Power & utilities New Zealand
Car Cost Calculator New Zealand
The price of a car is only the start. Depreciation, fuel, registration, insurance, servicing and tyres add up to thousands a year. Enter your own figures to see what a car costs you each year, each week and for every kilometre you drive.
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Use the price you pay.
Examples to replace with your own figures.
Cost each year
—Cost per week
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Cost per kilometre
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Depreciation each year
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Fuel each year
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Share that is depreciation
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Where the money goes
An estimate from your figures. General information and estimates only, not financial advice. Prices and rules change, so check the figures for your situation.
How much does it cost to run a car?
Add depreciation to the running costs. A $32,000 car kept 5 years and sold for $16,000 loses $3,200 a year; with fuel of $2,592 and the other costs entered, the car costs about $8,212 a year, $157.92 a week and $0.68 a kilometre. The figures here are examples to replace with your own.
The costs people forget
Depreciation, tyres, servicing and the occasional repair are easy to overlook until they arrive in a lump. Averaging them across the years gives a truer weekly figure. Parking, tolls and cleaning are not in the calculator, but may matter in a city. If you finance the car, the interest is a cost on top of the purchase price.
Comparing options
Use the calculator to compare a new and a used car, a petrol and a hybrid, or owning a car and using public transport and the occasional hire. Changing the years kept and the kilometres shows how the cost per kilometre falls the more you drive. In New Zealand add the warrant of fitness or certificate of fitness inspection, and road user charges if the vehicle is diesel or electric, which are paid by distance rather than in the fuel price.
To see running costs for fuel only, use the fuel cost calculator.
How this is calculated
The rule, step by step, so you can check any figure by hand.
depreciation each year = (purchase price − resale value) ÷ years keptfuel each year = kilometres × litres per 100 km ÷ 100 × price per litreyearly cost = depreciation + fuel + registration + insurance + servicing + tyres + inspections + road user charges + finance costsweekly cost = yearly cost ÷ 52cost per kilometre = yearly cost ÷ kilometres a year
Depreciation is usually the biggest cost and the least visible, because it is not a bill you pay. A new car loses much of its value in the first few years, while an older car loses less each year but costs more to repair. Compare cars on the total yearly cost, not on the purchase price.
The defaults are examples, not averages. In New Zealand add the warrant of fitness or certificate of fitness inspection, and road user charges if the vehicle is diesel or electric, which are paid by distance rather than in the fuel price. Replace them with your own quotes and receipts so the result matches your situation.
A worked example
A $32,000 car, sold after 5 years for $16,000, 12,000 km a year at 8.0 L/100 km, fuel at $2.70.
- Depreciation$3,200 a year
- Fuel$2,592 a year
- Other running costs$2,420 a year
- Total$8,212 a year
- Per week$157.92
About $8,212 a year, or $157.92 a week.
Try a cheaper or older car to see how the yearly cost changes.
Cutting the cost
Keep the car longer, drive it less when you can, compare insurance each year, service on schedule and keep tyres at the right pressure. Choosing a model that holds its value, and one that is cheap to run, saves more than any single tip.
What it leaves out
Parking, tolls, cleaning, accessories and tax effects for work use are not included. The result depends entirely on the figures you enter.
What this calculator does not do
- Constant yearly costs
- Defaults are examples, not averages
- No parking or tolls
- An estimate, not advice
Common questions
How much does it cost to run a car?
Add depreciation, fuel, registration, insurance, servicing, tyres and any finance costs.
What is depreciation?
The fall in a car's value over time.
Why is cost per kilometre useful?
It lets you compare cars and work out whether a trip is worth driving.
Are the default figures accurate?
They are examples. Use your own.
Does finance add to the cost?
Yes, the interest and fees are part of owning the car.
Where these numbers come from
- Sorted — Retirement Commission money guidance Independent guidance on the cost of owning a car
Method last reviewed 2026-10-28 This calculator uses fixed rules rather than rates that change, and its method is re-checked against the sources above at least once a year. Out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.
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