Despite the high spending power in Singapore, owning a car is still considered a dream for most of the average singaporeans. The combination of limited space, high taxes and fees, environmental concerns, and efficient public transportation are some of the reasons why cars in Singapore are so expensive. If you are wondering how all these costs adds up, let us break it down for you in this article.
Here are 6 factors that affects your car price.
1) Open Market Value (OMV)
2) Additional Registration Fee (ARF)
3) Excise Duty & GST
4) Certificate of Entitlement (COE)
5) Vehicular Emission Scheme (VES) rebate or surcharge
6) The local dealers’ margins
1) Open Market Value (OMV)
The OMV is the base price of the car. This is the price at which the car is sold for in other countries too. For example: A a brand new 2023 Toyota Corolla costs around S$43,000 in Malaysia but in Singapore it costs a whopping $148,888. You can easily buy 3 Toyotas in Malaysia for the price of 1 in Singapore.
2) Additional Registration Fee (ARF)
The ARF is a form of tax imposed on cars during registration, all cars in Singapore will be subjected to the ARF. The ARF is calculated based on the OMV of the vehicle.
Vehicle OMV ARF Payable (%)
First $20,000 (i.e. between $1 to $20,000) 100% of OMV
Next $20,000 (i.e. between $20,001 to $40,000) 140% of OMV
Next $20,000 (i.e. between $40,001 to $60,000) 190% of OMV
Next $20,000 (i.e. between $60,001 to $80,000) 250% of OMV
$80,001 and above 320% of OMV
3) Excise Duty & GST (Goods & Service Tax)
The Excise Duty on cars in Singapore is 20% of the OMV. In addtion to the Excise Duty, a further 8% of GST will be levied on the total OMV and Excise Duty amount. The GST recently increased from 7% in 2022 to 8% in 2023 and will futher increase to 9% in 2024.
4) Certificate of Entitlement (COE)
If you ask anyone on the streets of Singapore about the cost of car ownership, most likely everyones response will be " Because The COE Is Expensive!". This certificate is notoriously famous due to the cost it comes with. The COE is a “market-driven” certificate that entitles a car to be driven on Singapore roads for 10 years. COE prices changes based on market demand and the cost of COE will increase steeply during periods where the demand for cars are high. The latest COE prices as of MAY 2023 are: Cars ≤ 1600cc & 130bhp, or 110kW: $101,001 Cars> 1,600cc or 130bhp, or 110kW: $119,399
5) Vehicular Emission Scheme (VES) Rebate Or Surcharge
To protect the environment and work towards beocming a more carbon netural country, Singapore intoduced the Vehicular Emission Scheme (VES) in 1 January 2018. Depending on your vehicle’s emission, you may either have to pay a surcharge or enjoy a rebate. VES rebate reduces the car’s Additional Registration Fee (ARF) while a VES surcharge increasing the ARF.
6) The local dealers’ margins
Lastly, a business exist to make a profit and thus the dealers you are buying your car from will have to mark up the prices of the cars. This is the dealers’ margin. Dealers’ margins could range from an addtional 10% for affordable brands to as high as 50% or more for luxury car brands. On top of the costs of buying a car, there are additional costs associated with owning and maintaining a car which we will be sharing in our next article.
With the high costs of buying and owning a car, perhaps it is time to consider an alternative. Carzuno Car Subscriptions enables you to save money while driving your own personal car. With many car models to choose from, you will be spoilt for choice. Start driving a car within 24 hours with no deposit or membership fees.

04 May 2023
Why is buying a car in Singapore so expensive?
Breakdown on the cost of car ownership in Singapore