How Much Does a Car Really Cost in Los Angeles?

Figures checked October 24, 2026

Gas: $20 buys 90 miles

Los Angeles gas averaged $6.22 a gallon (as of September 21). In a car getting 28 miles per gallon, $20 of gas takes you 90.6 miles. A separate study put average yearly fuel for a Los Angeles driver at $2,876.54, a different driving pattern from the example below, which uses the $6.22 pump price with 12,000 miles a year at 19 miles per gallon. Either way, fuel is one of the two biggest cash lines in Los Angeles, and it is the line that moves most with the pump price.

Traffic: the cost you never see on a bill

Los Angeles drivers lose an estimated $2,335.95 a year to traffic (Plasma One study). That is not cash out of your pocket, it is the value of time spent sitting in congestion, so it is not included in the cash total below. But it belongs in any honest Los Angeles comparison: the city ties New York and Boston for the highest yearly congestion hours per driver in America.

Insurance: high by two different measures

Full coverage, insurance that covers damage to your own car, not just damage you cause to others, runs $3,707–$4,383 a year in Los Angeles, depending on the source. The Plasma One study put Los Angeles insurance at $2,700 a year on its own basis. The example below uses the middle of the $3,707–$4,383 range. Los Angeles is the 4th most expensive city in America to own a car on the Plasma One ranking of the 100 largest cities.

Parking and registration

An apartment parking spot runs about $150 a month; downtown and busy commercial districts run $100–$350 a month. Vehicle registration runs up to $500 a year, depending on the vehicle. Los Angeles is a driving city for most residents, the sprawl means longer trips, more gas, and more paid parking than in a compact city.

A full Los Angeles example: a $42,000 car

Every figure below uses the same $42,000 vehicle as the Texas example, so the cities compare fairly: 10% down ($4,200), 8% APR (the yearly interest rate on the loan), 60 months, $21,000 resale value after five years, $1,000 a year maintenance. Where a cost comes as a range, the example uses the middle of the range, and the range is shown. The financed amount is $37,800, which works out to about $766 a month.

• Value lost: $21,000 ($42,000 minus $21,000 resale)
• Insurance: $20,225 ($4,045 a year, the middle of $3,707–$4,383, x 5 years)
• Fuel: $19,642 (12,000 miles / 19 miles per gallon x $6.22 x 5 years)
• Maintenance: $5,000 ($1,000 x 5 years)
• Parking: $9,000 ($150 a month x 60 months)
• Registration: $2,500 ($500 a year, at the up-to figure, x 5 years)
• Loan interest: $8,187

That totals roughly $85,554 over five years, or about $1,426 a month. Two things are not in this total: the $2,335.95 a year of traffic time (not cash, as explained above), and sales tax, which was not part of our checked figures for California and is left out rather than guessed, your county's tax would add to this total.

Formula

The five-year total is the sum of seven buckets: value lost, insurance, fuel, maintenance, parking, registration, and loan interest. Value lost is the $42,000 price minus the $21,000 resale value after five years, which is $21,000. Insurance is $4,045 a year times 5 years, which is $20,225. Fuel is 12,000 miles a year divided by 19 miles per gallon, times $6.22 a gallon, times 5 years, which is $19,642. Maintenance is $1,000 a year times 5 years, which is $5,000. Parking is $150 a month times 60 months, which is $9,000. Registration is $500 a year, at the up-to figure, times 5 years, which is $2,500. Loan interest is $8,187 over five years.

Added together, $21,000 plus $20,225 plus $19,642 plus $5,000 plus $9,000 plus $2,500 plus $8,187 equals $85,554, or about $1,426 a month. The financed amount is the $42,000 price minus the $4,200 down payment, which is $37,800. At 8% APR over 60 months, the payment on $37,800 is about $766 a month, and the loan costs $8,187 in interest over five years. Two things are not in this total: the $2,335.95 a year of traffic time, which is the value of time, not cash, and sales tax, which was not part of the checked figures for California and is left out rather than guessed.

Calculation transparency

Jurisdiction. Los Angeles, California. Tax, titling, registration, and insurance rules are set by your state and county, so your exact numbers depend on where you buy and register the car. Sales tax was not part of the checked figures for California, so no sales tax is in this total.

Rules and time period. Five years, 12,000 miles a year, a $42,000 car, 10% down, 8% APR, 60 months. Gas at the $6.22 Los Angeles pump price as of September 21, insurance at the $4,045 example value, the middle of the $3,707 to $4,383 range, $1,000 a year maintenance, $21,000 resale after five years, parking at $150 a month, registration at $500 a year at the up-to figure.

Scope and limitations. Educational estimate only. Not in this total: the $2,335.95 a year of traffic time, which is the value of time spent sitting in congestion, not cash out of your pocket; and sales tax, which was not part of the checked figures for California and is left out rather than guessed, so your county's tax would add to this total. Where a cost comes as a range, the example uses the middle of the range, and the range is shown. Insurance quotes, gas prices, and local rates vary by driver and address. Get a real quote for the same car, coverage, and loan before you decide.

Source links checked November 6, 2026. Figures: Plasma One study of the 100 largest US cities, data as of June 26, 2026, Los Angeles 4th most expensive city to own a car, traffic $2,335.95 a year, insurance $2,700 a year on its own basis; The Zebra city insurance table; Insure.com metro insurance averages; AAA Your Driving Costs, 2026; Los Angeles gas $6.22 a gallon as of September 21; full-coverage insurance $3,707 to $4,383 a year.

Primary sources: The Zebra, car insurance; AAA gas prices. How the numbers are calculated is written down on the methodology page, and every source is listed on the sources page.

Definitions

Full coverage. Insurance that covers damage to your own car, not just damage you cause to others. In Los Angeles it runs $3,707 to $4,383 a year, depending on the source, and the example uses the middle of that range, $4,045 a year.

Gas. Los Angeles gas averaged $6.22 a gallon (as of September 21). In a car getting 28 miles per gallon, $20 of gas takes you 90.6 miles. Fuel is one of the two biggest cash lines in Los Angeles.

Traffic time. The value of time spent sitting in congestion, estimated at $2,335.95 a year. That is not cash out of your pocket, so it is not included in the cash total.

Congestion. Traffic that slows driving to a crawl. Los Angeles ties New York and Boston for the highest yearly congestion hours per driver in America.

Parking. An apartment parking spot runs about $150 a month; downtown and busy commercial districts run $100 to $350 a month. The example uses $150 a month, or $9,000 over five years.

Registration. The yearly fee for the license plate. Vehicle registration runs up to $500 a year, depending on the vehicle. The example uses $500 a year, at the up-to figure, or $2,500 over five years.

Loan interest. The interest on the loan over five years, $8,187 in this example, on a financed amount of $37,800 at 8% APR over 60 months.

APR. Annual percentage rate, the yearly interest rate on the loan. This example uses 8%. For context, Experian reported average rates of 6.35% on new cars and 11.19% on used cars in the second quarter of 2026.

Depreciation. The value the car loses over time. On this page, the $42,000 price minus the $21,000 resale value after five years, which is $21,000.

Common questions

How much does a car cost in Los Angeles over five years?

The worked example on this page is a $42,000 car, and that totals roughly $85,554 over five years, or about $1,426 a month.

How much is gas in Los Angeles?

Los Angeles gas averaged $6.22 a gallon (as of September 21). In a car getting 28 miles per gallon, $20 of gas takes you 90.6 miles. The example below uses the $6.22 pump price with 12,000 miles a year at 19 miles per gallon.

How much is car insurance in Los Angeles?

Full coverage, insurance that covers damage to your own car, not just damage you cause to others, runs $3,707 to $4,383 a year in Los Angeles, depending on the source. The example below uses the middle of the $3,707 to $4,383 range. The Plasma One study put Los Angeles insurance at $2,700 a year on its own basis.

Does the Los Angeles total include traffic time?

No. Los Angeles drivers lose an estimated $2,335.95 a year to traffic (Plasma One study). That is not cash out of your pocket, it is the value of time spent sitting in congestion, so it is not included in the cash total below.

Does the Los Angeles total include sales tax?

No. Sales tax was not part of our checked figures for California and is left out rather than guessed, and your county's tax would add to this total.

See the same math for other cities

The same $42,000 example, run with each city's own costs: Sacramento, San Jose, New York City, Boston, San Francisco, Texas, California, St. Louis, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Miami, San Antonio, Austin, Seattle, Denver, Phoenix, Philadelphia, and Detroit, Riverside–San Bernardino, San Diego, and Santa Ana.

Figures from the Plasma One study of the 100 largest US cities (data as of June 26, 2026), The Zebra city insurance table, Insure.com metro insurance averages, and AAA's annual Your Driving Costs (2026). Gas prices, parking, and insurance quotes vary by driver, neighborhood, and vehicle, the structure above is the part that does not change.

Related: Nearby, Anaheim and Bakersfield run the same math with their own costs, and what your commute costs puts the traffic time on this page into dollars.