
EV vs Petrol or DieselNewWhat is the cheapest way to pay for this car?
Three ways of buying the same car, compared on total cost rather than monthly payment.
PCP vs HP vs CashNewWhat will this car be worth later?
Projected value year by year, and what the depreciation costs you per year.
Car Depreciation CalculatorNext steps across CheckIreland
Picked for what you just worked out — not a list of everything we make.
- Is there a cheaper way to pay?The monthly payment and the total cost are different numbers, and showrooms compare on the first.
- Would an EV cost less?Depends on your mileage and how much charging is at home. Both are inputs here.
- The line you can cut this weekLive forecourt prices near you, updated by drivers.
CheckIreland is independent and is not affiliated with the Irish Government or any public body. This tool is general information built on published rules and typical costs — it is not financial, tax or legal advice, and it does not account for your individual circumstances. Confirm anything that matters with the relevant body or a qualified adviser before acting on it.