Most Tesla shopping starts and ends with the sticker price. But the number on the order page is only one line in what you’ll actually spend over the first five years of ownership. Purchase price, depreciation, insurance, charging, and maintenance each move independently — and depreciation, not the price tag, tends to be the biggest single cost. Here’s what the real figures show, line by line, with the federal EV tax credit no longer part of the math for anyone buying today.
The purchase price is just the starting line
A 2026 Model Y Standard RWD starts at $41,630 including Tesla’s mandatory destination and order fees, according to Edmunds’ July 2026 pricing guide. Higher trims run well past that: Premium AWD lists at $51,630, and Performance tops the lineup at $59,630. None of these prices include a federal tax credit — Section 30D expired for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025, so it no longer discounts any new Tesla purchase.
Depreciation is the single biggest line item
Five years in, a Model Y has typically lost 58.1% of its value, landing at an average resale price of $18,868, per iSeeCars’ 2026 resale-value study — well above the 41.5% average depreciation across all vehicles. Plan on keeping less than half of what you paid at delivery if you sell or trade in around year five.
Insurance runs above the national average
Full-coverage insurance on a Model Y averages $3,836 a year, about $799 more than the $3,037 national average for full coverage, according to Insure.com data updated in April 2026. Over five years that’s roughly $19,000 in premiums — more than the car’s projected resale value by that point. Rates vary by state and driving record, but Teslas consistently price above average because of higher parts and repair costs.
Charging is the cheapest line on the list
Home charging is where a Tesla claws some of that back. EnergySage put Model Y Long Range RWD charging at 4.7 cents per mile, based on a national average residential electricity rate of 17 cents per kWh as of July 2025 (updated October 2025). At the average American’s 12,200 miles a year, that’s roughly $570 annually — under $3,000 across five years. Electricity rates have kept climbing since; the national residential average hit 18.44 cents per kWh as of August 2026, so today’s number likely runs a bit higher, but charging still costs a fraction of what insurance or depreciation do.
Maintenance is the smallest recurring cost
AAA’s 2025 Your Driving Costs study, released in September 2025, found EVs have the second-lowest scheduled maintenance expenses of any vehicle category it tracks — no oil changes, no spark plugs, no exhaust system to service. Tesla’s own maintenance schedule is limited mostly to tire rotations, brake fluid checks, and cabin air filter swaps, which keeps this the cheapest line item of the five over a five-year hold.
What that means for you
Add it up and the sticker price is the smallest part of the story. Depreciation and insurance dominate a five-year ownership picture, together running well into five figures, while charging and maintenance stay comparatively minor. If you’re budgeting for a Tesla, the purchase price tells you what you’ll finance — the resale curve and insurance rate tell you what you’ll actually spend.
Photo by Kindel Media.
Photo by Kindel Media.