Compare what you’ll pay each month, and what each car will really cost you over time.
Your first option
Compounded annually across your ownership period. This is an assumption, not a valuation.
The alternative
Compounded annually across your ownership period. This is an assumption, not a valuation.
Over 60 months · 90 000 km
Upfront payment, instalments, any matured balloon and running costs. Resale and settlement are reconciled in the table.
| Cost over 60 months | Car A | Car B |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase price | R 250 000 | R 380 000 |
| Estimated resale value (subtracted) | -R 131 933 | -R 200 538 |
| Depreciation · price less resale | R 118 067 | R 179 462 |
| Interest during ownership | R 86 421 | R 146 819 |
| Fuel over ownership period | R 113 850 | R 161 460 |
| Insurance over ownership period | R 51 000 | R 72 000 |
| Maintenance provision | R 30 000 | R 42 500 |
| Tyre provision | R 12 000 | R 18 000 |
| Licence provision | R 3 250 | R 4 250 |
| Total ownership cost | R 414 588 | R 624 490 |
| Average ownership cost / month | R 6 910 | R 10 408 |
| Ownership cost / km | R 4,61 | R 6,94 |
| Cost over 60 months | Car A | Car B |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront · deposit or cash purchase | R 25 000 | R 38 000 |
| Regular instalments paid | R 262 176 | R 354 600 |
| Balloon paid at loan maturity | R 0 | R 0 |
| All running costs | R 210 100 | R 298 210 |
| Cash paid out before sale | R 497 276 | R 690 810 |
| Remaining loan settlement at sale | R 49 245 | R 134 218 |
| Resale proceeds (subtracted) | -R 131 933 | -R 200 538 |
| Net cost after sale & settlement | R 414 588 | R 624 490 |
Balances immediately after each regular payment. At maturity the balloon is paid separately and the balance becomes zero. Displayed amounts are rounded; calculations keep full precision.
| Month | A · interest | A · balance | B · interest | B · balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | R 2 203,13 | R 222 833,53 | R 3 348,75 | R 339 438,75 |
| 2 | R 2 181,91 | R 220 645,84 | R 3 323,67 | R 336 852,42 |
| 3 | R 2 160,49 | R 218 436,74 | R 3 298,35 | R 334 240,76 |
| 4 | R 2 138,86 | R 216 206,00 | R 3 272,77 | R 331 603,54 |
| 5 | R 2 117,02 | R 213 953,42 | R 3 246,95 | R 328 940,49 |
| 6 | R 2 094,96 | R 211 678,78 | R 3 220,88 | R 326 251,36 |
| 7 | R 2 072,69 | R 209 381,88 | R 3 194,54 | R 323 535,91 |
| 8 | R 2 050,20 | R 207 062,48 | R 3 167,96 | R 320 793,86 |
| 9 | R 2 027,49 | R 204 720,37 | R 3 141,11 | R 318 024,97 |
| 10 | R 2 004,55 | R 202 355,32 | R 3 113,99 | R 315 228,96 |
| 11 | R 1 981,40 | R 199 967,12 | R 3 086,62 | R 312 405,58 |
| 12 | R 1 958,01 | R 197 555,54 | R 3 058,97 | R 309 554,55 |
| 13 | R 1 934,40 | R 195 120,34 | R 3 031,05 | R 306 675,60 |
| 14 | R 1 910,55 | R 192 661,29 | R 3 002,87 | R 303 768,46 |
| 15 | R 1 886,48 | R 190 178,17 | R 2 974,40 | R 300 832,86 |
| 16 | R 1 862,16 | R 187 670,74 | R 2 945,66 | R 297 868,52 |
| 17 | R 1 837,61 | R 185 138,75 | R 2 916,63 | R 294 875,14 |
| 18 | R 1 812,82 | R 182 581,97 | R 2 887,32 | R 291 852,46 |
| 19 | R 1 787,78 | R 180 000,16 | R 2 857,72 | R 288 800,18 |
| 20 | R 1 762,50 | R 177 393,06 | R 2 827,84 | R 285 718,02 |
| 21 | R 1 736,97 | R 174 760,44 | R 2 797,66 | R 282 605,67 |
| 22 | R 1 711,20 | R 172 102,04 | R 2 767,18 | R 279 462,85 |
| 23 | R 1 685,17 | R 169 417,61 | R 2 736,41 | R 276 289,26 |
| 24 | R 1 658,88 | R 166 706,89 | R 2 705,33 | R 273 084,59 |
| 25 | R 1 632,34 | R 163 969,63 | R 2 673,95 | R 269 848,54 |
| 26 | R 1 605,54 | R 161 205,57 | R 2 642,27 | R 266 580,81 |
| 27 | R 1 578,47 | R 158 414,44 | R 2 610,27 | R 263 281,08 |
| 28 | R 1 551,14 | R 155 595,99 | R 2 577,96 | R 259 949,04 |
| 29 | R 1 523,54 | R 152 749,94 | R 2 545,33 | R 256 584,37 |
| 30 | R 1 495,68 | R 149 876,02 | R 2 512,39 | R 253 186,76 |
| 31 | R 1 467,54 | R 146 973,96 | R 2 479,12 | R 249 755,88 |
| 32 | R 1 439,12 | R 144 043,48 | R 2 445,53 | R 246 291,40 |
| 33 | R 1 410,43 | R 141 084,31 | R 2 411,60 | R 242 793,00 |
| 34 | R 1 381,45 | R 138 096,16 | R 2 377,35 | R 239 260,35 |
| 35 | R 1 352,19 | R 135 078,76 | R 2 342,76 | R 235 693,11 |
| 36 | R 1 322,65 | R 132 031,81 | R 2 307,83 | R 232 090,93 |
| 37 | R 1 292,81 | R 128 955,02 | R 2 272,56 | R 228 453,49 |
| 38 | R 1 262,68 | R 125 848,11 | R 2 236,94 | R 224 780,43 |
| 39 | R 1 232,26 | R 122 710,77 | R 2 200,98 | R 221 071,40 |
| 40 | R 1 201,54 | R 119 542,72 | R 2 164,66 | R 217 326,06 |
| 41 | R 1 170,52 | R 116 343,65 | R 2 127,98 | R 213 544,04 |
| 42 | R 1 139,20 | R 113 113,25 | R 2 090,95 | R 209 724,99 |
| 43 | R 1 107,57 | R 109 851,22 | R 2 053,56 | R 205 868,55 |
| 44 | R 1 075,63 | R 106 557,25 | R 2 015,80 | R 201 974,35 |
| 45 | R 1 043,37 | R 103 231,02 | R 1 977,67 | R 198 042,01 |
| 46 | R 1 010,80 | R 99 872,23 | R 1 939,16 | R 194 071,17 |
| 47 | R 977,92 | R 96 480,55 | R 1 900,28 | R 190 061,45 |
| 48 | R 944,71 | R 93 055,66 | R 1 861,02 | R 186 012,47 |
| 49 | R 911,17 | R 89 597,23 | R 1 821,37 | R 181 923,84 |
| 50 | R 877,31 | R 86 104,94 | R 1 781,34 | R 177 795,17 |
| 51 | R 843,11 | R 82 578,46 | R 1 740,91 | R 173 626,08 |
| 52 | R 808,58 | R 79 017,44 | R 1 700,09 | R 169 416,17 |
| 53 | R 773,71 | R 75 421,55 | R 1 658,87 | R 165 165,04 |
| 54 | R 738,50 | R 71 790,46 | R 1 617,24 | R 160 872,28 |
| 55 | R 702,95 | R 68 123,81 | R 1 575,21 | R 156 537,48 |
| 56 | R 667,05 | R 64 421,26 | R 1 532,76 | R 152 160,25 |
| 57 | R 630,79 | R 60 682,46 | R 1 489,90 | R 147 740,15 |
| 58 | R 594,18 | R 56 907,04 | R 1 446,62 | R 143 276,77 |
| 59 | R 557,21 | R 53 094,66 | R 1 402,92 | R 138 769,69 |
| 60 · sale | R 519,89 | R 49 244,95 | R 1 358,79 | R 134 218,47 |
| 61 | R 482,19 | R 45 357,54 | R 1 314,22 | R 129 622,69 |
| 62 | R 444,13 | R 41 432,07 | R 1 269,22 | R 124 981,91 |
| 63 | R 405,69 | R 37 468,16 | R 1 223,78 | R 120 295,69 |
| 64 | R 366,88 | R 33 465,44 | R 1 177,90 | R 115 563,59 |
| 65 | R 327,68 | R 29 423,53 | R 1 131,56 | R 110 785,15 |
| 66 | R 288,11 | R 25 342,04 | R 1 084,77 | R 105 959,92 |
| 67 | R 248,14 | R 21 220,58 | R 1 037,52 | R 101 087,44 |
| 68 | R 207,78 | R 17 058,77 | R 989,81 | R 96 167,25 |
| 69 | R 167,03 | R 12 856,21 | R 941,64 | R 91 198,89 |
| 70 | R 125,88 | R 8 612,49 | R 892,99 | R 86 181,88 |
| 71 | R 84,33 | R 4 327,23 | R 843,86 | R 81 115,74 |
| 72 | R 42,37 | R 0,00 | R 794,26 | R 0,00 |
Your calculations stay in this browser. Share only if you’re comfortable including your inputs in a link.
Your monthly distance and fuel price can change the comparison considerably. Work out your commute, add weekend driving and enter a realistic kilometre estimate. Fuel economy is in litres per 100 km: a lower number uses less fuel.
For example, 1,500 km at 6 L/100 km and R23 per litre costs R2,070 a month in fuel. That is an example, not a current price claim.
Insurance, tyres, servicing and your annual vehicle licence all deserve a place in the budget. Turn annual expenses into a monthly provision so a service bill is less of a surprise.
A service plan can reduce some maintenance costs, but check what it excludes. Add repairs and replacement tyres separately, and use insurance quotes for your own circumstances.
A car’s resale value is uncertain. Try a lower resale estimate to see how much that changes the result. If you have a loan, the remaining debt must still be settled when you sell.
A lower instalment with a large balloon can conceal a large final obligation. Compare interest and settlement alongside monthly affordability.
Read the full formulas, assumptions and worked example. Fees, inflation, investment opportunity costs, parking, tolls and tax effects are excluded; budget for them separately.
The purchase price minus resale value, interest paid during ownership, fuel, insurance, maintenance, tyre budgets and vehicle licence fees. Finance principal is not counted twice.
The calculator estimates the loan balance immediately after your final monthly payment. This settlement is deducted from resale proceeds. Ask your lender for a dated settlement quote including any fees.
No. R23 per litre is an illustrative starting value, not a live fuel price. Enter the pump price for your fuel grade and location.
A balloon postpones principal repayment. It can reduce regular instalments, but leaves more debt outstanding and can increase interest. You still need to pay it or settle the balance when you sell.
Cash flow shows money paid out, while ownership cost also accounts for resale value and remaining debt. The calculator spreads ownership cost across your chosen period for comparison.
These are planning estimates, not a finance quote or personal financial advice. Rates are held constant and repayments are modelled monthly. Confirm all costs, fees and settlement figures with the relevant provider before committing.