Tesla Model Y RWD vs Toyota Corolla Altis Hybrid: 5-year cost to own (Singapore)
Over 5 years in Singapore (17,500 km/yr), as of August 6, 2026, the Toyota Corolla Altis Hybrid stays the cheaper car to own — about S$149,099 vs S$158,269 for the Tesla Model Y RWD, a S$9,170 difference over 5 years. 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 · SingaporeToyota Corolla Altis Hybrid · S$149,099 total · S$9,170 less than the Tesla Model Y RWD
Tesla Model Y RWD vs Toyota Corolla Altis Hybrid — where the money goes
| Cost component | Electric · Tesla Model Y RWD | Hybrid · Toyota Corolla Altis Hybrid |
|---|---|---|
| Depreciation (estimated) | S$116,000 (73%) | S$102,000 (68%) |
| Charging / fuel | S$5,038 (3%) | S$13,167 (9%) |
| ↳ of which charging loss | 10% (~S$504) | — |
| Maintenance | S$3,500 (2%) | S$4,813 (3%) |
| Insurance | S$10,000 (6%) | S$8,500 (6%) |
| Financing interest | S$15,929 (10%) | S$15,744 (11%) |
| Registration & fees | S$7,801 (5%) | S$4,876 (3%) |
| Total cost of ownership | S$158,269 | S$149,099 |
Electricity vs petrol — and why COE still rules
On running cost the Tesla Model Y RWD is far cheaper — about S$5,038 of electricity over 5 years vs S$13,167 of petrol for the Toyota Corolla Altis Hybrid (S$3.42/L is dear). But COE + ARF dominate both cars — around S$152,887 on the EV and S$156,463 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 Toyota Corolla Altis Hybrid is S$199,888. COE + ARF alone are S$156,463 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$126,236biweekly auction · dominates the price
- ARF (net of VES / EEAI)
- S$30,227gross S$30,227
- OMV (open-market value)
- S$27,305declared import value
- Excise (20%) + GST (9%)
- S$8,410on OMV
- Registration fee
- S$350LTA flat
- Dealer margin
- S$7,360backed out of the retail price
- Registered price (with COE)
- S$199,888what you pay to put it on the road
- Recovered at de-registration (yr 5)
- S$97,888unused COE S$63,118 + PARF S$9,068 + residual value S$25,702
How depreciation works here: it is the registered "price with COE" minus what you get back at de-registration — the unused COE (rebatable over the 10-year licence), the PARF rebate (a capped % of ARF paid), and the car's remaining market value. Where a published Singapore depreciation figure exists (PaperValue / sgCarMart), we use it — the straight-line S$/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) →
Tesla Model Y RWD vs Toyota Corolla Altis Hybrid, side by side
Tesla Model Y RWD
- 5-yr total cost
- S$158,269
- Cost / month
- S$2,638
- Cost / km
- S$1.81
- Price with COE
- S$201,888
- Powertrain
- Electric
- Efficiency
- 14.9 kWh/100km
Toyota Corolla Altis Hybrid
- 5-yr total cost
- S$149,099
- Cost / month
- S$2,485
- Cost / km
- S$1.70
- Price with COE
- S$199,888
- Powertrain
- Hybrid
- Efficiency
- 4.4 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