Car Costs per Year – How High the Total Costs Are in Switzerland

29 January 2026

The question of how much a car costs per year might initially seem easy to answer with just the purchase price.

But what about the costs that maintaining a car causes? These add to the purchase price, can strain your personal finances, and are often underestimated.

To help you plan ahead for your car, we reveal the car costs per year you can expect.

Why Many People Underestimate the Car Costs

Many people underestimate how high the car costs per year really are. Studies show that actual expenses are often up to 50 % higher than expected. This is because numerous factors influence the costs – from variable costs such as fuel, repairs, or insurance to unpredictable items such as the residual value of the car.

One reason for the incorrect estimate is that costs need to be considered over the entire usage period. Some expenses, like residual value, can only be accurately estimated over time. If you do not plan with realistic estimates, it is easy to lose track.

Moreover, variable costs make calculations complicated: depending on your driving habits, fuel, repairs, or tyre consumption can vary significantly. If you do not consider all these factors, you quickly underestimate the actual expenses.

However, by taking all cost factors into account, you gain a clear overview, can plan better, and avoid expensive surprises.

Car Costs per Year for a Car in Switzerland

To begin with, according to the Touring Club Switzerland (TCS), a sample car in Switzerland costs around CHF 11,112 per year or 74 Rp./km, based on a new price of CHF 45,000 and 15,000 km mileage (as of 2026).

Of course, this calculation is based on several factors, which we will explain in detail below. In general, two types of costs are distinguished:

Fixed Costs: depreciation, capital interest, taxes, insurance, miscellaneous expenses, garage costs, and car maintenance
Variable Costs: depreciation, fuel costs, tyre consumption, and repairs

The Fixed Costs of a Car in Switzerland

Most people underestimate the car costs per year that come from maintaining their own car. This could be partly because fixed costs occur partly per year and partly per month.

To avoid surprises, we therefore recommend calculating your car costs consistently per month or per year. This gives you a better overview of the total costs.

Fixed Costs include, among others, the following items, listed according to their share of total costs according to TCS:

Depreciation (28 %): This is your payment for leasing or financing instalments.
Garage Costs (16 %): These are the costs for parking at home, at work, or elsewhere, which can quickly add up.
Insurance (10 %): This includes mandatory liability as well as partial or full comprehensive insurance that every driver in Switzerland pays. For new cars, full comprehensive insurance is highly recommended. Novice drivers need to budget for higher premiums.
Miscellaneous (8 %): This includes vehicle tax, motorway vignette, car maintenance, and other individual costs that occur annually.

The Variable Car Costs per Year

In addition to fixed costs, there are variable costs for maintenance, which depend on you and your driving behaviour. The following overview gives you a first estimate of what your costs might be:

Energy Costs (12 %): These are the costs for petrol, diesel, hybrid, or electricity – the more kilometres driven, the higher the costs.
Depreciation (12 %): This is the value loss of your car, especially for new and one-year-old cars. Depreciation usually stabilises after around five years. For leasing or a car subscription, depreciation is already included in fixed costs.
Repair Costs (10 %): These are the costs for servicing, repairs, and inspections, which are high for new cars and quickly considerable for older cars due to wear and tear.
Tyre Costs (4 %): These are the costs for summer and winter tyres, including changing and storage, which vary depending on driving style, quality, and road surface.

In addition to the costs already mentioned, fines, car accessories, or roadside assistance in emergencies may occur – although, of course, we hope you never need the latter.

With Carvolution’s all-inclusive package, roadside assistance is already included – so you can drive worry-free at all times. In addition, insurance, registration, taxes, the first motorway vignette, depreciation, as well as service, maintenance, and tyres are all included in the price.

Car Costs per Month

Purchase

When buying a new car, various costs occur:

The purchase price of the car
Fixed additional costs for insurance, registration, taxes, service, maintenance, and tyres. These can add up to CHF 140–350 per month, depending on the car.
Variable additional costs for fuel or electricity (possibly also fines)
Often forgotten, but very important: the depreciation of the car. A new car often loses over 50 % of its value in the first three years.

Calculating the monthly car costs realistically is therefore not easy. Many fixed and variable costs must be considered, and if you do not look carefully, you can easily underestimate how expensive owning a car really is per month.

Equally important are opportunity costs: the money tied up in the car could alternatively be invested or used for other purposes. These “missed opportunities” effectively increase the monthly car costs.

If you want to find out your exact monthly costs when buying a car, you can find a detailed calculation in our blog.

Leasing

With leasing, you pay a monthly rate that covers the use of the car over the contract period. Unlike buying or financing, the depreciation of the car is already included in the leasing rate, so you do not have to bear it separately.

It is important to note: at the end of the leasing contract, the car does not belong to you. You usually return it or can take it over at a previously agreed residual value – ownership as with financing is not automatically included.

In addition to the leasing rate, other ongoing costs must be budgeted:

Insurance (liability, full comprehensive) (CHF 80–150 per month)
Registration and taxes (CHF 20–40 per month)
Service and maintenance (CHF 10–100 per month)
Tyres including mounting and storage (CHF 30–60 per month)

These costs are variable costs and depend on the car type, usage, location, and your personal driving behaviour. If you do not consider them, you will quickly underestimate the actual monthly expenses for the car.

A detailed calculation of monthly leasing and car costs can be found in our blog.

Car Subscription

With a car subscription, cost planning is the easiest. The all-inclusive package covers almost all costs related to the car, including insurance, registration, taxes, service, maintenance, tyres, and other extras.

The only additional costs are fuel or electricity, parking fees, and possibly fines. This means there are hardly any variable costs or additional fixed costs.

A comparison between a car subscription and leasing is simple: send in your leasing offer or calculate it yourself. If the leasing price is lower, Carvolution reduces the subscription price accordingly thanks to its best-price guarantee.

Conclusion – Car Costs per Year for a Car

Overall, calculating the total car costs per year is not straightforward. If you want to find out how much your car costs per year, we recommend writing down the fixed and variable costs of your car. Calculate these per month or per year, and you will gain a good overview of your expenses.

If the car subscription convinces you as a simple, flexible, and cost-effective alternative to buying, financing, or leasing, Carvolution offers a wide range of models. If the right car is not available or you have other questions, you can also contact our team for a non-binding consultation at any time.