Cost of Owning a Car in California
How California's gas prices, electricity rates, sales tax and insurance costs affect what you'll typically pay to own a vehicle.
California at a glance
Gas price
$5per gallon, illustrative averageElectricity
$0.24per kWh, illustrative averageSales tax
7.25%plus ~$240 average registrationInsurance in California runs above the national average in this model, reflected as a 1.20× multiplier on our base class rates.
5-year cost by vehicle class in California
Uses real market-average vehicle prices per class (from our 152-vehicle MarketCheck pull) combined with California-specific tax, fee, fuel and insurance data.
Sedan
$38,3685-year estimate, $639/moSUV / crossover
$51,2905-year estimate, $855/moTruck
$54,0515-year estimate, $901/moElectric
$53,2085-year estimate, $887/moLuxury
$75,9695-year estimate, $1,266/moYour actual cost depends on the specific vehicle — use the interactive calculator and select California for a number tailored to your car, or browse real vehicle estimates.