How Autokulu calculates the cost of owning a car

Autokulu compares the total cost of two to six cars over the period you own them: everything the car costs from purchase to sale, minus what it brings back at the end. All amounts include VAT unless the owner is a company.

Every number can be checked: each row in the calculator has an ⓘ explanation and every assumption can be changed. Below are all the rules in one place.

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Costs

Cost line	How it is calculated
Depreciation	The purchase price minus the value at the end. The value follows a curve per fuel type, shifted by how well the make holds its value. The curves are fitted to asking prices of 3- and 5–6-year-old cars against their prices when new, and adjusted by ±4% per 10,000 km against 15,000 km a year. A used car’s price is estimated from today’s new price along the same curve until you type your own. You can type in the end value. With an operating lease the monthly fees replace depreciation.
Financing	With cash, the return the money would earn elsewhere (2% a year by default). With a finance lease, annuity interest with down payment and balloon within the ownership period (4.8% a year by default).
Energy	Distance × consumption × (1 + winter share × winter extra + towing share × towing extra). For EVs: charging at home, at public AC posts and at fast chargers, charging losses at home and on AC, day and night tariffs, the winter electricity price and, if you have them, free electricity from home solar panels in the months you choose. Plug-in hybrids: the share driven on electricity; gas cars: the share driven on petrol; diesels: AdBlue. Fuel and electricity prices rise 5% a year by default.
Preheating	Cold days × preheating per day: from the grid for EVs and plug-in hybrids, by a fuel-burning parking heater (Webasto and the like, ≈0.3 l per half hour) for combustion cars. In the cold an EV also warms its battery before each charge: 5 kWh for LFP packs (BYD, Tesla RWD), 1 kWh for others. Priced at the winter home rate.
Car tax	The exact Estonian annual tax for each year of ownership (age coefficients, €100 relief per child) and the registration fee, with the 2028 and 2031 increases. Checked against the EMTA and Transport Administration calculators. The tax can be left out from a chosen year.
Insurance	Compulsory motor insurance and Kasko (always with a lease). Kasko is the first year’s premium and falls with the car’s value. The default estimate is calibrated on real Estonian quotes: ≈0.8% of the price for combustion cars and full hybrids, ≈2.0% for EVs and ≈1.4% for plug-in hybrids (an assumption).
Servicing and repairs	Scheduled services by distance or time, wear, extra repairs and the chance of a bigger repair after the warranty, roadworthiness tests (first after 4 years, then every 2 years, yearly from year 10) and gas-system checks.
Tyres	Wear of a summer and a winter set, two changeovers a year and tyre storage. A set costs €200–400 for combustion cars and €280–800 for EVs by default, by car size (SUVs count one size up).
Company cars	VAT recovery of 50% (also private use) or 100% (business only); fringe benefit tax of €1.96 per kW a month (€1.47 for cars over 5 years old) × 0.705 employer taxes.
Mileage allowance	For a private car, optionally the tax-free mileage allowance of €0.50/km, up to €550 a month.

Glossary

The explanations behind the calculator’s rows, with the default scenario’s values.

Cost

Vehicle: Pick a model or describe your own car. The purchase price is the list price for a new car. A used car's price is estimated from today's new price by age, mileage and how well the make holds its value, until you type your own.; Every field can be changed and the results update at once.
Cost: Total cost is the sum of all cost lines over 5 years (see the breakdown in euros). Per month = total ÷ months, per km = total ÷ distance (20,000 km a year).; The bar shows each cost line's share and the scale places the car between the cheapest and the most expensive. Warnings come from the end of the warranty, winter range and towing limits.

Cost breakdown in euros

Depreciation: Purchase price minus the car's value at the end of ownership (minus any grant). The value follows a curve per fuel type: after 3 years a petrol, hybrid or LPG car keeps 76%, an EV 71%, a plug-in hybrid 68%, a diesel 64% and a CNG car 62%. The make shifts the curve (e.g. Dacia +14, Toyota +5, Volvo −4 points), and so does mileage (±4% per 10,000 km vs 15,000 km a year).; The curve is fitted to AutoScout24 and auto24 asking prices. Companies count it without recoverable VAT.
Lease fees: Operating-lease monthly fees over 5 years. Without a typed fee the estimate is 2% of the car's price a month. The loss of value is the lessor's risk.
Interest and cost of capital: Cash: the return the money would earn elsewhere, the car's value × 2% a year.; Finance lease: annuity interest with a 15% down payment, 4.8% interest, 60 months and a 35% balloon. Only the part paid while you own the car counts.
Energy: Driving energy: 20,000 km × use per 100 km × (1 + winter share 40% × winter extra + trailer share 0% × trailer extra) × price.; The electricity price follows the charging mix: home 80%, public AC 10%, fast charging 10%. At home it uses night and day tariffs and pricier winter electricity, and home and AC charging add 12% charging losses. Prices rise 5% (fuel) and 5% (electricity) a year.
Preheating: Preheating on cold days (80 a year). EVs and plug-in hybrids heat the cabin from the grid, and EVs also warm the battery before each charge (a lot for LFP packs). Combustion cars burn fuel in a parking heater (Webasto or similar).; Electricity is priced at the winter home rate, fuel at the pump price.
Car tax and registration fee: The annual Estonian car tax (€50 base + CO₂ and mass parts, lower with age) and the one-off registration fee if not yet paid. Each child cuts the tax by €100 a year (0 now).; The tax can be switched off from a chosen year (advanced settings) in case it is abolished.
Insurance: Mandatory motor insurance per year + Kasko. Kasko is the year-1 premium and falls each year with the car's value. With a lease Kasko is always counted, with cash only if switched on.
Service and inspection: Services per year (by distance or months, whichever comes first) × service price + wear and repairs per year + technical inspections (first at 4 years, then every 2, yearly from 10) + gas-system checks.
Repair risk after warranty: Expected repairs once the factory warranty has ended: smaller repairs per year + a major repair × its yearly chance (growing 15% for every year out of warranty). Plug-ins add a battery replacement × its chance after the battery warranty.; These are assumptions, not statistics — no Estonian repair statistics are published.
Tyres: Tyre wear: the summer and winter sets each cover half the year's distance, cost = (20,000 km ÷ 2 ÷ tyre life) × set prices. Plus two changeovers a year and the tyre hotel.; It counts the share of the tyres you wear out, not buying whole sets.
Other costs: Home charger and installation (plug-ins charging at home), LPG conversion and other yearly costs.
Fringe benefit tax: Company car with private use: fringe benefit of €1.96 per kW a month (€1.47 for cars over 5 years old), taxed with income and social tax (× 0.705).
Mileage compensation: Tax-free compensation for business use of a private car: €0.50 per km, up to €550 a month. Lowers the cost.
VAT recovered: VAT a company recovers: 50% (car also used privately) or 100% (business only). Costs are shown without it.
Value at the end: The car's value at the end of ownership from the value curve (see depreciation), or the value you typed under value and resale.

Consumption and energy

Consumption per 100 km: Real-world average use in mild weather (not WLTP). For EVs it is measured at the battery (ev-database.org): energy from the charger is higher by the charging losses (12%), which are added in the price.; Winter and trailer extras are added separately.
Electric use in EV mode (kWh/100 km): The plug-in hybrid's electricity use in EV mode, measured at the battery (ADAC tests × 0.88). Charging losses are added in the price.
Share driven on electricity: The share of kilometres driven on electricity. Default 30% — the real European average (ICCT, Fraunhofer). Type approval assumes ~84%, which needs daily charging. The rest is driven on petrol.
Share driven on petrol: The share of kilometres a gas car drives on petrol (cold starts, running out of gas). Default CNG 10%, LPG 8%.
Petrol use (L/100 km): The gas car's petrol use when it runs on petrol.
Extra use in winter: How much more the car uses in winter (cold air, winter tyres, heating, snow). Applies to the winter share of the kilometres (40%).; Defaults: petrol, diesel and gas 12%, full hybrid 20%, plug-in hybrid 25%, EV 30% (ADAC, NAF, Recurrent, fueleconomy.gov). On short trips the real extra is much higher — preheating covers part of it.
Extra use with trailer: Extra use with a light trailer (up to 750 kg). Applies to the share driven with a trailer (0%).; Defaults: EV 100%, plug-in hybrid 30%, others 25%. Tests show +25–55% for EVs and +20–30% for combustion cars; shape and speed matter more than weight.
Preheating per day: Preheating per cold day (80 days a year). EVs and plug-in hybrids heat the cabin from the grid (kWh, default 1.5 and 1.0). Combustion cars burn fuel in a parking heater (litres, default 0.3 L = 30 minutes of a Webasto at 0.5–0.7 L/h).; Set 0 without a heater. The cost shows in the preheating line.
Battery heating per charge in the cold: Energy to warm the battery before or while charging in the cold, per charging session. LFP packs (BYD, Tesla RWD) must be heated before they charge — up to 45 minutes at several kW, default 5 kWh. Other packs 1 kWh.; Sessions follow the energy used on cold days (half a battery at a time, at least weekly). The cost shows in the preheating line.
AdBlue (L/1000 km): A diesel's AdBlue use in litres per 1,000 km (default 1.2 L) at €0.90 a litre. Added to energy.

Vehicle data and taxes

Power (kW): Engine power. Sets a company car's fringe benefit tax (per kW) and the car tax when CO₂ is unknown (reference CO₂ from power and mass).
Gross mass (kg): Gross vehicle mass from the registration document. The car tax mass part: above 2,000 kg (plug-in hybrid 2,200, EV 2,400 kg) it adds €0.40 per kg to the annual tax (capped) and €2 per kg to the registration fee (more from 2028 and 2031).
Kerb mass (kg): Kerb mass. Only used for the car tax's reference CO₂ when the car's CO₂ figure is unknown.
CO₂ (g/km): CO₂ in g/km — the basis of the CO₂ parts of the car tax and registration fee. WLTP is used as is, NEDC × 1.21. If unknown, a reference value comes from power, kerb mass and age. EVs: 0.
Seats: Number of seats. Cars with more than 7 seats are taxed at van (N1) rates.
Braked towing capacity (kg): Allowed braked trailer weight. If the trailer (750 kg) is heavier and you drive with one, you see a warning.
Battery (kWh): Usable battery capacity. Sets the battery replacement estimate (~€220/kWh, at least €4,000) and the number of winter charging sessions.
Range (km): Real-world range in mild weather. Winter range at the end of ownership = range × battery health ÷ (1 + winter extra). If that is shorter than your longest regular trip (300 km), you see a warning.
Battery health: Battery health at purchase. If empty, estimated as 100% − 2% (initial drop) − 1% a year − 0.5% per 10,000 km. Used for the winter range warning.
Registration fee paid: For a used car: whether the registration fee was already paid (the car is registered in Estonia). If not, the fee is added at purchase.
Car tax in year 1: The car tax in the first year of ownership: €50 base + CO₂ part (€3–4 per gram from 118 g/km) + mass part, with an age coefficient (lower from year 5). Later years follow the car's age.
Registration fee: One-off registration fee on first registration in Estonia (€150 + CO₂ and mass parts, lower with age; rises in 2028 and 2031). Zero for a used car if already paid.

Purchase

Grant or discount (€): A grant or discount that lowers the purchase price. Subtracted from depreciation.
Home charger and installation (€): Cost of buying and installing a home charger (default ~€1,300). Added once when you charge at home — under other costs.
Gas kit installation (€): Fitting an LPG system when the car doesn't have one from the factory. Added once under other costs.

Insurance

Mandatory insurance (€/yr): Yearly mandatory motor insurance. Default €140 (EV €170, plug-in hybrid €150), based on the Traffic Insurance Fund average (~€127).
Kasko, year 1 (€): Kasko premium for year 1. If empty, estimated from the purchase price: combustion and full hybrid ~0.8%, plug-in hybrid ~1.4%, EV ~2.0% (from real Estonian quotes), at least €150. It falls with the car's value in later years.
Kasko also when paying cash: Whether you take Kasko when paying cash. With a lease Kasko is always counted.

Service and tyres

Service price (€): Price of one scheduled service at a dealer. Services per year come from the interval (km or months, whichever comes first).
Service interval (km): Service interval in km. 20,000 km a year ÷ interval = services a year, if more often than by months. 0 = by time only.
Service interval (months): Service interval in months. 12 ÷ interval = services a year, if more often than by km.
Wear and repairs (€/yr): Wear parts and small jobs per year (brakes, wipers, fluids and so on) on top of scheduled services.
Smaller repairs after warranty (€/yr): Smaller repairs per year once the factory warranty has ended. An assumption you can change.
Major repair after warranty (€): Cost of one major repair after the warranty (e.g. heat pump, on-board charger, DSG, turbo, particle filter, ~€1,500–4,000). Multiplied by its chance.
Chance of a major repair per year: Yearly chance of a major repair after the warranty; it grows 15% for every year out of warranty. Expected cost = price × chance.
Traction battery replacement (€): Traction battery replacement cost. Default ~€220/kWh including labour, at least €4,000.
Chance of battery replacement per year after its warranty: Yearly chance of a battery replacement after the battery warranty (default 2%). Expected cost = replacement cost × chance.
Warranty (years): Factory warranty in years. It ends by age or distance, whichever comes first; repair risk starts after that.
Warranty (km): Factory warranty in km. With the years, it sets when repair risk starts (20,000 km a year).
Battery warranty (years): Battery warranty in years (usually 8). Battery replacement risk starts after it.
Battery warranty (km): Battery warranty in km (usually 160,000). Battery replacement risk starts after it.
Summer tyre set (€): Price of a set of 4 summer tyres. Default by car size: combustion €200–400, EV €280–800 (an SUV counts one size up). The cost follows wear.
Winter tyre set (€): Price of a set of winter tyres (default the same as summer). Winter tyres are mandatory in Estonia from 1 December to 1 March.
Tyre life (km): How many km a set lasts (default 40,000 km, EVs 32,000 km — heavier, more torque). Each set covers half the year's distance.
Tyre change (€ each): Price of one tyre change; counted twice a year.
Tyre hotel (€/yr): Tyre hotel per year (storing the off-season set). Set 0 if you store them yourself.
Technical inspection (€): Technical inspection price. A new car has the first at 4 years, then every 2 years, yearly from 10.
Gas system check (€/yr): Mandatory gas-system check per year (CNG ~€70, LPG ~€30).
Other costs (€/yr): Other yearly costs (parking, washing, road tolls and so on).

Residual value

Value at the end (€): The car's value at the end of ownership. If empty, it comes from the value curve (fuel type, make, age, mileage). A typed value keeps the curve's shape but ends on your value — it changes depreciation and Kasko.

Operating lease

Monthly fee (€): Operating-lease monthly fee. If empty, estimated at 2% of the car's price a month.
Includes service: Whether the fee includes service and repairs. If yes, service and repair risk are not added.
Includes tyres: Whether the fee includes tyres. If yes, tyre costs are not added.
Includes insurance: Whether the fee includes insurance. If yes, insurance is not added.

Data sources

Car tax: Mootorsõidukimaksu seadus (RT 114112025027), Liiklusseadus, ptk 12³ (RT 111072026045), EMTA, Transpordiamet
Electricity (12-month spot average, network fees, state fees, excise, 24% VAT): Elering (Nord Pool EE), Elektrilevi
Charging prices: Enefit Volt, Eleport, Neste, Alexela, Ignitis ON
Fuel prices: fuelo.net, EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, Circle K
Insurance (average motor insurance; Kasko is an estimate): Liikluskindlustuse Fond
Residual values (asking prices of 3- and 5–6-year-old cars, October 2026): AutoScout24, auto24.ee, ADAC, DAT, Auto Bild Wertmeister
Fuel and energy consumption: EV Database, ADAC Ecotest, Spritmonitor
Models and prices (2025 registrations): AMTEL, importers’ price lists and spec sheets
Leasing: Euribor, SEB, Swedbank, Citadele, Coop Pank
Tyre changes, storage, inspections: Vianor, ülevaatuspunktide hinnakirjad / inspection stations

Simplifications

Each car has one average consumption (no separate city and highway figures).
The annual tax is charged per full year of ownership (no pro-rating of the first year).
Kasko and dealer service prices are estimates – there are no published Estonian averages. Residual values come from asking prices rather than sale prices, mostly German listings, as Estonian ones were too few.
The used-car estimate starts from today’s new price, so it can run high for older cars whose current generation costs much more.
The plug-in hybrid Kasko rate and the repair-risk defaults are assumptions.
Home solar panels count as free electricity in the chosen months: they are assumed to cover all home charging then, and the income from selling that power to the grid is ignored.
EV and plug-in battery health is estimated as 100% − 2% − 1% per year − 0.5% per 10,000 km unless you enter a measured value; it feeds the winter range warning.
In October 2026 bills to abolish the car tax (982 SE, 1010 SE) were before the Riigikogu. The calculator follows the law in force; the tax can be switched off from a chosen year.

About Autokulu

Autokulu is a free calculator that helps people in Estonia compare what different cars really cost to own – not just their price. There are no ads or tracking cookies, and what you enter stays in your browser.

If you find a mistake or an outdated price, or would like a model added, write to us.

info@autokulu.ee