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How much does it really cost to keep your car on the road? The average UK driver spends around £290 a month on fuel, insurance, road tax, MOT and servicing. Use our free calculator to work out your own monthly figure and find out how your costs compare to the national average.
⚡ Includes free monthly car cost calculator
Running a car costs the average UK driver around £290 per month. But your costs could be very different depending on how much you drive, what fuel your car uses, and how old your car is. This guide breaks down every cost you need to know about – and includes a free calculator so you can work out your own monthly figure.
Fill in the fields that apply to you. We've included typical UK averages as a starting point – just change the numbers to match your situation.
The average UK driver spends around £3,484 a year keeping their car on the road. That works out at about £290 per month or 49p for every mile driven. But this is just an average. Your costs will depend on things like the car you drive, where you live, and how many miles you cover.
The main costs fall into two groups. There are fixed costs that you pay whether you drive or not – like insurance, road tax, and your MOT. Then there are running costs that go up or down based on how much you use your car – mainly fuel, tyres, and repairs.
For most drivers, fuel is the single biggest ongoing expense. As of March 2026, the average price of petrol in the UK is around 134p per litre. Diesel is a bit more at around 142p per litre.
How much you spend on fuel depends on three things: how many miles you drive, how efficient your car is, and the price of fuel where you fill up. A car doing 40 miles per gallon (mpg) that covers 7,100 miles a year will use about 807 litres of fuel. At 134p per litre for petrol, that's roughly £1,080 per year or £90 per month.
If you charge an electric car at home using a standard tariff (around 24.5p per kWh), it costs roughly 7p per mile. That's about half the cost of petrol. Over 7,100 miles, you'd spend around £500 a year on electricity compared to £1,080 on petrol. Charging at public rapid chargers is more expensive though – up to 65p per kWh at some networks. Read our guide to electric car insurance for more on EV ownership costs.
You can cut your fuel costs by shopping around. Supermarket petrol stations are usually 3–5p cheaper per litre than branded ones. That could save you over £100 a year on its own. Driving smoothly and sticking to 60mph on motorways also makes a real difference – speeding up to 80mph uses about 25% more fuel.
Insurance is one of the biggest fixed costs of owning a car. The average UK driver pays around £600 per year for fully comprehensive cover. But this varies hugely depending on your age, where you live, what car you drive, and your driving history.
Young drivers face the highest costs. If you're aged 17–20, you could pay anywhere from £1,500 to over £3,000 a year. Our young drivers insurance guide explains why premiums are so high and what you can do about it. Black box insurance is worth looking at too – it can cut costs by 20–40% if you drive safely.
The good news is that shopping around really works. Comparing quotes from multiple insurers is one of the simplest ways to save money. Our guide to lowering your car insurance premium has seven proven tips.
Insurance is often the cost where you can make the biggest saving. Compare quotes from over 130 UK insurers in minutes.
Compare Quotes NowRoad tax, officially called Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), is a fixed yearly cost. From April 2026, most cars registered after April 2017 will pay a flat rate of £200 per year – up from £195. If your car had a list price above £40,000 when new (or £50,000 for electric cars), you'll pay an extra £425 on top for the first five years after the first year.
Older cars registered between 2001 and 2017 pay a different rate based on their CO2 emissions. Some low-emission older cars pay nothing at all, while the dirtiest pay over £700.
One big change worth knowing about: electric cars lost their free road tax in April 2025. If you drive an EV, you now pay the same standard rate as everyone else.
Once your car is three years old, it needs an MOT test every year. The maximum a garage can charge for a car MOT is £54.85, though most charge between £30 and £45. Some garages offer free MOTs when you book a service at the same time.
The MOT test itself is only part of the story. If your car fails, you'll need to pay for repairs too. The average repair bill after a failed MOT is between £150 and £300. Common fail items include lights, tyres, and suspension – some are cheap fixes, while others can be costly.
Servicing is separate from the MOT. A basic service typically costs £100–£200, while a full service runs £200–£400 depending on the car. The average UK driver spends about £500 per year on servicing and repairs combined. Older cars tend to need more work, so it's worth putting aside £30–£50 a month if your car is over five years old.
EVs have fewer moving parts than petrol or diesel cars. There's no engine oil to change, no exhaust system, and the brakes last longer because the motor does a lot of the slowing down. On average, servicing an electric car costs 30–40% less than a petrol or diesel one.
On top of the big expenses, there are a few smaller costs that add up over the year. Not all of these will apply to everyone, but they're worth factoring in if they're part of your driving life.
Parking: If you pay for parking at work or regularly use pay-and-display, this can easily add up. Some city centre workers spend £50–£100 a month on parking alone. The London congestion charge is now £18 per day.
Breakdown cover: A basic policy from the major providers costs around £40–£80 a year. Comprehensive cover with home start and onward travel can cost £100–£200.
Tyres: Most tyres last 20,000–30,000 miles. A set of four mid-range tyres costs around £200–£400. Spread over their life, that's roughly £70–£120 a year for an average-mileage driver.
Car washing and cleaning: A regular wash costs £5–£10 a time. If you wash your car every couple of weeks, that's £130–£260 a year.
To give you a rough idea, here's what the typical yearly cost looks like for three different types of driver.
These figures don't include the cost of buying the car or any finance payments. They're just the costs of keeping it on the road. If you're paying for a car on finance, you'll need to add those monthly payments on top. Your actual mileage plays a big part too – check out our average mileage guide if you're not sure how you compare.
1. Compare your insurance every year. Your renewal quote is rarely the cheapest. Comparing quotes could save you hundreds.
2. Fill up at supermarkets. They're usually 3–5p cheaper per litre than branded stations. Over a year, that's a worthwhile saving.
3. Drive smoothly. Harsh braking and heavy acceleration waste fuel. Gentle driving could cut your fuel bill by 20–30%.
4. Keep your tyres pumped up. Under-inflated tyres increase fuel use by 3–5%. Check them monthly.
5. Don't skip your service. A well-maintained car is more fuel-efficient and less likely to hit you with a big repair bill.
This guide focuses on running costs – the day-to-day expenses of keeping your car on the road. But if you're thinking about the total cost of car ownership, you'll also need to consider the purchase price, depreciation (how much your car loses in value each year), and any finance payments.
Depreciation is often the biggest single cost of owning a car. A new car typically loses 50–60% of its value in the first three years. A car bought for £20,000 might only be worth £8,000–£10,000 after three years. Buying a car that's two or three years old is one of the best ways to avoid the steepest depreciation.
Cars in lower insurance groups cost much less to cover. If you're buying a new car and want to keep your overall costs down, our cheapest cars to insure guide shows which models attract the lowest premiums.
Whether you're a new driver or you've been on the road for years, comparing quotes is one of the best ways to cut your car costs. See how much you could save.
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