In Italy, maintaining a car in 2026 costs on average between 2,329 and 4,486 euros per year, i.e. approximately between 194 and 374 euros per month. According to the results of the survey conducted by Facile.it in collaboration with Online Car Practiceshowever, actual costs vary greatly from region to region, with the South generally being more expensive than the North.
The results of the analysis conducted on a sample of over 18,000 estimates made on three different profiles of drivers and on the cities of Milan, Rome and Naples, estimated that the average annual cost that drivers have to bear to maintain a car can reach up to almost 4500 euros per year. Naples is the city where the expenses are highest (between 3,098 euros and 4,486 euros), while in Rome they range between 2,532 euros and 3,694 euros and in Milan between 2,329 euros and 3,404 euros.
In addition to the cost of fuel (or charging for electric cars), among the fixed costs of being able to travel with a motor vehicle there are:
- Auto liability insurance
- stamp
- revision
To these amounts we must then add ordinary and extraordinary maintenance, and other expenses such as parking, tolls, car washes and any fines.
- 1The average expense per year for car insurance by residence
- 2The cost of car tax
- 3Fuel and maintenance
- 4The overall costs of a car
The average expense per year for car insurance by residence
The cost of car insurance depends on many factors: province of residence, age of the vehicle owner, class of merit, type and model of the car, chosen guarantees.
In the Facile.it survey, for example, for a new driver in merit class 14 (i.e. the worst), the average premium for car insurance is estimated at 2,060 euros per year. However, if in Milan spending drops to 1,545 euros, and in Rome it is just above the average (2,155 euros), in Naples it even reaches 3,000 euros (2,959 euros on average).
However, if the owner of the vehicle is a person in merit class 1 who can opt for the “expert driving” car insurance formula, the average insurance premium drops to 373 euros per year. Once again, however, the territorial differences emerge as important: from 298 euros in Milan to 962 euros in Naples.
The cost of car tax
The tax is a tax linked to the ownership of the vehicle and its amount depends mainly on the actual power of the car expressed in kilowatts (reported on the registration document) and on the region of residence.
For example, for a 7th series Golf the cost of road tax is on average 277 euros, while for a 7th series Panda it costs 146 euros.
However, for the most powerful cars there is a super tax. The additional charge is applied above 185 kW, equivalent to approximately 252 HP, and amounts to 20 euros for each kW exceeding 185. The amount is reduced with the age of the vehicle and disappears 20 years after construction.
Other types of cars instead enjoy particular benefits on tax. For example, for electric cars in many regions there is a five-year exemption period, but in Lombardy and Piedmont, for example, the exemption for electric cars is permanent. Some discounts are also provided for hybrid cars, which depend both on the Region and on the type of hybrid.
For vehicles over 30 years old, there is, at a national level, an exemption from car tax, although when they are used on the road a regional flat-rate circulation tax may be applicable. For cars between 20 and 29 years old, however, the situation is more complex: the 50% reduction envisaged by national legislation requires specific historicity and certification requirements, while some Regions provide even more favorable rules.
Fuels and maintenance
Fuel often represents the heaviest variable cost item.
For example, with petrol having reached almost 2 euros/litre, for a car that travels 15,000 km a year and consumes 6.5 liters every 100 km or approximately 975 liters of fuel, the expense will be approximately: 975 × 2 = 1,950 euros per year. If, however, the car consumes more efficiently (for example 5 liters per 100 km), the cost will drop to around 1,490 euros. On the contrary, with a consumption of 8 liters per 100 km it will rise to around 2,390 euros.
Another expense that affects the cost of the car is ordinary maintenance, to which must be added coupons, oil changes, filters, brake pads, tires and all expenses for breakages and unexpected damage. In the Facile.it simulation, a diesel car that travels around 15,000 km a year is estimated to cost an average of 1,347 euros per year between ordinary and extraordinary maintenance and tire wear. With a petrol car and 10,000 km per year, the same item drops to 662 euros.
To these amounts we must also add the expense for the inspection, which is mandatory periodically, and other expenses such as parking, tolls, car washes and any fines.
The overall costs of a car
The simplest way to understand how much a car really costs us is to add up all the expenses it entails over the course of a year, as the variability is great both based on the type of vehicle, the Region and the type of use.
The official data that best summarizes the situation is that which emerges from the 22nd ISFORT Report on the mobility of Italians which tells us that Italian families spend on average 334 euros per month on vehicle management, or around 4000 euros per year, with a 15% increase in car repair and maintenance costs between 2020 and 2023.
In other words, the purchase price we see on a dealership’s windshield is just the beginning of the bill. The true cost of a car accumulates slowly, every time we fill up the tank, pay the tax, renew the insurance or take the car to the mechanic. And it is precisely by adding these expenses, year after year, that a car can end up costing its owner several tens of thousands of euros in total beyond its purchase value.
