An Essex city has been named one of the most expensive in the UK to own a car.

New research, conducted by car insurance provider A-Plan Insurance, calculated the average price of petrol, parking, car insurance and an MOT across the nation.

Each city was then given a score of 100, with the highest being the cheapest.  
Chelmsford has been named the third most expensive city to own a car in the UK, outside of London - with a total price score of 40.4.

In comparison, Brighton was the most expensive outside of London at 34.7 and Westminster was the most expensive overall with a score of 21.4.

A spokesman at A-Plan Insurance has commented: "The burgeoning cost of living crisis has caused everyday expenses to rise exponentially, including those associated with owning a car, such as buying petrol.

"This has affected countless people across the nation, with many cutting back on daily costs to accommodate for this increase.  

"The data shows that most of the cheapest cities to own a car are in the north, while the South may be spending a larger portion of their wages on their vehicles.

"This offers people a fascinating insight into petrol, insurance, parking and MOT prices, whether they’re residents of these cities or are considering visiting this spring and summer."

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Durham was revealed as the cheapest UK city to own a car; ranking considerably higher than any other, with a total price score of 82.4.

The average price of petrol, for example, costs 136p per litre in Durham, the lowest price across the nation. Additionally, the average price of car insurance in this city is £731, more than £300 less than the national average.   

These are top ten cheapest UK cities to own a car:

  1. Durham - 82.4 
  2. Stoke-on-Trent - 69.0 
  3. Inverness - 67.5 
  4. Lancaster - 66.5 
  5. Preston - 66.3 
  6. Stirling - 65.3 
  7. Sheffield - 63.0 
  8. Hereford - 62.9 
  9. Wakefield - 62.5 
  10. Kingston-Upon-Hull - 62.1 

Here are top ten most expensive UK cities to own a car:

  1. Westminster - 21.4 
  2. London - 24.4 
  3. Brighton - 34.7 
  4. Winchester - 38.4 
  5. Chelmsford - 40.4 
  6. Canterbury - 40.7 
  7. Cambridge - 41.7 
  8. Oxford - 42.0 
  9. Bath - 42.4 
  10. Southampton - 43.0