2026 guide
Across the 478 models sold new in Spain, the average is 248 € a month on fuel, insurance, road tax, ITV, servicing and tyres, driving 15,000 km a year. Depreciation comes on top.
Item by item
The average of the 478 models, each in its best-selling version, bought new and driven 15,000 km a year.
| Item | Per month | Per year | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel or electricityUsing real-world consumption, which is higher than the official figure, and the average fuel price in Spain on 15/10/2026: 95 petrol at 1,78 €/l and diesel at 1,89 €/l. Electric cars, charging at home at 0,15 €/kWh. | 157 € | 1.880 € | 63 % |
| InsuranceThird-party, fire and theft, the most popular cover, for a 40-year-old driver with a licence held for 15 years or more and no claims. | 32 € | 381 € | 13 % |
| MaintenanceServices, oil, filters, brakes and minor repairs: our own estimate by size and engine. | 31 € | 369 € | 12 % |
| TyresA fitted set of mid-range tyres in each car's size, lasting about 40.000 km (less on very powerful cars and on electric cars). | 23 € | 273 € | 9 % |
| Road taxUsing the legal minimum rates (€12.62 to €112 a year depending on fiscal horsepower). Many councils charge more. | 5 € | 65 € | 2 % |
| ITVA new car has its first ITV inspection at 4 years old, so there is one in the first 5 years. After that, every 2 years and, from 10 years old, every year. | 1 € | 9 € | <1 % |
| Monthly cost | 248 € | 2.978 € | 100 % |
| Depreciation (separate)What the car loses over the first 5 years, based on the used-car market. You don't pay it every month, but you notice it when you sell. | 341 € | 4.089 € |
Want to know what yours will be worth? What will your car be worth?
By size
The bigger the car, the more servicing it needs and the dearer its tyres; and as it is usually worth more, it also pays more for insurance. Fuel depends more on the engine than on size.
Each colour is a cost item. Depreciation is shown separately.
| Size | Models | Per month | Median | Per km | Depreciation per month | Cheapest | Best-selling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| city cars | 20 | 148 € | 152 € | 0,12 €/km | 122 € | Dacia Spring86 €/month | Hyundai i10202 €/month |
| superminis | 34 | 190 € | 207 € | 0,15 €/km | 117 € | BYD Dolphin Surf98 €/month | Dacia Sandero175 €/month |
| small SUVs | 51 | 215 € | 224 € | 0,17 €/km | 134 € | Yudo 3102 €/month | MG ZS211 €/month |
| family hatchbacks | 69 | 227 € | 226 € | 0,18 €/km | 167 € | Kia EV4116 €/month | Toyota Corolla204 €/month |
| compact SUVs | 97 | 213 € | 233 € | 0,17 €/km | 217 € | Mercedes-Benz EQA111 €/month | Hyundai Tucson245 €/month |
| saloons and large SUVs | 207 | 299 € | 272 € | 0,24 €/km | 566 € | Hyundai Ioniq 6123 €/month | Toyota RAV4257 €/month |
Median: half of the cars of that size cost less and the other half more. Saloons and large SUVs also include sports and luxury cars, which push the average and the depreciation up a lot.
By fuel
The average of every version of each engine type sold since 2020 (3.508), with the same assumptions.
| Engine | Versions | Per month | Median | Per km | Energy per month | Maintenance per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric | 447 | 131 € | 129 € | 0,10 €/km | 38 € | 20 € |
| LPG | 38 | 209 € | 199 € | 0,17 €/km | 136 € | 30 € |
| Plug-in hybrid | 318 | 258 € | 233 € | 0,21 €/km | 153 € | 36 € |
| Diesel | 734 | 262 € | 251 € | 0,21 €/km | 169 € | 38 € |
| Hybrid | 491 | 273 € | 244 € | 0,22 €/km | 184 € | 30 € |
| Diesel hybrid | 200 | 285 € | 286 € | 0,23 €/km | 179 € | 38 € |
| Petrol | 1.280 | 306 € | 274 € | 0,24 €/km | 215 € | 32 € |
Electric cars come out cheaper because we assume home charging at 0,15 €/kWh: electricity averages 38 € a month, compared with 215 € of fuel for a petrol car. If you charge on the street, each kWh costs quite a lot more: work it out with your own price. Electric or combustion?
We calculate plug-in hybrids as charged sometimes, like the average measured by the European Commission: if you always charge them they use quite a lot less fuel, and if you never charge them, the same as their non-plug-in version. Each engine type's average goes up with the sports and luxury cars that use it; the median is what the car in the middle costs.
Your numbers
Averages are for comparing. Your own figure depends mainly on these things.
The more kilometres you drive, the more you spend each month, but each kilometre gets cheaper, because insurance, road tax, the ITV and part of the servicing cost the same. Here we keep insurance the same in every case.
| Km a year | Per month | Per km | With depreciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.000 | 118 € | 0,28 €/km | 1,10 €/km |
| 10.000 | 183 € | 0,22 €/km | 0,63 €/km |
| 15.000 | 248 € | 0,20 €/km | 0,47 €/km |
| 20.000 | 313 € | 0,19 €/km | 0,39 €/km |
| 30.000 | 443 € | 0,18 €/km | 0,31 €/km |
It's what varies most from person to person. These are the averages for the same cars for a 40-year-old driver with no claims; if you are 18 to 25, our calculations multiply it by 2,15.
| Cover | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Third-party | 341 € | 28 € |
| Third-party, fire and theft | 381 € | 32 € |
| Comprehensive with excess | 763 € | 64 € |
| Fully comprehensive | 1.409 € | 117 € |
Fuel, road tax and the ITV vary from place to place. With the same cars, the cheapest province is Las Palmas (228 € a month) and the most expensive, Gipuzkoa (257 €).
Road tax for a car of 8 to 11.99 fiscal horsepower ranges from 34,08 € a year in Santa Cruz de Tenerife to 89,25 € in Donostia-San Sebastián.
In our calculations servicing goes up 5 % a year from the fifth year, and the ITV is due every 2 years from 4 years old and every year from 10. This is what you spend on average in the 5 years after buying it.
| Bought | Maintenance per month | ITV per month |
|---|---|---|
| New | 31 € | 0,75 € |
| 5 years old | 35 € | 2,26 € |
| 10 years old | 43 € | 3,77 € |
Maintenance planITV (vehicle inspection): prices and booking
What we don't include: finance, a garage or parking, tolls, fines and major repairs outside the warranty. If you have them, add them on top.
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With your car, your mileage and your council, the figure is yours, not an average.
What your car costsMonthly cost of every model, tailored to you in 5 questions.
Compare two carsWhich one works out cheaper each month, item by item.
Which car should I buy?Seven questions and we tell you the 5 cars that will cost you least over 5 years, with your mileage and your city.
Electric or combustion?How much you save with an electric car depending on your mileage, where you charge and today's electricity price.
Paying a lot for your insurance?What's typical for your profile and how much you could save.
Road taxWhat your council charges based on fiscal horsepower.
ITV (vehicle inspection): prices and bookingWhen it's due, what it costs in your region and where to book.Garage pricesService, timing belt, clutch or brakes: cheap, typical and expensive in your province.Maintenance planWhat's due on your car by mileage and by time: oil, brakes, timing belt, ITV… and what it costs in your province.
What will your car be worth?What it will be worth in 1, 2, 3, 5 and 8 years, what it loses each year and when it's worth selling.Lease or buy?Which works out better for your km and years, including insurance, garage and resale.
Cheap petrol stationsThe cheapest near you today, on the map.How we calculate it
Questions
Across the 478 models sold new in Spain, an average of 248 € a month (2.978 € a year) on fuel, insurance, road tax, ITV, servicing and tyres, at 15,000 km a year. Half of all cars cost less than 236 €. Add depreciation and the average rises to 589 € a month.
The biggest items, on average: fuel or electricity, 157 € a month (63 % of the cost); insurance, 32 €; and maintenance, 31 €.
On average, 0,20 €/km without depreciation and 0,47 €/km with it, driving 15,000 km a year. The more kilometres you drive, the cheaper each one gets: at 30,000 km a year, 0,18 €/km without depreciation.
The cheapest size on average: city cars, at 148 € a month. The cheapest car of all is the Dacia Spring, at 86 € a month. The ranking lists them all in order, and you can filter by make, fuel or size.
If you charge at home, yes: an electric car costs on average 131 € a month, compared with 306 € for a petrol car and 262 € for a diesel. Mainly because electricity, at 0,15 €/kWh, is much cheaper than fuel, and it needs less servicing. If you almost always charge away from home, each kWh costs quite a lot more and the gap narrows: work it out with your own price.
On average, around 341 € a month over the first 5 years, based on the used-car market curve. It doesn't come out of your pocket every month, but you notice it when you sell. It depends a lot on what the car cost: from 117 € a month (superminis) to 566 € (saloons and large SUVs).
Finance, a garage or parking, tolls, fines and major repairs outside the warranty. If you have them, add them on top.
Find your model and answer 5 questions: where you live, how many kilometres you drive, what insurance you have… You'll see what you spend a month, item by item, with your council's road tax and fuel prices where you live.