BYD Seal Dynamic vs Toyota Camry Hybrid 2.5 Elegance: 5-year cost to own (Singapore)
Over 5 years in Singapore (17,500 km/yr), as of August 6, 2026, the BYD Seal Dynamic is cheaper — about S$148,271 over 5 years vs S$195,591 for the Toyota Camry Hybrid 2.5 Elegance, a S$47,320 difference. In Singapore the EV usually wins on running cost (cheap electricity vs S$3.42/L petrol) while COE dominates both cars — we say so plainly.
COE is set by a biweekly auction and swings thousands of dollars — every figure here uses the S$124,790 (Cat A) / S$126,236 (Cat B) COE assumption. Confirm the current COE before you commit; it is the single biggest line in the price. Source: LTA registration-cost sheet, 2026-08-06.
EV Early Adoption Incentive: the EEAI (45% off ARF, capped S$7,500) is baked into the EV figures for 2026 registrations — and it sunsets 31 Dec 2026. Register a BEV from 2027 and it costs more. Source: LTA.
Cheaper to own over 5 years · SingaporeBYD Seal Dynamic · S$148,271 total · S$47,320 less than the Toyota Camry Hybrid 2.5 Elegance
BYD Seal Dynamic vs Toyota Camry Hybrid 2.5 Elegance — where the money goes
| Cost component | Electric · BYD Seal Dynamic | Hybrid · Toyota Camry Hybrid 2.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Depreciation (estimated) | S$99,500 (67%) | S$138,000 (71%) |
| Charging / fuel | S$5,207 (4%) | S$15,262 (8%) |
| ↳ of which charging loss | 10% (~S$521) | — |
| Maintenance | S$3,500 (2%) | S$4,813 (2%) |
| Insurance | S$10,000 (7%) | S$8,500 (4%) |
| Financing interest | S$22,556 (15%) | S$20,100 (10%) |
| Registration & fees | S$7,508 (5%) | S$8,917 (5%) |
| Total cost of ownership | S$148,271 | S$195,591 |
Electricity vs petrol — and why COE still rules
On running cost the BYD Seal Dynamic is far cheaper — about S$5,207 of electricity over 5 years vs S$15,262 of petrol for the Toyota Camry Hybrid 2.5 Elegance (S$3.42/L is dear). But COE + ARF dominate both cars — around S$135,790 on the EV and S$178,120 on the petrol car — so the 5-year winner is decided mostly by price with COE and how much you recover at de-registration.
Where the money really goes — COE + ARF dwarf the fuel
The registered price with COE for the BYD Seal Dynamic is S$273,388. COE + ARF alone are S$135,790 of that — many multiples of the electricity or petrol you'll ever buy. That is the honest story of Singapore car cost.
- COE (quota licence)
- S$124,790biweekly auction · dominates the price
- ARF (net of VES / EEAI)
- S$11,000gross S$41,000 − VES rebate S$22,500 − EEAI S$7,500
- OMV (open-market value)
- S$35,000declared import value
- Excise (20%) + GST (9%)
- S$10,780on OMV
- Registration fee
- S$350LTA flat
- Dealer margin
- S$91,468backed out of the retail price
- Registered price (with COE)
- S$273,388what you pay to put it on the road
- Recovered at de-registration (yr 5)
- S$173,888unused COE S$62,395 + PARF S$3,300 + residual value S$108,193
How depreciation works here: it is the registered "price with COE" minus what you get back at de-registration — the unused COE (rebatable over the 10-year licence), the PARF rebate (a capped % of ARF paid), and the car's remaining market value. Where a published Singapore depreciation figure exists (PaperValue / sgCarMart), we use it — the straight-line S$/yr buyers actually quote. That is why the S$100k+ upfront, not electricity or petrol, dominates the 5-year total. What you'd get back at deregistration (official PARF + COE rebate) →
BYD Seal Dynamic vs Toyota Camry Hybrid 2.5 Elegance, side by side
BYD Seal Dynamic
- 5-yr total cost
- S$148,271
- Cost / month
- S$2,471
- Cost / km
- S$1.70
- Price with COE
- S$273,388
- Powertrain
- Electric
- Efficiency
- 15.4 kWh/100km
Toyota Camry Hybrid 2.5 Elegance
- 5-yr total cost
- S$195,591
- Cost / month
- S$3,260
- Cost / km
- S$2.24
- Price with COE
- S$246,888
- Powertrain
- Hybrid
- Efficiency
- 5.1 L/100km
- Singapore electricity
- 34.78c/kWh SP Group
- Singapore petrol (95)
- S$3.42/litre motorist.sg
- COE assumption (Cat A / B)
- S$124,790 / S$126,236 LTA