Cost of Owning a Car in Norway 2026

The calculator adds up everything a car costs you in Norway over a year: depreciation, fuel or electricity, insurance, the road traffic insurance tax that replaced the old annual road tax, service, tyres, tolls, parking and the interest on a car loan. It then divides the total by the distance you drive, so you see what every kilometre really costs. Distances are in kilometres, and consumption is entered per 10 km because that is how Norwegians talk about it (1 mil = 10 km).

Worked example

A car bought for NOK 300,000 loses 15% of its remaining value every year and is kept for 5 years, which leaves a resale value of NOK 133,112. It is driven 11,350 km a year. The petrol car uses 0.7 litres per 10 km at NOK 19.42 per litre (Statistics Norway, August 2026). The electric version uses 2 kWh per 10 km at NOK 1.01 per kWh, which is Norgespris plus the average grid rent including taxes in Q2 2026. Insurance, service and tyres are the same example figures for both cars. There are no tolls, parking or loan.

Depreciation alone is 50%of the petrol car's yearly cost. It is the cost you do not feel until you sell the car. If you finance NOK 200,000 with a car loan at 6.5% over 5 years, the interest after the 22% tax deduction adds NOK 5,428 a year. Both cars cost the same to buy here so that the running costs are easy to compare. A real electric car usually costs more, which is why the electric vs petrol car calculator lets you enter two prices.

Cost per kilometre by distance driven

Same car, price and depreciation as above, no tolls. The fixed costs dominate when you drive little, which is why the cost per km falls quickly as the distance grows.

If you have just moved to Norway

• The annual road tax is paid through your insurance. The road traffic insurance tax (trafikkforsikringsavgift) is charged for every 24 hours the car has liability insurance, whether you drive or not. It is collected by the insurer together with the premium, so it follows your insurer's payment plan. For agreements taken out or renewed from 1 March 2026 it is NOK 6.52 a day (NOK 2,380 a year) for a petrol car and NOK 9.16 a day (NOK 3,343 a year) for an electric car. Enter your insurance premium without the tax in the calculator, because the tax is added separately. If you will not use a car for a while, you can deregister it for free at the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, which ends both the liability insurance and the tax. A deregistered car must not be driven, and it must have been registered for at least 15 days first.
• Periodic inspection (EU-kontroll). A passenger car must be inspected 4 years after its first registration and then at least every 2 years. A used car you import gets a deadline one year after it is registered in Norway, but a car that is 1 to 3 years old when imported gets 4 years counted from its first registration abroad. Documentation of an approved inspection in another EU or EEA country can be used to work out the next deadline. See the import car to Norway cost calculator if you are bringing one.
• Studded-tyre fees. Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim charge a fee for driving on studded tyres in the winter season. For 2026/27 Oslo charges NOK 35 for a day, NOK 450 for a month and NOK 1,400 for the season (1 November 2026 to 4 April 2027) for a car up to 3,500 kg, and a NOK 750 additional fee if you drive without a valid sticker. Oslo says a valid sticker from Bergen or Trondheim also counts. Other municipalities have their own rules, so check where you live.
• Tolls are automatic. All Norwegian toll stations are automated and read your number plate or your AutoPASS toll tag, so there is no cash to pay at the road. Without a tag you get an invoice; with an agreement you get a discount. See the Norway toll road calculator.
• The one-off registration tax is already in the price. New cars in Norway carry a one-off registration tax (engangsavgift) that is part of the sticker price, and electric cars are exempt from VAT only on the value up to NOK 300,000 in 2026. Enter the full price you pay. The car registration tax calculator shows how the tax is built up, and the re-registration fee calculator covers the fee you pay when you buy a used car.
• Charging an electric car. Home charging and public fast charging cost very different amounts per kWh. See the EV charging cost calculator for a proper estimate and use the result as the price per kWh here.

What this calculator does not cover

It does not include the no-claims bonus and discounts on your insurance premium, comprehensive (kasko) cover versus liability only, ferries, leasing, company cars and car sharing, or the cost of the money tied up in the car if you pay cash. Depreciation is a flat percentage of the remaining value each year, and real cars lose more in the first years. Prices for fuel and electricity move, so the start values are Statistics Norway averages for one month. Insurance, service and tyres are examples, not quotes. Use the result to compare options, not as a budget guarantee.