Monthly cost of ownership
Work out what your car costs per month and per kilometre, including depreciation and road tax.
Your scenario: Volvo EX30: EX30 P3 Plus
List price €36,995 (price list 20 April 2026). All starting values are example scenarios, not facts: adjust them.
From this version’s data (RDW kerb weight).
WLTP test value of this version (highest value); everyday use can differ. Adjust it.
CBS 2026-09: home, marginal price incl. VAT (26 cent per kWh).
Empty = not included. We give no default premium; get a quote for your situation.
Empty = not included.
Depreciation
Financing (optional)
What does this car cost per month?
Per month
€134 – €142
excl. depreciation, interest, insurance, maintenance
Per kilometre
€0.11 – €0.11
15,000 km a year
| Cost item | Per month | Per year | Total (5 years) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depreciation | not included | not included | not included |
| Electricity or fuel | €56 | €670 | €3,348 |
| Road tax | €79 – €86 | €943 – €1,030 | €4,716 – €5,152 |
| Interest | not included | not included | not included |
| Insurance | not included | not included | not included |
| Maintenance | not included | not included | not included |
| Total | €134 – €142 | €1,613 – €1,700 | €8,064 – €8,500 |
Not included: depreciation, interest, insurance, maintenance.
Road tax on kerb weight since 1 July 2026 (Belastingdienst). €214 – €234 a quarter depending on the province.
For later years we use the 2026 rates (rates for 2027 and later are not known yet; they are indexed every year).
Or work with a car you enter yourself
The car
0 for a new car.
On the registration card or in the plate check.
Use and fixed costs
CBS average pump price on 12 October 2026
Estimate. Get a quote for your car and postcode.
Estimate: services, APK, tyres and small repairs.
What does the car cost?
Per month
€479
€5,753 per year
Per kilometre
€0.44
13,000 km a year
Where does your money go?
- Depreciation€118/mo · 25%
- Fuel or electricity€160/mo · 33%
- Insurance€75/mo · 16%
- Road tax€68/mo · 14%
- Maintenance€58/mo · 12%
| Cost item | Per month | Per year | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depreciation | €118 | €1,421 | €7,103 |
| Fuel or electricity | €160 | €1,920 | €9,602 |
| Insurance | €75 | €900 | €4,500 |
| Road tax | €68 | €812 | €4,060 |
| Maintenance | €58 | €700 | €3,500 |
| Total | €479 | €5,753 | €28,765 |
What makes up the cost of running a car?
| Cost item | What it is | How we calculate it |
|---|---|---|
| Depreciation | The difference between what you pay and what the car is worth later | Our value model per segment and fuel: about 16% in year 1, 9% a year up to year 5, 8% a year up to year 12, then 12% |
| Fuel or electricity | What you fill up or charge | Kilometres × consumption × price, by default with the CBS averages |
| Insurance | Third party, third party plus or comprehensive | Your estimate or quote |
| Road tax | Motor vehicle tax (MRB) per quarter | Per tax year by weight, fuel and province, including the discount for electric cars |
| Maintenance | Services, APK, tyres and small repairs | Your estimate per year |
Why is a car a few years old often cheaper per month?
Because a car loses value fastest in its first years. With the same purchase price of €20,000, 13,000 km a year and 5 years of driving, the example looks like this:
| Per month | Bought 3 years old | Bought new |
|---|---|---|
| Depreciation | €118 | €141 |
| Total per month | €479 | €502 |
All other items are equal in this example. If you drive little, depreciation weighs even more in your cost per kilometre.
How can you lower your car costs?
- Buy a car a few years old and keep it longer: depreciation per year goes down.
- Compare insurance every year and choose cover that fits the car’s value.
- Choose a lighter or more economical car: it saves on fuel and road tax.
- Drive a lot? Also run the EV vs petrol comparison.
- Borrowing for the car? Add the interest with the car finance calculator.
What does a new car cost per month?
Pick a new car above from our new-car data and we fill in that version’s list price, weight (kerb weight) and WLTP consumption. A new car follows different rules than a used one:
- Depreciation is only counted if you enter an expected resale value yourself, or if we have at least 20 used cars of the same model with a Dutch new price; then you see what share of the new price they ask today, with the number of cars and the date. We do not invent a value curve for new cars. Without depreciation the total says ‘excl. depreciation’.
- Electricity or fuel: WLTP consumption (a test value, adjust it) times the CBS average price; for electric the home price per kWh. Work out a mix with public charging in the charging cost calculator.
- Road tax: since 1 July 2026 the tax office works from kerb weight (massa rijklaar), 100 kg more than the empty weight used before, with the same amounts. Electric cars pay 70% of the full tariff in 2026 to 2028, 75% in 2029 and the full tariff after. If you pick no province you see a range across all 12 provinces.
- Interest: only if you tick a loan and enter the rate from your own quote. We have no default rate.
- Insurance and maintenance: only if you enter them; otherwise they are not in the total.
- Is it a company car? See the company-car tax (bijtelling).
Frequently asked questions
What does a car cost per month?
It depends heavily on price, age and mileage. With this calculator’s defaults, a 3-year-old petrol car bought for €20,000, 13,000 km a year and 5 years of driving, you get about €479 a month including depreciation.
What does a new car cost per month?
Pick a new car in this tool and you see electricity or fuel (on the WLTP consumption), road tax (a range across all provinces) and, if you enter them, depreciation, interest, insurance and maintenance. The total always says which items it leaves out.
Why is there no depreciation for my new car?
Because we have no reliable value curve for new cars and will not make one up. Enter your own expected resale value, or choose the option based on our used cars if we have at least 20 of this model with a Dutch new price.
Which interest rate does the tool use for a loan?
None: you enter the effective rate from your own quote. We assume a loan that runs exactly as long as you keep the car. Without a rate no financing cost is included.
Why count depreciation if I don’t sell the car?
Because the money is gone in the end. The difference between the purchase price and what the car fetches later is paid over the years you drive it. Leaving it out underestimates the real cost per kilometre.
How is road tax included?
Per tax year from 2026, based on weight, fuel and your province. For electric cars we apply a 30% discount in 2026 to 2028, 25% in 2029 and no discount from 2030.
Sources
- Overheid.nl (KOOP), Basiswettenbestand: Wet op de motorrijtuigenbelasting 1994 (BWBR0006324), geldend vanaf 2026-07-01 (1 July 2026, consulted 26 October 2026)
- Belastingdienst: Veranderingen motorrijtuigenbelasting sinds 1 juli 2026 (consulted 26 October 2026)
- Belastingdienst: Hybride en elektrische motorrijtuigen en motorrijtuigen op waterstof: hoeveel motorrijtuigenbelasting betaal ik? (consulted 26 October 2026)
- CBS (StatLine OData): Provincies; tarieven opcenten motorrijtuigenbelasting (80889ned) (4 March 2026, consulted 26 October 2026)
- Wet op de motorrijtuigenbelasting 1994, artikel 23 (wetten.overheid.nl)
- Belastingdienst: motorrijtuigenbelasting voor hybride, elektrische en waterstofauto’s
- Belastingdienst: motorrijtuigenbelasting berekenen
- CBS StatLine: tarieven opcenten motorrijtuigenbelasting per provincie
- Eerste Kamer: verkenning opcenten (grondslag tarief 1 april 1995)
- CBS: Pompprijzen motorbrandstoffen; brandstofsoort, per dag
- CBS: Gemiddelde energietarieven voor consumenten