Car vs Uber

Find out whether owning a car or using ride-hailing actually makes financial sense for you. Enter your numbers and see the real monthly cost comparison for South Africa.

Car vs Uber Calculator – South Africa

South Africa · 2026

Car vs Uber

Find out whether owning a car or using ride-hailing actually makes financial sense for you.

Quick start

Vehicle cost

Car priceR 350,000

R 30,000R 1,500,000

Finance (vs cash purchase)

DepositR 50,000

R 0R 350,000

Loan term72 months

Loan: R 300,000 @ 13.5% p.a.

12 months84 months

Interest rate13.5 % p.a.

Prime is currently ~11.25%. Finance often Prime + 2–3%.

8 % p.a.22 % p.a.

Include depreciation

Depreciation rate15 % p.a.

New cars lose ~15–20%/yr. A paid-up car that's 8+ years old may only lose 3–5%/yr.

5 % p.a.30 % p.a.

Running costs

InsuranceR 1,400/mo

Comprehensive cover for a mid-range car. Use R150–R500 for third-party only on a budget vehicle.

R 150/moR 5,000/mo

Fuel consumption8 L/100km

5 L/100km15 L/100km

Fuel type

Petrol price (95 ULP)26.63 R/L

Inland May 2026: R26.63/L. Update as prices change.

15 R/L35 R/L

Maintenance1.2 R/km

Budget R1–R2/km for older cars without service plans.

0.3 R/km4 R/km

Tyre set costR 8,000

R 2,000R 20,000

Tyre lifespan50,000 km

20,000 km80,000 km

Monthly parking0/mo

Leave at R0 if you park free at home/work.

0/mo3,000/mo

Car monthly total

Total / month

Ride-hailing settings

Rate per km14 R/km

Uber Go ~R14–17/km. Bolt slightly cheaper. Adjust per your city.

8 R/km25 R/km

Base fare per trip25 R

Platform booking fee added to each trip.

10 R60 R

Surge / dynamic pricing factor1.15 ×

15% average uplift — accounts for peak-hour pricing.

1 ×2.5 ×

Per trip estimate

Total / month

Your usage

Trips per month44 trips

Count work commute as 2 trips/day.

1 trips120 trips

Average trip distance20 km

2 km60 km

Other personal km/month1,000 km

Errands, family trips, weekend drives you can't Uber.

0 km3,000 km

Annual comparison

Car total / year

Ride-hailing / year

Car cost per km

Ride cost per km

Fixed car costs

Variable car costs

Monthly verdict

Car / month

Ride-hailing / month

per month

Annual saving

Cost breakdown vs ride-hailing

Compare your results

Got a surprising result? Share your numbers and see what other South Africans are finding. Join the discussion on the forum.

💬 Discuss on the Forum