Map reveals UK’s priciest spots to own a car where drivers are forced to shell out over £4,000 a year
THE UK’S most expensive areas to own a car have been revealed - and it’s bad news for those in the East Midlands.
Many of us are feeling the squeeze in these early months of 2025, with the cost of living still extremely high.
One of the UK’s biggest expenses is running a car, according to a new study, as research found Brits are forking out almost £3,800 each year to run their motor.
These findings come from ’s recent report, revealing where in the UK car ownership costs the most.
The data is pulled together using the 8.8-year average that drivers across the country own their vehicle for - meaning they spend a staggering £33,299.64 on each car they own.
Asda analysed seven factors of car ownership across every UK region, considering the average weekly spend of a new car or used vehicle, fuel cost, repairs, and insurance cover.
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Other, less thought of factors includes the cost of spares and accessories.
Combined, it resulted in the East Midlands topping the list as the most expensive region to own a car - largely because it has one of the lowest average wages.
In total, owning a car costs drivers £4,196.53 per year or £80.80 per week - 11% more expensive than the UK average, with typically higher costs for car insurance, maintenance and purchasing overall.
This means that East Midlands drivers pay 13% of their annual pay on car ownership.
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On the contrary, the research reveals that drivers in the North East pay the least when it comes to owning a car overall.
The annual average cost comes to £2,852.59, with a weekly premium of £54.86.
The overall price of running a vehicle in the North East is 32% less expensive than the most expensive region, and 25% cheaper than the UK average.
Typically, workers in the North East earning the average regional salary will spend 9% of their yearly wage on running their car, with the median regional wage coming in at £31,200.
It wasn’t just regional divide that the study looked at, either.
One interesting factor was the rise in the cost of car insurance, which has risen 34% since 2022.
What’s more, car maintenance costs, including MOT, repairs and servicing set UK drivers back £364 each year.