Birmingham is the most expensive city to own a car in the UK, according to new research.
Researchers looked at the most common items of motoring expenditure in 20 locations across the country and found that our second city is actually top of the table.
Its position was largely driven by the fact that the most expensive resident’s parking permit in the city is a huge £785 per year.
When combined with items such as annual fuel costs, insurance, and parking away from home, the study for Kwik Fit found that total costs to Birmingham motorists beat those of Manchester and London into second and third place respectively.
The top five is completed by Belfast and Preston, where the study found that low parking permit costs are offset by high average annual fuel bills.
“This research reveals that the costs all motorists have to bear can vary considerably even between neighbouring cities,” said Roger Griggs of Kwik Fit.
| City / town | Average annual spend on fuel | Average annual spend on parking (eg pay and display) |
Residents’ annual parking permit cost |
Sample insurance cost |
Total | |
| 1 | Birmingham | £1,189.76 | £226.20 | £785.00 | £1,125.91 | £3,326.87 |
| 2 | Manchester | £1,037.40 | £178.36 | £650.00 | £1,128.60 | £2,994.36 |
| 3 | London | £1,131.00 | £201.24 | £155.00 | £1,433.88 | £2,921.12 |
| 4 | Belfast | £1,506.96 | £170.04 | £30.00 | £1,030.10 | £2,737.10 |
| 5 | Preston | £1,452.36 | £124.80 | £25.00 | £869.54 | £2,471.70 |
| 6 | Leeds | £1,107.60 | £277.16 | £0 | £990.50 | £2,375.26 |
| 7 | Liverpool | £1,064.44 | £104.00 | £0 | £1,140.40 | £2,308.84 |
| 8 | Nottingham | £1,202.76 | £284.96 | £0 | £794.79 | £2,282.51 |
| 9 | Sheffield | £1,068.60 | £96.72 | £260.00 | £841.91 | £2,267.23 |
| 10 | Glasgow | £1,040.00 | £130.00 | £285.00 | £735.78 | £2,190.78 |
| 11 | Coventry | £1,157.00 | £132.60 | £25.00 | £865.47 | £2,180.07 |
| 12 | Leicester | £1,076.40 | £148.20 | £25.00 | £830.93 | £2,080.53 |
| 13 | Brighton | £1,106.56 | £177.84 | £130.00 | £648.76 | £2,063.16 |
| 14 | Reading | £1,191.84 | £102.96 | £40.00 | £696.44 | £2,031.24 |
| 15 | Cardiff | £1,053.00 | £132.08 | £7.50 | £771.27 | £1,963.85 |
| 16 | Edinburgh | £995.28 | £72.80 | £254.00 | £600.33 | £1,922.41 |
| 17 | Bristol | £1,043.12 | £121.16 | £50.00 | £696.18 | £1,910.46 |
| 18 | Newcastle | £915.72 | £182.52 | £25.00 | £755.87 | £1,879.11 |
| 19 | Southampton | £797.16 | £114.40 | £100.00 | £688.66 | £1,700.22 |
| 20 | Exeter | £924.04 | £162.24 | £30.00 | £559.47 | £1,675.75 |
| Overall | £1,106.56 | £154.44 | £223.71 | £860.24 | £2,344.95 |
