The sticker price is the smallest part of what a car costs you. Depreciation, fuel, insurance, maintenance, interest and registration add up to more than the purchase price over a typical ownership period. This calculator shows your real monthly and five-year cost, broken down so you can see exactly where the money goes — and compare two cars honestly.
True Cost of Ownership Calculator
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US full-coverage average is about $2,300/yr (2026).$
Why depreciation is the number that matters
Over five years, a new $30,000 sedan loses roughly $16,000–$18,000 in value — more than you’ll spend on fuel, insurance or repairs combined. That’s why a three-year-old used car is so much cheaper to own: someone else has already paid for the steepest part of the curve. Trucks and Toyotas hold value best; luxury sedans and most EVs lose it fastest.
How to use the result
- Run two cars back to back — the $5,000 price difference often disappears once insurance and fuel are included.
- Keep total transportation cost under 10–15% of your take-home pay (see our affordability calculator).
- If the monthly figure surprises you, read The True Cost of Owning a Car for the national averages and the cheapest segments to own.