Fuel is the number everyone quotes. Insurance, tyres, parking, service intervals and the odd suspension bush are the ones that decide your month.
Fuel is the number everyone quotes, and it is the one most people get roughly right. The costs that catch buyers out are the quiet ones.
Insurance first. Comprehensive cover is priced off the car’s value, and a car worth twice as much costs about twice as much to insure. Get a quote before you buy, not after.
Then tyres. Our roads are hard on them, and a set for a large SUV can cost more than a small car’s annual service. Check what size the car takes and what a set actually costs locally.
Service intervals matter more than service prices. A car that needs attention every 5,000km will cost more over a year than one with a 10,000km interval, even if each visit is cheaper.
Parts availability is the difference between a two-day repair and a two-week one. Common models have parts on River Road; rare ones have parts on a ship.
Add parking, and the occasional suspension bush that Nairobi will eventually claim, and you have a realistic monthly figure. We are happy to work it through with you for any car on the floor.