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2026 ranking

The 10 cheapest cars to actually own in Europe

Ranked by full 5-year cost of ownership — purchase, depreciation, fuel or charging, insurance, maintenance, tyres and road tax. Sticker price is only one piece of the puzzle.

  1. #1

    Dacia Sandero 1.0 TCe

    Petrol hatchback · ~€3,400/yr

    Cheapest new car in Europe, low insurance, parts dirt cheap, fuel-efficient.

  2. #2

    Toyota Yaris Hybrid

    Hybrid · ~€3,700/yr

    Legendary reliability, 4.0 L/100km real-world, excellent residuals.

  3. #3

    Skoda Fabia 1.0 TSI

    Petrol hatchback · ~€3,800/yr

    VW Group reliability, cheap to insure, holds value well across Central Europe.

  4. #4

    Hyundai i20 1.2

    Petrol hatchback · ~€3,900/yr

    5-year warranty, low depreciation curve, cheap servicing network.

  5. #5

    Renault Clio E-Tech Hybrid

    Hybrid · ~€4,100/yr

    Strong fuel economy, lower tax in most EU countries, decent residuals.

  6. #6

    Dacia Spring

    Electric · ~€3,600/yr

    Cheapest EV in Europe to buy and run; range limited to ~220 km WLTP.

  7. #7

    MG4 EV

    Electric · ~€4,200/yr

    Best-value mid-size EV, 7-year warranty, low charging cost on home tariff.

  8. #8

    Suzuki Swift 1.2 Hybrid

    Mild hybrid · ~€3,750/yr

    Cheap to insure, lightweight, low repair costs, often overlooked gem.

  9. #9

    Citroën C3 1.2 PureTech

    Petrol hatchback · ~€3,950/yr

    Cheap French city car, comfortable, low road tax bands.

  10. #10

    Volkswagen Polo 1.0 TSI

    Petrol hatchback · ~€4,300/yr

    Premium feel, top-tier residuals, slightly higher servicing costs.

Check the exact cost in your country

These figures are EU averages. Insurance, fuel and road tax vary wildly between Lithuania, France and Germany. Run any car through Revlo for a number tied to yourpostcode.

Calculate any car's cost →

How we ranked them

We modelled each car at 15,000 km/year, 5-year ownership, 20% deposit and a typical European insurance premium for a 35-year-old driver in a mid-cost region. We added depreciation (the biggest single line item), fuel or charging at country-average prices, scheduled maintenance and a winter-tyre set.

What makes a car cheap to own?

It's almost never the brochure price. Slow depreciation, common parts, simple mechanicals, low insurance group and decent fuel economy beat a low MSRP every time. That's why Toyota and Skoda keep showing up: boring spec sheets, brilliant cost curves.