Quick Answer:
The average cost of running a car in the UK is £200 to £500 per month, depending on fuel usage, insurance, and maintenance.
Want a personalised estimate? Use our car running cost calculator to work out your monthly costs.
Average Cost of Running a Car UK Per Month
- Low cost driver: £200 – £300
- Average driver: £300 – £400
- High cost driver: £400 – £500+
Running a car in the UK costs about £290 per month on average, based on annual running costs of £3,484. That figure is an average and excludes the purchase price, but it includes big day-to-day ownership costs like fuel, insurance, servicing, road tax and other motoring expenses.
If you include purchase/depreciation, the same dataset puts average annual ownership costs at £1,312 on top, which would take the overall average closer to £400 per month. In other words, the answer depends on whether you mean running costs only or running costs plus ownership costs.
Typical Monthly Car Running Costs UK
- Fuel: £100 – £250
- Insurance: £50 – £150
- Road tax: £10 – £30
- Maintenance & repairs: £20 – £100
- MOT & servicing: £10 – £50
Cost breakdown
Based on the latest UK averages, annual running costs of £3,484 break down roughly like this:
- Fuel: £800 per year — about £67 per month
- Car insurance: £562 per year — about £47 per month
- Repairs and servicing: £503 per year — about £42 per month
- Road tax: £171 per year — about £14 per month
- Parking, tolls and permits: £39 per year — about £3 per month
- Garage rent, washing and other costs: £44 per year — about £4 per month
- Breakdown/motoring organisation membership: £19 per year — about £2 per month
- Small consumables: £10 per year — about £1 per month
What affects the price?
Several things can push your monthly running costs up or down:
- Mileage — the more you drive, the more you usually spend on fuel and wear-and-tear. NimbleFins’ 49p-per-mile estimate reflects that mileage matters a lot.
- Insurance profile — insurance prices vary hugely by age, postcode, car and driving history. Confused.com’s current UK average for comprehensive insurance is £726 a year, which is higher than NimbleFins’ broader spending average.
- Vehicle type — larger, more valuable or less efficient cars usually cost more to fuel, insure and maintain. This is reflected across the average-cost datasets and insurance guidance.
- Road tax band — many petrol, diesel and hybrid cars first registered after 1 April 2017 move to a standard VED rate of £200 from 1 April 2026, so tax can be higher than older averages suggest.
- Servicing and repairs — maintenance costs vary a lot depending on age, mileage and garage choice. RAC’s current servicing guide confirms service pricing differs by service level and car make.
What’s usually included in “running costs”?
When people talk about the monthly cost of running a car, they usually mean:
- fuel
- insurance
- servicing and repairs
- road tax
- parking and tolls
- motoring membership and small ongoing costs
That figure does not always include:
- buying the car
- finance payments
- depreciation
If you do include purchase/depreciation, average monthly ownership costs rise noticeably.
How much do fuel and insurance matter?
A lot. Fuel and insurance are usually two of the biggest monthly costs. NimbleFins’ 2026 average gives fuel at £800 a year and insurance at £562 a year, while Confused.com’s current insurance index puts the average comprehensive premium at £726 a year, showing how much insurance alone can move the total.
See our Fuel and Insurance articles for full facts
Is £290 per month a realistic figure?
Yes, as a broad UK average for running costs only. But many drivers will be above or below that depending on:
- how much they drive
- what they drive
- where they live
- what they pay for insurance
- whether repairs crop up unexpectedly
For some drivers, especially those with high insurance costs or newer financed cars, the real monthly figure can be much higher. That conclusion is an inference from the difference between average running costs and average ownership costs, plus the spread in current insurance pricing.
Use our Car Running Cost Calculator to estimate your monthly driving costs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average monthly cost of running a car in the UK?
About £290 per month on average for running costs only
How much is that per year?
Around £3,484 per year in average running costs.
Does that include buying the car?
Not usually. If you include purchase/depreciation, the average monthly total is closer to £400.
What are the biggest car running costs?
Usually fuel, insurance, servicing/repairs and road tax.
Related guides
- How much does car insurance cost in the UK?
- How much does an MOT cost in the UK?
- How much does vehicle servicing cost in the UK?
- How much does public EV charging cost in the UK?
Final note
For a useful rule of thumb, £290 a month is a solid UK average for running a car, but your real number can vary a lot. Insurance, mileage and the type of car you own will usually make the biggest difference.