It probably will not come as much surprise to car owners in the United Kingdom, but driving in the small European island nation does not come cheap. In fact, there are few places on the planet that have the same combination of high fuel prices and insurance costs, the difficulty of finding reasonably-priced M.O.T.’s and servicing and the sky-high cost of parking your car in the street. Despite high costs nationwide, exactly how much you will pay depends largely on where about in the country you reside. Below are some of the most striking regional differences in the main outgoings associated with owning a car.

Yearly Spending on Fuel on Average

Most – Belfast (£1,506.96)

Least – Southampton (£797.16)

Yearly Insurance Cost on Average

Most – London (£1,433.88)

Least – Exeter (£559.47)

Yearly Residents Permit Cost 

Most – Birmingham (£785)

Least – Liverpool, Leeds, Nottingham (£0)

Yearly Annual Spending on Parking on Average

Most – Nottingham (£284.96)

Least – Edinburgh (£72.80)

Overall, Exeter in the southern county of Devon is the most cost-effective location in which to own a car. The price of car insurance there is relatively cheap compared with most other places. When you factor in incredibly low average fuel costs (£924.04), reasonably-priced parking fees (£162.24) and residents permits available at as low as £30, it soon becomes clear that motorists in Exeter can consider themselves fortunate. The total annual cost of owning a car is likely to come in at just £1,675.75.

At the other end of the scale, the most expensive city to own a car in the UK is Birmingham, where owning a car will cost you an average of £3,326.87. The high cost of buying a residents permit is a key contributing factor to Birmingham’s place at the top of the list, although the city also ranks relatively highly for annual fuel costs (£1,189.76), insurance costs (£1,125.91) and annual spending on parking (£226.20). 

The figures quoted in this article are average costs. In reality, the make and model of your car will also be a massive determining factor regarding how much you will end up paying out for the pleasure of owning a car every year. Remember to consider the full range of #UKCarCosts before you make a final decision on buying a new or second-hand car.