Published 2026-09-26
Add the bills that belong to the car, then divide by the distance you actually drove.
Ownership cost is what you paid to keep this car over a period, divided by how far it went. It is not the purchase price, and it is not a national average.
A single month lies when the insurance renews. Use a year when you can. Use a shorter period only if you say so.
01
Note the odometer at the start and the end, or use the distance you trust. The cost per kilometer tool asks for that distance up front.
02
Use receipts or the fuel log, not a round number you hope is close. Fuel is usually the largest running cost and the easiest to underestimate.
03
Insurance, registration, and road tax. If one of them falls outside the period, leave it out or you will double-count it next year.
04
Repairs, parking permits, tolls, and a set of tires. A tire purchase makes one month look terrible and the year look honest.
05
Total money divided by kilometers is the rate. Also look at the total itself. A low rate on a car you barely drive can still be a large bill because of insurance.
Depreciation, loan interest, and the money you could have earned elsewhere are real, and they are a different question. The tool on this site does not invent a resale value.
Fines are optional. Include them if you want the true cash picture. Leave them out if you want the cost of using the car rather than the cost of a mistake.
Calculate each car on its own distance and its own bills. A shared insurance policy needs a fair split you can explain, or the comparison is theater.
It is the same total divided by a different distance unit. The tool shows both so you do not have to convert by hand.
In a car expense tracker, next to fuel and service, so next year's sum starts from records instead of another afternoon of guessing.
