What does owning a car actually cost? The full bill for 2026
Depreciation, insurance, road tax, parking, maintenance, fuel. Many people only count petrol and think their car is cheap. The full total is often a nasty surprise.
Two types of cost
A car brings two types of cost. The first type you pay regardless of whether you drive: depreciation, insurance, road tax, maintenance and parking. These are the fixed costs. For an average second-hand mid-range car (five years old, petrol) they come to ~€3,400 per year.
The second type are the variable costs: fuel. You only pay these when you actually drive. At average usage (7,000–10,000 km per year) the total comes to ~€4,460–€4,900 per year. With an expensive parking permit in a major city (€600+ in Amsterdam) and more driving: up to around ~€5,500–€5,700.
The fixed costs are the key point. That €3,400 runs every month whether the car moves or not. Every trip you skip, you still pay for.
Fixed costs at a glance
The figures below are based on Nibud 2026, for a mid-range car five years old with average maintenance and a parking permit in a medium-sized city.
- Depreciation: €1,400/year based on 7-year straight-line depreciation on a purchase price of €18,000. Considerably higher for a newer car.
- Road tax (MRB): €600/year for a petrol mid-range car. EV: €0–€200, diesel: €1,000+.
- Insurance (fully comprehensive): €720/year for drivers aged 30+ with a claims-free history. For younger drivers or after a claim: 2–3 times higher.
- Maintenance and tyres: €450/year on average with regular servicing.
- MOT: €60/year (required every 1–2 years).
- Parking permit: €180/year on average, €600+ in the city centres of Amsterdam or Utrecht.
Subtotal fixed costs: ~€3,410/year. You pay this whether the car is driven or not. Add fuel for average usage (7,000–10,000 km/year) and the total comes to ~€4,460–€4,900 per year.
Plus the variable costs
Fuel or electricity is what you pay extra per kilometre. At €2.23 per litre of petrol (Euro 95, ANWB) and a consumption of 1:15, a kilometre costs around €0.15. For 10,000 km/year: ~€1,490. With an EV and a home charger: around €0.04/km (at roughly €0.30/kWh and 15 kWh/100 km, ANWB/CBS 2024), so ~€430/year. At public fast chargers that rises to around €0.13/km (at roughly €0.85/kWh).
The chart that makes it clear
Picture two horizontal lines: one for the private car, one for the shared car. For the private car, the line starts high (fixed costs) and rises gently with kilometres. For the shared car, it starts at zero and rises more steeply (all costs are in the kilometre rate). Where the two lines cross is the break-even point.
For the average person in the Netherlands in 2026, that break-even point is around ~8,100 km/year. Below that: the shared car is cheaper in all cases. Between 8,100 and ~12,300 km: a grey area. Above 12,000 km: the private car wins.
Full chart including interactive slider: see the article When is a shared car the smarter choice?.
When is owning a car the smarter choice?
The comparison is never black and white. A private car clearly wins in these situations:
- You drive more than 12,000 km per year on a regular basis (daily commuting).
- You live in a rural area without shared car provider coverage.
- You travel frequently at awkward hours (night shifts, last-minute trips).
- You have a company lease car, which is often more tax-efficient than calculating it yourself.
Outside those situations? Do the maths. Many people discover they have barely used their car for years.