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10 Most Expensive Cities for Car Ownership

LA tops our list

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By Susan Meyer Info
Updated April 15, 2026
Quality verified Reviewed By Beth Swanson Info
Quality verified Edited By Bree Matheson Info
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Susan Meyer

Senior Editorial Manager

Susan is a licensed insurance agent and has worked as a writer and editor for over 10 years across a number of industries. She has worked at The Zebr…

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  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty
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Beth Swanson

Insurance Analyst

Beth joined The Zebra in 2022 as an Associate Content Strategist. A licensed insurance agent, she specializes in creating clear, accessible content t…

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  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty
  • Associate in Insurance (AINS)
  • Professional Risk Consultant (PRC)
  • Associate in Insurance Services (AIS)
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Bree Matheson

Insurance Insights Researcher

Bree Matheson joined The Zebra in 2025, where she conducts research focused on insurance and consumer behavior. She holds a PhD in Technical Communic…

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  1. 10 Most Expensive Cities to Own a Car
  2. Least Expensive Cities to Own a Car
  3. Methodology

High Cost of Living Also Means High Cost of Driving

Owning a car may be one of your top expense categories each month, from covering insurance to paying for gas and ongoing maintenance. Did you know that where you live also has an impact on how much you pay for car-related costs?

It's true. Geography plays a major role, which is why we decided to look at the 50 largest U.S. cities to see who's paying the most to drive.

We looked at three different cost categories related to owning a car:

  • Average annual auto insurance premium: Data comes directly from The Zebra to see who's paying more to insure their vehicles.
  • Average car repair costs due to road conditions:
  • Average price of gas: We looked at prices by state for a gallon of regular fuel. (Note: Prices were collected on April 14, 2026, during which time events in Iran were heavily impacting fuel prices.)

Ready to see where it's most expensive to own a car? Check out the top 10, followed by a quick roundup of the cheapest cities.

10 Most Expensive Cities to Own a Car

These are the cities where owning a car takes the biggest bite out of your budget. 

Most Expensive Cities for Owning a Car

Source: The Zebra

#1: Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles is the first of five California cities on our list. The state has one of the highest gas prices in the country, reaching $5.884 per gallon. Beyond that, repair costs are hefty when you hit a literal bump in the road. The average is $921, one of the most expensive in the nation. Car insurance premiums are also in the top 10, costing $3,427 per year.

Los Angeles by the Numbers

  • Annual auto insurance: $3,427
  • Average repair cost due to road conditions: $921
  • Average price of gas per gallon (by state): $5.884

#2: San Francisco, California

San Francisco drivers have the most expensive car repair costs due to road conditions, on top of high gas prices. The average repair will set you back over $1,000 on average. The good news is that insurance premiums aren't as high as other areas. At $2,880 per year, it puts San Francisco in 20th place out of all the cities we analyzed in this category.

San Francisco by the Numbers

  • Annual auto insurance: $2,880
  • Average repair cost due to road conditions: $1,049
  • Average price of gas per gallon (by state): $5.884

#3: New York, New York (tied)

New York City is home to the most expensive auto insurance premiums on our list, averaging just under $6,000 per year. Repair costs due to road quality come in 14th place overall at $719, while drivers across the state of New York pay around $4.128 per gallon for gas.

New York by the Numbers

  • Annual auto insurance: $5,979
  • Average repair cost due to road conditions: $719
  • Average price of gas per gallon (by state): $4.128

#3: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (tied)

Philadelphia's premiums aren't quite as costly as New York's, but the city's overall car-related prices are a bit higher. Auto insurance costs $3,888 per year on average, but road repairs jump to $732 and gas in Pennsylvania averages $4.144 per gallon.

Philadelphia by the Numbers

  • Annual auto insurance: $3,888
  • Average repair cost due to road conditions: $732
  • Average price of gas per gallon (by state): $4.144

#5: Sacramento, California

Sacramento has an average auto insurance premium, ranking 25th in the category at $2,653 per year. But California's gas prices will hurt your bottom line, as will the cost to fix damage caused by road conditions, which is just over $750 per year.

Sacramento by the Numbers

  • Annual auto insurance: $2,653
  • Average repair cost due to road conditions: $754
  • Average price of gas per gallon (by state): $5.884

#6: San Jose, California

San Jose not only has more expensive gas from being in California, but it also has one of the highest repair costs due to road quality. The average driver pays $983 per year. Car insurance costs, however, are easier to digest at just under $2,400 per year.

San Jose by the Numbers

  • Annual auto insurance: $2,393
  • Average repair cost due to road conditions: $983
  • Average price of gas per gallon (by state): $5.884

#7: Detroit, Michigan

Detroit has the second most expensive car insurance on our list. On average, drivers pay $5,301 each year. Additionally, road-related repairs cost just over $730. Michigan does, however, have one of the cheaper gas prices on our list, costing $3.939 per gallon.

Detroit by the Numbers

  • Annual auto insurance: $5,301
  • Average repair cost due to road conditions: $732
  • Average price of gas per gallon (by state): $3.939

#8: Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore has one of the higher insurance premium averages on our list, costing drivers $3,823 annually. Repair costs are above average compared to the majority of the cities we analyzed, totaling nearly $700 each year. Maryland's gas prices are also past the $4 mark, causing extra financial strain on drivers.

Baltimore by the Numbers

  • Annual auto insurance: $3,823
  • Average repair cost due to road conditions: $693
  • Average price of gas per gallon (by state): $4.112

#9: Riverside, California

California's $5+ per gallon price tag isn't the only thing impacting Riverside drivers' wallets. The average cost to repair a vehicle after road-related damage is close to $800. Car insurance, on the other hand, is quite inexpensive compared to most of the cities on our list. It ranks 40th with premiums averaging $2,222.

Riverside by the Numbers

  • Annual auto insurance: $2,222
  • Average repair cost due to road conditions: $795
  • Average price of gas per gallon (by state): $5.884

#10: Chicago, Illinois

Chicago drivers can expect to pay more than $3,100 for auto insurance each year, ranking in the top 15 for that category. Plus, gas prices in Illinois are around $4.375 per gallon. Road-related repairs aren't quite as pricey as in other cities, though, at just $627 in Chicago.

Chicago by the Numbers

  • Annual auto insurance: $3,104
  • Average repair cost due to road conditions: $627
  • Average price of gas per gallon (by state): $4.375

The Zebra Premium Pressure Index

You might notice that many of the cities where it's most expensive to drive are also among the highest-cost-of-living cities.

In these cities, the average income is often higher, which can help offset higher costs for homes and for driving expenses.

It can be important to consider these numbers in context. That's why we created The Zebra Premium Pressure Index so you can see how much auto insurance prices are in your area as a percent of your overall budget. 

10 Least Expensive Cities for Owning a Car

Where can you expect to pay less for maintaining a vehicle? Here are the 10 cheapest cities we found.

  1. Raleigh, North Carolina
  2. Nashville, Tennessee
  3. Birmingham, Alabama; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Columbus, Ohio (tied)
  4. Boston, Massachusetts; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Indianapolis, Indiana (tied)
  5. Atlanta, Georgia
  6. Minneapolis, Minnesota

Methodology

The Zebra used three data points to analyze the top 50 MSAs by population related to the cost of owning a car. We substituted state data for gas prices. 

  • Average auto insurance premium (The Zebra)
  • Average car repair costs due to road quality (Teletrac Navman)[1]
  • Price per gallon of regular gas (AAA, data collected April 14, 2026)[2]
Sources

  1. Worst Maintained Roads. [Teletrac Navman]

  2. Fuel Prices. [AAA]