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COE Cost in Singapore: Prices, Renewal PQP and Ownership Cost

In LTA’s September 2026 first bidding exercise, Category A closed at S$133,009, Category B at S$135,001 and Category D at S$12,556. These are dated bidding results checked on 20 September 2026, not a standing price list or a quote for a complete vehicle.

Dated prices · Categories and terms · Worked cost example · Renewal · FAQ

A dated price snapshot, with the official update link

View LTA’s current COE bidding results. The snapshot is deliberately tied to a named exercise. New results can replace it, and the next successful bid can cost more or less. Use the official page and your written purchase contract before committing money.

Which category and which price are you comparing?

For COEs obtained from the first May 2022 exercise onward, Category A covers non-fully-electric cars with engine capacity up to 1,600cc and maximum power up to 97kW, plus fully electric cars up to 110kW. Category B covers non-fully-electric cars exceeding either limit, plus fully electric cars above 110kW. Older COEs have their own classification rules. Check LTA’s full category definitions.

A quoted package may depend on the number of bidding attempts, any top-up clause, the COE rebate level and whether the bid is guaranteed. Ask for those terms in writing. Use the bidding guide for the purchase-contract questions and OMV, ARF and vehicle taxes for the rest of the entry price.

COE value and depreciation are different calculations

A simple allocation of a hypothetical S$120,000 ten-year COE is S$12,000 per year or S$1,000 per month. Over five years that allocation is S$60,000. It is a way to understand the amount committed to time-limited vehicle use, not a prediction that the whole car loses exactly S$60,000.

For an actual ownership decision, use purchase price minus expected net exit proceeds. Vehicle condition, age, demand, remaining COE, transaction costs and the market at sale all affect the offer. If that depreciation figure already starts from a COE-inclusive purchase price, adding the S$60,000 allocation again would double-count it.

Worked example: five years of ownership

Assume a hypothetical car costs S$220,000 including COE. You sell it after five years for net proceeds of S$100,000, incur S$15,000 financing interest and fees over the hold, and spend S$800 a month on running costs. These figures are planning inputs, not market quotations.

The S$100,000 exit figure is after selling expenses but before settling any outstanding loan. Loan principal is not deducted again in this economic-cost model. For cash planning, separately list the downpayment, instalments, running payments and the loan settlement deducted from sale proceeds.

If the net sale price is S$80,000 instead, total cost rises to S$203,000, or about S$3,383 monthly. The extra S$20,000 loss adds about S$333 a month across the same hold. That sensitivity is more useful than assuming the unused COE allocation guarantees your resale value.

Use the full ownership-cost guide, monthly cash planning and the car-versus-ride-hailing calculator to compare the commitment with your alternatives.

Unused COE: deregistration rebate versus resale

LTA’s normal ten-year COE rebate calculation prorates the eligible QP or PQP over the unused period. For a simplified hypothetical S$120,000 COE with exactly 36 months left, the base calculation is S$120,000 × 36 ÷ 120 = S$36,000. Actual dates and eligibility matter.

Category E uses the lower of its QP and the corresponding vehicle category’s QP from the same exercise; early export and off-peak arrangements can also change the rebate. {source(REBATE,'Check LTA’s COE and PARF rebate rules and vehicle enquiry')}. PARF is a separate rebate with its own eligibility and schedule.

A normal sale transfers the vehicle; it does not also pay you a separate deregistration rebate to add on top of the agreed sale proceeds. Compare a sale offer and a deregistration route as alternatives, accounting for the amounts included in each.

Renewal uses PQP, with a different decision horizon

PQP uses the moving average of QPs across the previous three months with bidding. A ten-year renewal costs the applicable PQP; a five-year renewal costs half, rounded up to the nearest dollar. For Categories A, B and D, a five-year renewal can only be taken once, after which the vehicle must be deregistered. Category C has different rules. {source(RENEW,'Read LTA’s renewal conditions')}.

For example, an assumed PQP of S$120,001 means S$120,001 for ten years or S$60,001 for five years after rounding. These are example amounts, not the September PQP. Compare the shorter commitment with the later loss of renewal flexibility, and add maintenance, downtime, financing and any forgone eligible PARF value.

Continue with whether renewal is worthwhile, five-year renewal, ten-year renewal or motorcycle renewal versus replacement.

Before a higher COE changes your decision

1. Confirm the vehicle category and what the quoted price includes.
2. Write down the maximum complete purchase commitment, including financing charges.
3. Test an earlier exit and a lower sale value without adding COE twice.
4. Keep cash for running costs and repairs after the downpayment.
5. Compare the same travel needs with renting, ride-hailing and public transport.

Use buy now or wait for timing, whether ownership is worthwhile and avoiding an unaffordable purchase. Add loan costs, maintenance and ERP. For alternative routes, use car versus ride-hailing, used versus new and leasing versus buying.