Car ownership costs on the rise in France

The cost of owning a car in France reached a monthly €416 on average in 2024 according to a new report, with figures likely to have risen further this year.

For new-vehicle purchases monthly costs rose to €522, largely due to a 40% increase in the average price of a car over the last six years. 

For used cars, the average cost was €384 per month, although in both cases figures differed significantly between types of car.

The figures point towards a further strain on household budgets in France, with vehicles of all types seeing prices rise. 

The study, by French driving website Roole, highlights how last year, 13% of household budgets were dedicated to transportation costs, the second highest expense behind housing at 28%.

Of this transportation budget, four-fifths went towards car costs. 

“The increase in vehicle prices is explained by the fact that the model has become more complex and significantly larger,” said Roole CEO Thomas Fournier, quoted in media outlet FranceInfo.

“People are buying slightly larger vehicles, with more integrated safety features. This is putting a significant strain on their budget,” he added.

Hybrid vehicles most expensive

The average €416 is broken down as follows: 

• Acquisition (loan payments etc): €167, 40.1%

• Fuel or powering costs: €100, 24%

• Insurance: €45, 10.8%

• Parking: €44, 10.6%

• Maintenance (repairs,contrôle technique, etc): €44, 10.6%

• Tolls: €16, 3.9% 

Around €160 of these costs is variable, and can fluctuate depending on vehicle usage (fuel, tolls, and maintenance).

For example, fuel costs (based on charging prices) can be significantly lower for electric vehicles, other costs higher.

Amongst new vehicles classic petrol (essence) cars are the cheapest for households. 

Despite higher fuel costs they are significantly cheaper to buy – average costs of €200 per month – than electric counterparts for which average acquisition cost reaches €332 monthly. 

They also benefit from some of the cheapest insurance policies, however have significantly higher maintenance costs than electric vehicles.

The most expensive cars overall were rechargeable hybrid vehicles.

These have the highest acquisition cost, higher fuel costs, and higher-than-average insurance costs, meaning households must budget €763 on average each month for such vehicles.

Electric cars are the best option for used vehicles.

They benefit from average purchase costs (only slightly more expensive than combustion engines) as well as the cheapest ‘fuel’ element. 

The average monthly upkeep for a second-hand electric car is €331, compared to €387 for a petrol car and €495 for a rechargeable hybrid. 

Insurance costs vary greatly 

Nationally, insurance prices varied by as much as €18 per month between the cheapest and most expensive regions. 

The cheapest, Brittany, saw average monthly insurance costs of €37, followed by the next cheapest Pays de La Loire (€39) and Nouvelle Aquitaine (€41). 

Elsewhere monthly averages in Île-de-France (€50), and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (€52) were the highest on the mainland.

In Corsica, averages reach up to €55.

You can read the full report here.