Fuel or a ticket is only the visible part of mobility. To compare alternatives, you need to include fixed, variable and occasional costs, while recognising that time, accessibility and reliability also matter.
Calculate the complete monthly cost
For a vehicle, add estimated finance payments or depreciation, insurance, taxes, maintenance, repairs, fuel or charging, parking, tolls and cleaning. Divide annual payments by twelve. For public transport, include passes, occasional tickets and any complementary journeys.
Eurostat counts the purchase and operation of vehicles, as well as transport services, within household expenditure. This broad definition avoids comparing a complete public-transport pass with only a car’s fuel costs.
Compare specific journeys
Analyse work, caring responsibilities, shopping and leisure separately. A combination may be more realistic than choosing a single mode: a weekday pass, a shared vehicle on some occasions or walking short journeys. Include availability, safety and mobility needs.
- Calculate the cost per month and per frequent journey.
- Separate unavoidable expenses from those that change with use.
- Try an alternative for several weeks.
- Record costs that appear outside your routine.
Decide using several scenarios
Compare a normal month, a month with little use and another involving a repair or a trip. If you are considering selling or buying a vehicle, do not ignore transition costs or make a major decision based on just one month of data.
Kinset can group fuel, tickets, maintenance and parking to show the real cost by category and period. The final choice should also take account of time, health, accessibility and the local context.
This content is educational and does not include every household’s mobility circumstances.