Car Cost Calculator (Singapore) — ARF, COE & VES
Estimate the real cost of owning a car, well beyond the sticker price: taxes, COE, loan and running costs.
Open the free calculator →What you'll need
- Open Market Value (OMV)
- COE bid price
- Loan amount and tenure
- Insurance, road tax and running costs
How it works
On top of OMV you pay excise duty (20% of OMV), GST (9%), the Additional Registration Fee (ARF, 100%–320% of OMV), the COE and a registration fee — then ongoing insurance, road tax, fuel and parking.
Everything is built on the Open Market Value (OMV) — the value assessed when the car is imported, covering purchase price, freight and insurance. The taxes then stack in a fixed order: excise duty is 20% of OMV, and GST of 9% is charged on OMV plus excise duty. The ARF is calculated on tiered slices of OMV — 100% on the first $20,000, rising to 320% above $80,000 — so the tax bill on a higher-OMV car grows far faster than the OMV itself.
The Certificate of Entitlement (COE) is the right to register and use the car for ten years. Its price is set purely by open bidding, so you enter the latest bid result as an input. Fully electric cars can currently qualify for the EV Early Adoption Incentive (EEAI) — 45% of the ARF, capped at $7,500 — scheduled to end on 31 December 2026.
Financing is regulated by MAS. If the car's OMV is $20,000 or less, the loan is capped at 70% of the purchase price; above that, 60%. The maximum tenure is 7 years, and the rest of the price — including COE — is paid upfront.
PARF rebate: which cohort applies to you
When a car is deregistered before it turns ten, part of the ARF comes back as a PARF rebate. The rules changed in 2026, and the cohort is determined by the COE bidding exercise the car was registered under, not by when you bought it second-hand.
| COE bidding exercise | PARF rebate (share of ARF) | Cap |
|---|---|---|
| Before the second February 2023 exercise | 75% → 50%, falling with the car's age | No cap |
| Second February 2023 exercise to first February 2026 exercise | 75% → 50%, falling with the car's age | $60,000 |
| From the second February 2026 exercise | 30% → 5%, falling with the car's age | $30,000 |
In every cohort the rebate falls as the car ages, and none is paid after ten years. Unused COE is rebated separately, pro-rata.
Current Singapore rules
| Portion of OMV | ARF rate |
|---|---|
| First $20,000 | 100% |
| Next $20,000 | 140% |
| Next $20,000 | 190% |
| Next $20,000 | 250% |
| Above $80,000 | 320% |
Worked example
On an OMV of $25,000: ARF = 100%×$20,000 + 140%×$5,000 = $27,000; excise duty = 20%×$25,000 = $5,000; GST = 9%×($25,000+$5,000) = $2,700. COE and registration are added on top.
Step by step, the upfront tax stack looks like this:
- OMV: $25,000
- Excise duty: 20% × $25,000 = $5,000
- GST: 9% × ($25,000 + $5,000) = $2,700
- ARF: 100% × first $20,000 = $20,000, plus 140% × remaining $5,000 = $7,000 → $27,000
- Registration fee: $350
That is $60,050 before the COE, dealer margin and any options are added — on a car whose OMV is $25,000. Because the OMV is above $20,000, MAS caps any loan at 60% of the full purchase price over at most 7 years, so at least 40% of the final price must be paid upfront in cash.
At deregistration: if this car is registered under a COE from the second February 2026 exercise onwards, the PARF rebate on its $27,000 ARF ranges from 30% ($8,100) if deregistered early, tapering to 5% ($1,350) near the end of year ten. Under the earlier 75%–50% cohorts the same car would have returned $20,250 down to $13,500 — which is why the 2026 change matters for resale maths.
Common mistakes
- Comparing sticker prices instead of total cost. Cars with similar showroom prices can carry very different OMVs — and so very different ARF and PARF outcomes.
- Computing GST on OMV alone. GST is 9% of OMV plus excise duty.
- Assuming the loan covers the whole price. The MAS caps apply to the full purchase price including COE; the downpayment cannot be borrowed on the same car loan.
- Using the old PARF rates by habit. Many people overlook that the 30%–5% rebate with its $30,000 cap follows the COE bidding exercise, not the date you bought the car.
- Budgeting only for the instalment. Insurance, road tax, fuel or charging, parking, ERP and servicing continue every month on top of the repayment.
- Counting on the EEAI indefinitely. The EV rebate is scheduled to end on 31 December 2026.
How the calculator helps
The PlanLiaoMah car cost calculator models exactly these mechanics: enter the OMV, COE price and loan terms, and it computes excise duty, GST and the tiered ARF, applies the MAS loan cap for your OMV band, and combines your running-cost inputs into a monthly ownership estimate. It is free, bilingual, runs entirely in your browser, and needs no sign-up.
Important assumptions
- Excise duty 20% of OMV; GST 9%; registration fee S$350
- From Feb 2026 the PARF rebate was cut to 30%–5%, capped at $30,000
- ARF, COE and road tax do not attract GST
Cases not fully modelled:
- Exact COE prices (set by bidding)
- EV incentives (EEAI/VES) unless entered
- Dealer margins and optional add-ons in detail
Official sources and verification
- LTA OneMotoring — Additional Registration Fee (ARF)
- LTA OneMotoring — Vehicle Tax Structure
- LTA OneMotoring — PARF & COE Rebate
- LTA OneMotoring — Vehicle Emission Schemes
- MAS — Motor vehicle loans
Direct links to the relevant official pages. Rules and rates change; last checked 21 July 2026. Always confirm against the official source.
Open the free calculator →Frequently asked questions
What taxes apply when buying a car in Singapore?
Excise duty (20% of OMV), GST (9%), the ARF (100%–320% of OMV) and the COE, plus a registration fee.
What changed with the PARF rebate in 2026?
For cars registered with COEs from the second February 2026 exercise, the PARF rebate was reduced to 30%–5% with the cap halved to $30,000.
How much can I borrow for a car?
Under MAS rules, up to 70% of price for OMV ≤ $20,000, otherwise 60%, with a maximum 7-year tenure.