There are over 38.2 million cars licensed to run on Britain’s roads. Costs can vary wildly from region to region. We’ve compared everything from the average price of fuel to the cost of a Ford Fiesta to create this map showing the UK’s cheapest and most expensive areas when buying and taking care of a car.
Scotland
North East
North West
Midlands
London
South East
South West
Wales
Scotland
Scotland did well in our investigation. We discovered that it was the cheapest place overall to own a car. The only category where Scotland wasn’t one of the cheapest areas was when looking at the cost of fuel where it was one of the more expensive.
Repairs
Fixing your car in Scotland is 6% cheaper than the national average for non-franchised garages and 20% cheaper for franchised garages. Scotland also had the cheapest franchised garages overall.
Cost of repairs
| Location | Non-Franchised | Franchised |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | £56.09 | £76.20 |
| North East | £52.52 | £86 |
| North West | £58.26 | £87.21 |
| Midlands | £57.47 | £88.36 |
| South East | £62.77 | £92.29 |
| South West | £59.58 | £94.12 |
| Wales | £60.18 | £101.04 |
| London | £70.70 | £112.39 |
| AVERAGE | £59.59 | £92.20 |
Insurance
22% cheaper than the average for men and women and one of the cheaper regions overall. Only the South West had cheaper insurance costs.
Cost of insurance
| Area | 31-35 Male | 31-35 Female |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | £551 | £446 |
| North East | £692 | £526 |
| North West | £789 | £580 |
| Midlands | £811 | £608 |
| South East | £648 | £497 |
| South West | £518 | £404 |
| Wales | £578 | £478 |
| London | £1080 | £814 |
| AVERAGE | £708.37 | £544.12 |
Fuel
7p per litre higher than the average.
Cost of Fuel
Government figures have shown that from January to June in 2019, the average price per litre of unleaded fuel was 122.9p. However, Confused.com collated petrol costs from across the UK, with averages all coming out more than the government figure.
| Area | per litre |
|---|---|
| Scotland | £1.29 |
| North East | £1.28 |
| North West | £1.27 |
| Midlands | £1.28 |
| South East | £1.28 |
| South West | £1.29 |
| Wales | £1.28 |
| London | £1.29 |
Buying a car
On average, £353 cheaper than the national average and cheapest overall.
Cost of buying a car
Based on 2016 figures for the cost of a Ford Fiesta (one of the country’s most popular cars) in the UK.
| Area | Price |
|---|---|
| Scotland | £7782 |
| North East | £8194 |
| North West | £7949 |
| Midlands | £8194 |
| South East | £8425 |
| South West | £8265 |
| Wales | £8106 |
| London | £8354 |
| AVERAGE | £8135 |
Overall Costs
| Area | Price |
|---|---|
| Scotland | £8908.58 |
| North East | £9363.80 |
| North West | £9464.76 |
| Midlands | £9760.11 |
| South East | £9726.34 |
| South West | £9341.99 |
| Wales | £9324.50 |
| London | £10432.37 |
| AVERAGE | £9540.30 |
7% lower than the average. This equates to a saving of £631.72 against the national average. It also helps make Scotland the cheapest location in the UK for car costs.
North West
The North West was one of the cheaper areas overall in terms of car costs. The relatively high costs in comparison to the rest of the North, including the highest insurance costs, kept the region from the top spots.
Repairs
The North West comes in under the national average – but only just. Franchised garages are roughly £1 cheaper per hour on average, while motorists using non-franchised garages can save slightly more, with costs being £5 an hour less.
Cost of repairs
| Location | Non-Franchised | Franchised |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | £56.09 | £76.20 |
| North East | £52.52 | £86 |
| North West | £58.26 | £87.21 |
| Midlands | £57.47 | £88.36 |
| South East | £62.77 | £92.29 |
| South West | £59.58 | £94.12 |
| Wales | £60.18 | £101.04 |
| London | £70.70 | £112.39 |
| AVERAGE | £59.59 | £92.20 |
Insurance
Insuring your car in the North West was higher than the national average for both men (11% higher) and women (6.5% higher) – not the highest nationally, but still the highest in the North.
Cost of insurance
| Area | 31-35 Male | 31-35 Female |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | £551 | £446 |
| North East | £692 | £526 |
| North West | £789 | £580 |
| Midlands | £811 | £608 |
| South East | £648 | £497 |
| South West | £518 | £404 |
| Wales | £578 | £478 |
| London | £1080 | £814 |
| AVERAGE | £708.37 | £544.12 |
Fuel
Cheapest for fuel but still 5p more than the national average.
Cost of Fuel
Government figures have shown that from January to June in 2019, the average price per litre of unleaded fuel was 122.9p. However, Confused.com collated petrol costs from across the UK, with averages all coming out more than the government figure.
| Area | per litre |
|---|---|
| Scotland | £1.29 |
| North East | £1.28 |
| North West | £1.27 |
| Midlands | £1.28 |
| South East | £1.28 |
| South West | £1.29 |
| Wales | £1.28 |
| London | £1.29 |
Buying a car
One of the cheapest regions for buying a car, coming in at £186 cheaper than the national average.
Cost of buying a car
Based on 2016 figures for the cost of a Ford Fiesta (one of the country’s most popular cars) in the UK.
| Area | Price |
|---|---|
| Scotland | £7782 |
| North East | £8194 |
| North West | £7949 |
| Midlands | £8194 |
| South East | £8425 |
| South West | £8265 |
| Wales | £8106 |
| London | £8354 |
| AVERAGE | £8135 |
Overall Costs
| Area | Price |
|---|---|
| Scotland | £8908.58 |
| North East | £9363.80 |
| North West | £9464.76 |
| Midlands | £9760.11 |
| South East | £9726.34 |
| South West | £9341.99 |
| Wales | £9324.50 |
| London | £10432.37 |
| AVERAGE | £9540.30 |
0.7% less than the average which equates to £75.54.
North East
The North East was one of the cheaper regions in the UK across the board. While not the cheapest overall, the general low costs still see the region providing savings to motorists on their overall costs.
Repairs
Cheapest non-franchised – 11% less than the national average, saving approximately £7 per hour over other regions.
Cost of repairs
| Location | Non-Franchised | Franchised |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | £56.09 | £76.20 |
| North East | £52.52 | £86 |
| North West | £58.26 | £87.21 |
| Midlands | £57.47 | £88.36 |
| South East | £62.77 | £92.29 |
| South West | £59.58 | £94.12 |
| Wales | £60.18 | £101.04 |
| London | £70.70 | £112.39 |
| AVERAGE | £59.59 | £92.20 |
Insurance
Men in the North East stand to pay 2% less than the average, while women pay 3.33% less.
Cost of insurance
| Area | 31-35 Male | 31-35 Female |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | £551 | £446 |
| North East | £692 | £526 |
| North West | £789 | £580 |
| Midlands | £811 | £608 |
| South East | £648 | £497 |
| South West | £518 | £404 |
| Wales | £578 | £478 |
| London | £1080 | £814 |
| AVERAGE | £708.37 | £544.12 |
Fuel
6p more than the average, making it one of the cheapest regions for fuel.
Cost of Fuel
Government figures have shown that from January to June in 2019, the average price per litre of unleaded fuel was 122.9p. However, Confused.com collated petrol costs from across the UK, with averages all coming out more than the government figure.
| Area | per litre |
|---|---|
| Scotland | £1.29 |
| North East | £1.28 |
| North West | £1.27 |
| Midlands | £1.28 |
| South East | £1.28 |
| South West | £1.29 |
| Wales | £1.28 |
| London | £1.29 |
Buying a car
The North East comes in £129 less than the average and is one of the cheapest regions in the UK.
Cost of buying a car
Based on 2016 figures for the cost of a Ford Fiesta (one of the country’s most popular cars) in the UK.
| Area | Price |
|---|---|
| Scotland | £7782 |
| North East | £8194 |
| North West | £7949 |
| Midlands | £8194 |
| South East | £8425 |
| South West | £8265 |
| Wales | £8106 |
| London | £8354 |
| AVERAGE | £8135 |
Overall Costs
| Area | Price |
|---|---|
| Scotland | £8908.58 |
| North East | £9363.80 |
| North West | £9464.76 |
| Midlands | £9760.11 |
| South East | £9726.34 |
| South West | £9341.99 |
| Wales | £9324.50 |
| London | £10432.37 |
| AVERAGE | £9540.30 |
Less than the average by 1.9%, which equates to a saving of £176.50 against the national average.
Wales
Wales was one of the cheaper regions in the UK. Cheaper insurance and generally lower costs across the areas we assessed saw it come second – only losing out to Scotland in terms of value.
Repairs
The cost of repairs in Wales for both franchised and non-franchised garages came in over the national average.
Cost of repairs
| Location | Non-Franchised | Franchised |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | £56.09 | £76.20 |
| North East | £52.52 | £86 |
| North West | £58.26 | £87.21 |
| Midlands | £57.47 | £88.36 |
| South East | £62.77 | £92.29 |
| South West | £59.58 | £94.12 |
| Wales | £60.18 | £101.04 |
| London | £70.70 | £112.39 |
| AVERAGE | £59.59 | £92.20 |
Insurance
Wales was one of the cheaper regions for car insurance, with both male and female drivers enjoying costs well below the national average.
Cost of insurance
| Area | 31-35 Male | 31-35 Female |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | £551 | £446 |
| North East | £692 | £526 |
| North West | £789 | £580 |
| Midlands | £811 | £608 |
| South East | £648 | £497 |
| South West | £518 | £404 |
| Wales | £578 | £478 |
| London | £1080 | £814 |
| AVERAGE | £708.37 | £544.12 |
Fuel
6p more than the average, making it one of the cheapest regions for fuel.
Cost of Fuel
Government figures have shown that from January to June in 2019, the average price per litre of unleaded fuel was 122.9p. However, Confused.com collated petrol costs from across the UK, with averages all coming out more than the government figure.
| Area | per litre |
|---|---|
| Scotland | £1.29 |
| North East | £1.28 |
| North West | £1.27 |
| Midlands | £1.28 |
| South East | £1.28 |
| South West | £1.29 |
| Wales | £1.28 |
| London | £1.29 |
Buying a car
This was close to the national average, with drivers only paying slightly less, making a saving of £29.
Cost of buying a car
Based on 2016 figures for the cost of a Ford Fiesta (one of the country’s most popular cars) in the UK.
| Area | Price |
|---|---|
| Scotland | £7782 |
| North East | £8194 |
| North West | £7949 |
| Midlands | £8194 |
| South East | £8425 |
| South West | £8265 |
| Wales | £8106 |
| London | £8354 |
| AVERAGE | £8135 |
Overall Costs
| Area | Price |
|---|---|
| Scotland | £8908.58 |
| North East | £9363.80 |
| North West | £9464.76 |
| Midlands | £9760.11 |
| South East | £9726.34 |
| South West | £9341.99 |
| Wales | £9324.50 |
| London | £10432.37 |
| AVERAGE | £9540.30 |
Wales was the cheapest region outside of Scotland for motorists, with drivers paying £215.80 less than the national average for their combined vehicle costs.
Midlands
The Midlands was overall the most expensive area outside of London for motorists. This was caused by the comparatively higher costs for insurance and buying a car, which offset the marginally cheaper fuel and repair costs.
Repairs
The costs of repairs for both franchised and non-franchised garages came in less than the national average.
Cost of repairs
| Location | Non-Franchised | Franchised |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | £56.09 | £76.20 |
| North East | £52.52 | £86 |
| North West | £58.26 | £87.21 |
| Midlands | £57.47 | £88.36 |
| South East | £62.77 | £92.29 |
| South West | £59.58 | £94.12 |
| Wales | £60.18 | £101.04 |
| London | £70.70 | £112.39 |
| AVERAGE | £59.59 | £92.20 |
Insurance
Insuring your car in the Midlands was the most expensive location outside of London. Men could look to pay around £108 more on average, while women could end up paying £64.
Cost of insurance
| Area | 31-35 Male | 31-35 Female |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | £551 | £446 |
| North East | £692 | £526 |
| North West | £789 | £580 |
| Midlands | £811 | £608 |
| South East | £648 | £497 |
| South West | £518 | £404 |
| Wales | £578 | £478 |
| London | £1080 | £814 |
| AVERAGE | £708.37 | £544.12 |
Fuel
6p more than the average, making it one of the cheapest regions for fuel.
Cost of Fuel
Government figures have shown that from January to June in 2019, the average price per litre of unleaded fuel was 122.9p. However, Confused.com collated petrol costs from across the UK, with averages all coming out more than the government figure.
| Area | per litre |
|---|---|
| Scotland | £1.29 |
| North East | £1.28 |
| North West | £1.27 |
| Midlands | £1.28 |
| South East | £1.28 |
| South West | £1.29 |
| Wales | £1.28 |
| London | £1.29 |
Buying a car
The Midlands comes in just above the national average, with drivers potentially spending an additional £59 on buying a new car.
Cost of buying a car
Based on 2016 figures for the cost of a Ford Fiesta (one of the country’s most popular cars) in the UK.
| Area | Price |
|---|---|
| Scotland | £7782 |
| North East | £8194 |
| North West | £7949 |
| Midlands | £8194 |
| South East | £8425 |
| South West | £8265 |
| Wales | £8106 |
| London | £8354 |
| AVERAGE | £8135 |
Overall Costs
| Area | Price |
|---|---|
| Scotland | £8908.58 |
| North East | £9363.80 |
| North West | £9464.76 |
| Midlands | £9760.11 |
| South East | £9726.34 |
| South West | £9341.99 |
| Wales | £9324.50 |
| London | £10432.37 |
| AVERAGE | £9540.30 |
2% higher than the average or £219.81 higher.
South West
The South West, much like the South East, was an area where costs varied. Higher costs of buying a car and repairing a vehicle, for example, offset the availability of cheaper insurance.
Repairs
The South West came in 1p under the average cost of non-franchised garage, and £1.92 over the cost per-hour of a franchised garage.
Cost of repairs
| Location | Non-Franchised | Franchised |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | £56.09 | £76.20 |
| North East | £52.52 | £86 |
| North West | £58.26 | £87.21 |
| Midlands | £57.47 | £88.36 |
| South East | £62.77 | £92.29 |
| South West | £59.58 | £94.12 |
| Wales | £60.18 | £101.04 |
| London | £70.70 | £112.39 |
| AVERAGE | £59.59 | £92.20 |
Insurance
Drivers in the South West enjoyed the cheapest insurance costs based on our findings. Male drivers could look to pay over 50% less than drivers in London, while female drivers enjoyed the cheapest insurance across the UK.
Cost of insurance
| Area | 31-35 Male | 31-35 Female |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | £551 | £446 |
| North East | £692 | £526 |
| North West | £789 | £580 |
| Midlands | £811 | £608 |
| South East | £648 | £497 |
| South West | £518 | £404 |
| Wales | £578 | £478 |
| London | £1080 | £814 |
| AVERAGE | £708.37 | £544.12 |
Fuel
This came in on average at 1.29p per litre, making it one of the more expensive regions and 7p per litre more than the average.
Cost of Fuel
Government figures have shown that from January to June in 2019, the average price per litre of unleaded fuel was 122.9p. However, Confused.com collated petrol costs from across the UK, with averages all coming out more than the government figure.
| Area | per litre |
|---|---|
| Scotland | £1.29 |
| North East | £1.28 |
| North West | £1.27 |
| Midlands | £1.28 |
| South East | £1.28 |
| South West | £1.29 |
| Wales | £1.28 |
| London | £1.29 |
Buying a car
The cost of buying a car in the South West was higher than the rest of the UK. The cost in the region was £130 more than the national average.
Cost of buying a car
Based on 2016 figures for the cost of a Ford Fiesta (one of the country’s most popular cars) in the UK.
| Area | Price |
|---|---|
| Scotland | £7782 |
| North East | £8194 |
| North West | £7949 |
| Midlands | £8194 |
| South East | £8425 |
| South West | £8265 |
| Wales | £8106 |
| London | £8354 |
| AVERAGE | £8135 |
Overall Costs
| Area | Price |
|---|---|
| Scotland | £8908.58 |
| North East | £9363.80 |
| North West | £9464.76 |
| Midlands | £9760.11 |
| South East | £9726.34 |
| South West | £9341.99 |
| Wales | £9324.50 |
| London | £10432.37 |
| AVERAGE | £9540.30 |
The South West was the cheapest southern region and 2.1% less than the average, which could potentially be a saving of £198.31 for drivers in the area.
South East
The South East was an area that varied on where each cost placed. While generally one of the cheaper regions for costs, like insurance and fuel, the costs of repairs and buying a vehicle greatly increased the overall total cost for motorists.
Repairs
The South East was fairly close to the average cost for repairs. However, both franchised and non-franchised garages came in just over the national averages.
Cost of repairs
| Location | Non-Franchised | Franchised |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | £56.09 | £76.20 |
| North East | £52.52 | £86 |
| North West | £58.26 | £87.21 |
| Midlands | £57.47 | £88.36 |
| South East | £62.77 | £92.29 |
| South West | £59.58 | £94.12 |
| Wales | £60.18 | £101.04 |
| London | £70.70 | £112.39 |
| AVERAGE | £59.59 | £92.20 |
Insurance
The South East in general was fairly cheap in terms of insurance, with men coming in 9.3% and women 9.5% under the average costs for insurance.
Cost of insurance
| Area | 31-35 Male | 31-35 Female |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | £551 | £446 |
| North East | £692 | £526 |
| North West | £789 | £580 |
| Midlands | £811 | £608 |
| South East | £648 | £497 |
| South West | £518 | £404 |
| Wales | £578 | £478 |
| London | £1080 | £814 |
| AVERAGE | £708.37 | £544.12 |
Fuel
6p more than the national average, making it one of the cheapest regions for fuel.
Cost of Fuel
Government figures have shown that from January to June in 2019, the average price per litre of unleaded fuel was 122.9p. However, Confused.com collated petrol costs from across the UK, with averages all coming out more than the government figure.
| Area | per litre |
|---|---|
| Scotland | £1.29 |
| North East | £1.28 |
| North West | £1.27 |
| Midlands | £1.28 |
| South East | £1.28 |
| South West | £1.29 |
| Wales | £1.28 |
| London | £1.29 |
Buying a car
The South East was the most expensive area for buying a car, with motorists potentially paying £290 more than the national average for a car.
Cost of buying a car
Based on 2016 figures for the cost of a Ford Fiesta (one of the country’s most popular cars) in the UK.
| Area | Price |
|---|---|
| Scotland | £7782 |
| North East | £8194 |
| North West | £7949 |
| Midlands | £8194 |
| South East | £8425 |
| South West | £8265 |
| Wales | £8106 |
| London | £8354 |
| AVERAGE | £8135 |
Overall Costs
| Area | Price |
|---|---|
| Scotland | £8908.58 |
| North East | £9363.80 |
| North West | £9464.76 |
| Midlands | £9760.11 |
| South East | £9726.34 |
| South West | £9341.99 |
| Wales | £9324.50 |
| London | £10432.37 |
| AVERAGE | £9540.30 |
The South East had a total cost £9726.34, meaning the area was 1.9% higher than the average. This potentially means motorists are paying an additional £186.04 more than other regions.
London
The cost of owning and maintaining a car in the capital is higher than the rest of the UK. The only instance where London wasn’t the most expensive was the average cost of buying a vehicle. All other associated costs were higher. It’s also worth noting this is before additional costs, like parking or the congestion charge, are taken into account.
Repairs
Non-franchised garages on average are £11 an hour more expensive, while franchised garages can charge up to £20 per hour more than the UK average.
Cost of repairs
| Location | Non-Franchised | Franchised |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | £56.09 | £76.20 |
| North East | £52.52 | £86 |
| North West | £58.26 | £87.21 |
| Midlands | £57.47 | £88.36 |
| South East | £62.77 | £92.29 |
| South West | £59.58 | £94.12 |
| Wales | £60.18 | £101.04 |
| London | £70.70 | £112.39 |
| AVERAGE | £59.59 | £92.20 |
Insurance
Considerably higher than the average, with men potentially paying up to 34% more for their insurance.
Cost of insurance
| Area | 31-35 Male | 31-35 Female |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | £551 | £446 |
| North East | £692 | £526 |
| North West | £789 | £580 |
| Midlands | £811 | £608 |
| South East | £648 | £497 |
| South West | £518 | £404 |
| Wales | £578 | £478 |
| London | £1080 | £814 |
| AVERAGE | £708.37 | £544.12 |
Fuel
7p more than the average.
Cost of Fuel
Government figures have shown that from January to June in 2019, the average price per litre of unleaded fuel was 122.9p. However, Confused.com collated petrol costs from across the UK, with averages all coming out more than the government figure.
| Area | per litre |
|---|---|
| Scotland | £1.29 |
| North East | £1.28 |
| North West | £1.27 |
| Midlands | £1.28 |
| South East | £1.28 |
| South West | £1.29 |
| Wales | £1.28 |
| London | £1.29 |
Buying a car
While not the most expensive place to buy a car, overall, Londoners are still paying around £219 more than the national average.
Cost of buying a car
Based on 2016 figures for the cost of a Ford Fiesta (one of the country’s most popular cars) in the UK.
| Area | Price |
|---|---|
| Scotland | £7782 |
| North East | £8194 |
| North West | £7949 |
| Midlands | £8194 |
| South East | £8425 |
| South West | £8265 |
| Wales | £8106 |
| London | £8354 |
| AVERAGE | £8135 |
Overall Costs
| Area | Price |
|---|---|
| Scotland | £8908.58 |
| North East | £9363.80 |
| North West | £9464.76 |
| Midlands | £9760.11 |
| South East | £9726.34 |
| South West | £9341.99 |
| Wales | £9324.50 |
| London | £10432.37 |
| AVERAGE | £9540.30 |
8.5% higher or £892.07 more.
About this map
This map collects a range of research with the aim of finding out which parts of Britain cost motorists the most money. We’ve looked at data from around the country including average insurance costs, fuel prices, the cost of repairs and the cost of buying a car. We’ve organised this information by region, allowing you to see how much you’re paying and if you would benefit from shopping around to maybe get a better deal on some aspects of car ownership.
How do I use this site
Select your region from the dropdown menu or click on a region, this will show you more information and greater detail about each of the notable stats for your selected region.
In the 'Shop' tab, you'll find out more about Hippo Motor Finance with a link to our website where you can see a huge range of cars and vans available for leasing including business and bad credit cars.
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About
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The company was founded by the Preston family who entered the motor trade in 1960. After successfully running a Bedford car franchise, they were offered and accepted franchises from global manufacturers. This included BMW, Land Rover, Mini and Mitsubishi.
In 2007, the Hippo Group brand was born, and Hippo Finance was created. Since then, the company has grown quickly. This is down to its reputation for quick and helpful advice and having access to the best deals on the market.
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