What does your car actually cost? Most answers stop at "fuel and insurance." That's the tip of a cost iceberg — true total cost of ownership (TCO) for a typical car is €350–700 per month. Without that number, you can't honestly decide whether the car earns its keep in your life pattern.

The eight cost blocks

  • Depreciation: a €25,000 new car over 5 years loses about 60% — that's €250/month, just for getting older.

  • Insurance: liability + partial/full cover, depending on the car €50–150/month.

  • Fuel: at 12,000 km/year and 7 l/100 km × €1.80/l = €126/month.

  • Maintenance and repairs: services, wear parts, breakdowns — rule of thumb €50–100/month averaged over 5 years.

  • Tyres: two sets (summer/winter), changeover 2× a year — €30–60/month amortised.

  • Inspection / emissions check: every 2 years, average €5–10/month amortised.

  • Vehicle tax: typically €10–25/month.

  • Parking: often underestimated in cities — resident permit, office garage, occasional fines, €20–80/month.

Total for a typical mid-range car: €450–600/month. Premium models quickly hit €700–1,000.

The honest per-km price

At 12,000 km/year and €500/month, that's €0.50 per kilometre — before fines, before city-commute extras. About twice what most public-transport users pay per km, and comparable to car-sharing rates.

When a car still earns its keep

  • A commute with no viable transit alternative — typical rural-to-rural pattern.

  • Children and regular cargo — weekly shop, sports, hobbies.

  • Job-essential — field service, care work, trades.

  • Permanent mobility in regions without dense transit.

When it's almost always a loss

  • City dwellers with mostly short trips — car-share + transit is mathematically clearly cheaper.

  • A second car that sits 80% of the time — fixed costs run regardless of use.

  • Premium model as status with a limited budget — highest depreciation, fastest wealth destruction.

The honest comparison

Car option:

€500/month × 12 = €6,000/year all-in.

Car-share + transit option:

Transit pass €58, car-share for 4 weekends + 2 big shops ~€150, occasional taxi ~€50. Total: ~€260/month = €3,120/year.

Difference: ~€2,880 per year. Over 10 years: €28,800 — before inflation.

What to do

Calculate TCO cleanly for the last 12 months: all car costs together, divided by 12. Put that number alongside what transit + car-share would realistically cost in your life pattern. If the car still wins — fine, drive on with clarity. If it doesn't — decide based on data, not feeling.