Guides

Plain-English guides to the cost of owning a car in Australia, using the numbers behind our calculators.

Cheapest and dearest state to register a car in 2026 The same car, registered in all eight Australian states and territories: yearly rego, weekly cost, and the cost of buying a used car, ranked.
When do rego and stamp duty fees change? A state-by-state calendar The dates that car registration, stamp duty and CTP charges change in each state, what is already announced for 2027, and what we could not confirm.
Buying a used car from another state: costs, inspections and steps What it costs to register a used car you bought interstate, which inspection each state requires, and the order to do things in.
Electric vs petrol car rego: what each state charges Yearly registration for an electric car and a petrol car in every state and territory, with and without the weight difference, plus each state’s EV concessions.
Stamp duty on a used car: what each state charges Transfer fee plus stamp duty on a used car from $10,000 to $100,000 in every state and territory, ranked, with the rules behind the numbers.
Why rego costs so much more in some states than others How each state sets registration (weight, cylinders, emissions or flat fees), and what that does to four different cars.
Cost to register a new car: duty, rego and plates by state What it costs to first register a new $30,000, $50,000 and $80,000 car in every state and territory, split into stamp duty, registration and plates.
Is an electric car cheaper to run than petrol? Break-even by kilometres a year Fuel or charging plus rego for a typical electric car and a typical petrol car at 5,000 to 20,000 km a year, how long a higher purchase price takes to pay back, by state.
Fuel cost of Australia’s best-selling cars: litres per 100 km and a year at the pump Official fuel use for popular models such as the Hilux, Ranger, RAV4 and Corolla Cross, turned into dollars per 100 km and per year, using one pump price board.
Australia’s best-selling cars: 2016 vs 2025, and what the shift costs The top 10 new vehicles in 2016 against 2025: the move from hatchbacks and sedans to utes and SUVs, and what it means for fuel use and rego.
Tesla Model Y: rego, stamp duty and running cost in every state What a new Tesla Model Y costs to register in each Australian state, what it costs to charge, and how its energy use has changed since 2021.
Toyota RAV4 hybrid: rego, stamp duty and fuel cost in every state What a new RAV4 hybrid costs to register in each Australian state, and what it costs to fuel for 5,000 to 20,000 km a year.
Toyota HiLux: rego, stamp duty and diesel cost in every state What a new HiLux ute costs to register in each Australian state, and what it costs to fuel on diesel for 5,000 to 20,000 km a year.
Ford Ranger: rego, stamp duty and diesel cost in every state What a new Ranger XLT costs to register in each Australian state, and what it costs to fuel on diesel for 5,000 to 20,000 km a year.
BYD Sealion 7: rego, stamp duty and charging cost in every state What a new BYD Sealion 7 costs to register in each Australian state, what it costs to charge, and how its energy use compares between model years.
Mazda CX-5: rego, stamp duty and fuel cost in every state What a new CX-5 costs to register in each Australian state, and what it costs to fuel for 5,000 to 20,000 km a year.