How Much Does It Cost to Own a Car in Groningen?
How Much Does It Cost to Own a Car in Groningen?
Is the freedom of transportation worth the laws and costs in the Netherlands?
Several people have asked whether they need a car to feel unrestricted in Groningen. Our response has consistently been straightforward - you don't need one. However, this topic has never been given its own separate article, so I believe it's time to address it properly.
First of all, from the driver’s point of view, Groningen does not look automobile-friendly. The majority of roads are one-way only, it’s difficult to find parking spaces, and most of the time, you are surrounded by bicycles. If you’re a new driver and you don’t know the topography of a city, I wouldn’t recommend coming here with a car.
What if it doesn’t apply to your case or do you still want to drive? Well, there are other things you need to consider. As an example, we will use Volkswagen Golf 2015, worth about €10,000.
One thing you need to know is that if you plan to keep your car in the Netherlands for more than 4 months, you will need to register it with Dutch license plates. Here is the (rather long) list of responsibilities that come with it:
1. Road Tax (Motorrijtuigenbelasting)
This is tax paid for the privilege of using a car on Dutch roads. The amount of it is dependant on size, fuel consumption, weight and a few other factors of your vehicle. For the Volkswagen mentioned above it’s €177 for 3 months, which is €708 annually.
2. Car insurance
Once you register your car in the Netherlands, you will now need Dutch insurance. For someone my age, this exact vehicle costs €85 monthly. The amount is strictly dependent on the age of the driver. A person born in 1995 will pay €35 monthly on average, which sums up to €420 annually.
3. Petrol Prices
At the moment of writing this article, the Netherlands has the second highest petrol prices in Europe - with Iceland topping the list. On average, it’s €1.96 for a liter of gasoline, and €1.68 for diesel. It’s a lot.
4. APK
The APK is a confirmation for a country that your car is safe to drive on the road. Since the Volkswagen mentioned is older than 8 years, it will need to pass the inspection every year, and it costs around €50 each time.
5. Parking spaces
While there are free parking spaces, such as P+R or some resident areas, you unfortunately have to pay for the majority of parking spaces. A Resident Parking Permit will cost you around €150 every year. Note that this figure is different for different cities and even areas within a city, called “zones”.
In total, the Volkswagen Golf 2015 will cost you at least €1328 annually to run in Groningen.
Fortunately, there are convenient alternatives available. If you only need a car for a few hours or a couple of days, you can easily rent one through services like GreenWheels or MyWheels. Registration for these apps is quick and straightforward. From my own experience, when I moved from my old flat to my new one, I rented a van for about 4 hours and paid €40 for the entire trip. Best of all, I avoided the ongoing responsibilities of car ownership in the Netherlands.
Additionally, public transport is well-developed, making it easy to commute between cities without the need for a personal vehicle.