The headline number
According to OUTsurance's 2025 analysis (the most comprehensive Irish study), running a typical petrol car costs €10,373 per year. Here's where that breaks down:
| Category | Annual cost | % of total |
|---|---|---|
| Depreciation | €6,274 | 60% |
| Fuel | €1,560 | 15% |
| Maintenance & servicing | €736 | 7% |
| Insurance | €616 | 6% |
| Parking | €484 | 5% |
| Motor tax | €435 | 4% |
| Tolls | €208 | 2% |
| NCT | €30 | <1% |
| Total | €10,373 | 100% |
Depreciation (the loss in your car's value) accounts for 60% of the total. If you buy a 3-year-old car instead of new, your depreciation drops to roughly €2,000–€3,000/year, cutting the total to around €6,000–€7,000.
Petrol vs diesel vs EV: worked examples
All examples assume 15,000 km/year, a 3-year-old mid-range car (e.g. VW Golf / Hyundai Kona), and a driver with full NCB. Prices are April 2026 Irish averages.
| Cost item | Petrol | Diesel | EV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel / charging | €2,048 | €1,935 | €164–€450 |
| Motor tax | €200 | €280 | €120 |
| Insurance | ~€600 | ~€620 | ~€560 |
| NCT (amortised) | €28 | €28 | €28 |
| Full service | €300 | €350 | €180 |
| Tyres (amortised) | €175 | €175 | €200 |
| Depreciation (yr 3–4) | €2,500 | €2,800 | €3,200 |
| Tolls & parking | €400 | €400 | €400 |
| Total annual | ~€6,251 | ~€6,588 | ~€4,852–€5,138 |
| Cost per km | €0.42 | €0.44 | €0.32–€0.34 |
Even with higher depreciation, the EV is €1,100–€1,400 cheaper per year than petrol or diesel — driven mainly by the massive fuel saving. If you charge at home on night rates, the gap is even wider.
Calculate your running costs
Adjust the values below to match your car and driving habits.
Fuel & charging costs
Average 7 L/100km = €0.137/km. At 15,000 km: €2,048/year.
Average 6 L/100km = €0.129/km. At 15,000 km: €1,935/year.
Night rate ~€0.10–0.15/kWh, daytime ~€0.35. At 15,000 km: €164–€450/year.
A typical EV uses ~16 kWh/100km. At night rates (€0.10–0.15/kWh), that's just €0.016–€0.024/km — up to 8x cheaper than petrol. Public fast-chargers cost €0.59–0.66/kWh, which narrows the gap. Home charging on night rates is by far the cheapest way to fuel any vehicle in Ireland.
Fuel prices as of April 2026: Petrol ~€1.95/L (up from €1.76 in mid-2025), diesel ~€2.15/L (up from €1.68). Prices have risen sharply due to geopolitical tensions. The Government has applied excise duty cuts as part of a €250m support package.
Motor tax
Motor tax ranges from €120 (EVs) to €2,400 depending on your car's CO₂ emissions or engine size. The OUTsurance average is €435/year.
| Car type | Typical annual tax |
|---|---|
| Electric (0 g/km) | €120 |
| Small petrol (101–120 g/km) | €190–€200 |
| Mid-range petrol (121–140 g/km) | €200–€280 |
| Diesel SUV (161–190 g/km) | €420–€600 |
| High emissions (226+ g/km) | €2,400 |
See our complete motor tax guide for the full rate tables and payment options.
Insurance
The national average premium was €623 in 2024 (Central Bank NCID), but your actual cost varies hugely by age:
| Age group | Avg annual premium |
|---|---|
| Under 19 | ~€1,884 |
| 20–29 | ~€1,692 |
| 30–39 | ~€1,027 |
| 40–49 | ~€851 |
| 50–59 | ~€807 |
| National average | ~€623 |
See our car insurance guide for tips on cutting your premium.
NCT
The NCT costs €55 every 2 years (cars 4–9 years old) or every year (10+ years). Amortised, that's €28–€55 per year. A re-test (if needed) costs €28.
See our complete NCT guide and pre-NCT checklist.
Servicing & maintenance
OUTsurance estimates €736/year for maintenance overall (including servicing at €249, plus tyres, wipers, brakes and unexpected repairs). Here's what to budget:
| Service | Petrol / Diesel | EV |
|---|---|---|
| Oil & filter change | €80–€120 | N/A |
| Full annual service | €250–€400 | €150–€250 |
| Brake pads (per axle) | €100–€200 | €100–€200 |
| Brake discs (per axle) | €150–€300 | €150–€300 |
| Timing belt (if applicable) | €400–€700 | N/A |
| Battery health check | N/A | €50–€100 |
Electric vehicles have no oil, no exhaust system, no timing belt, no clutch, and regenerative braking means brake pads last 2–3x longer. Typical annual EV service: €150–€250.
Tyres
A set of 4 tyres costs €240–€600 depending on size and brand (€60–€150 per tyre). Most drivers replace tyres every 2–3 yearsor around 30,000–40,000 km, so the amortised annual cost is roughly €100–€200.
EVs are heavier (battery weight) and deliver instant torque, which wears tyres faster. EV-specific tyres cost 10–20% more than standard equivalents. Budget €150–€250/year for tyres on an EV.
Depreciation: the hidden giant
Depreciation is the single largest cost of car ownership — and the one most people ignore because there is no monthly bill. Here's how it works:
| Year | Value lost | Cumulative loss (on €35,000 car) |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 20–25% | €7,000–€8,750 |
| Year 2 | 12–15% | €10,850–€13,000 |
| Year 3 | 10–12% | €14,000–€17,000 |
| After 5 years | Total 60–75% | €21,000–€26,250 |
Buy 2–3 years old. The steepest depreciation happens in years 1–2. A car that was €35,000 new might be €22,000 at 2 years old — you skip the most expensive years. Choose brands with strong resale values (Toyota, VW, Mini). Keep mileage moderate, maintain the car well, and keep full service history.
Where finance and lease payments fit in
If you are financing or leasing your car, your monthly payment replaces depreciation in the cost calculation — you are paying for the loss in value through your loan, rather than absorbing it when you sell.
PCP / Hire Purchase
Monthly payments cover depreciation + interest. At the end, you either pay the balloon payment to keep the car, trade it in, or hand it back. Factor in the total interest paid over the term — it can add €2,000–€5,000 to the real cost.
Lease / contract hire
Fixed monthly payment, return the car at the end. You never own it, so there is no depreciation risk — but you also build no equity. Compare the total lease cost over 3 years against buying used.
When you add a vehicle in odo.ie, you can record whether it's owned, financed or leased — including the monthly payment, deposit and end date. This gets included in your running cost calculations automatically.
Tolls, parking & other costs
Average €208/year (80 trips × €2.60). The M50 eFlow is the main one for Dublin commuters at €3.30 per trip.
Average €484/year (OUTsurance). Ranges from almost nothing in rural areas to €1,000+ for regular Dublin city parking.
Budget €200–€500/year for the unexpected — a clutch, alternator, or suspension component can appear without warning.
€10–€20 per wash. Budget €100–€200/year if you wash monthly.
Cost per km: the number that matters
Your cost-per-km is the most useful single metric for understanding what your car really costs. Here are the figures from our worked examples:
All-in cost at 15,000 km/yr
All-in cost at 15,000 km/yr
All-in cost at 15,000 km/yr
Many costs (tax, insurance, NCT, depreciation to an extent) are fixed regardless of mileage. The more you drive, the lower your cost per km — but fuel cost goes up proportionally. The sweet spot for most cars is 15,000–20,000 km/year.
Track your real running costs with odo.ie
Stop guessing. odo.ie calculates your actual cost per km and total annual spend automatically as you log fuel, services, tax, insurance, and NCT. The dashboard shows exactly where your money goes — broken down by category, by vehicle, and by year.