€30,000 loan over 60 months at 4.5%
Monthly payment
€559/month
- Capital financed
- €30,000
- Interest over the whole contract term
- €3,557
- Interest actually paid during the holding period
- €3,557
Free calculator · Energy, financing, resale · 2026
Car finance calculator: monthly payment, interest and leasing premium
A loan costs its interest; a lease costs the gap between the rentals and the value financed. The calculator limits both to your actual holding period, as the TCO engine does.
Your parameters
Examples:
€
€
%
months
years
If you sell before the end of the contract, future interest (or rentals) does not accrue.
€
Result
Monthly payment
€653/month
- Capital financed
- €35,000
- Interest over the whole contract term
- €4,150
- Interest actually paid during the holding period
- €4,150
- Financing cost over the holding period (fees included)
- €4,150
Amortisation schedule (by year)
| Year | Interest | Capital repaid | Outstanding balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | €1,444 | €6,386 | €28,614 |
| 2 | €1,151 | €6,679 | €21,935 |
| 3 | €844 | €6,986 | €14,949 |
| 4 | €523 | €7,307 | €7,643 |
| 5 | €188 | €7,643 | €0 |
Calculate the full true cost
Add energy, taxes, loss of value and the tax saving: the full calculation compares loan, lease and cash purchase on the same basis.
Worked examples 2026
Calculated by the same engine as the full true cost calculation, never estimated by an AI.
Same loan, resale after 3 years
Monthly payment
€559/month
- Capital financed
- €30,000
- Interest over the whole contract term
- €3,557
- Interest actually paid during the holding period
- €2,948
48-month renting at €520/month for €32,000
Monthly payment
€0/month
- Capital financed
- €32,000
- Rentals paid during the holding period
- €24,960
- Capital consumed pro rata
- €32,000
How it is calculated
Monthly payment = capital × (t / 12) × (1 + t / 12)^n / ((1 + t / 12)^n − 1) (t = annual rate, n = months) Interest during the holding period = payments made − capital repaid (balance of the amortisation schedule) Leasing premium = rentals paid (+ purchase option at term) − capital financed × months elapsed / contract term, floor 0
For a loan, the calculator applies the classic constant annuity formula (PMT) and rebuilds the amortisation schedule. If you sell the car before the end of the loan, only the interest accrued until then counts: the balance is repaid with the proceeds of the sale.
For a finance lease or renting, the cost is not the rental but the gap between what you pay (rentals, purchase option) and the value financed that is consumed over the period. A rental below the capital consumed is unrealistic: the premium is then floored at zero, as the car’s value is already credited through the resale.
These amounts are those of the “Financing” category of the TCO. Interest remains deductible outside the CO2 limitation; renting rentals are deducted at the vehicle’s CO2 rate.
Frequently asked questions
Finance lease or renting: what difference for the cost?
A finance lease finances a car that you buy back at the end of the contract (purchase option) and depreciate on the balance sheet. Renting (operating lease) is a rental: the rentals go through as expenses and the car is registered by the lessor, which changes the registration tax in Flanders.
Why is the interest shown lower than the contract total?
Because you only pay interest for as long as the loan runs. By selling after 3 years on a 5-year loan, you repay the balance and save the interest of the last two years, which is the lowest.
Is car loan interest deductible?
Yes, for a company or a self-employed person, interest is a financial expense that is 100% deductible: it escapes the CO2 limitation that hits other car expenses. Arrangement fees follow the same logic.
How does the calculator treat the purchase option?
It is only counted if you keep the car until the end of the contract. It is then added to the rentals to measure the premium over the capital financed.