A new investigation from learner driver insurance specialist Veygo by Admiral has revealed the cost of learning to drive is wildly different depending on where in the world you live, but Brits don’t have it too bad.
With costs ranging from just over £300 in Malta to over £3,000 in Hong Kong it seems some young drivers’ dreams of getting behind the wheel come at a significantly different price.
Looking at the cost of getting a provisional licence, driving lessons with an authorised instructor and the price of sitting your theory and practical tests, right through to converting it to a full licence, Veygo found startling differences.
Paying the price for expertise
The UK ranked fifth cheapest place for learner drivers to get a lesson with an expert, with the average cost of a lesson £24 – better value than in Singapore, New Zealand, Ireland, Australia, France, Germany, Sweden, USA and Hong Kong
Learner drivers in Malta got the best value, with the average cost of a driving lesson with a qualified instructor coming in at £13.
On the other end of the scale, at over four times more expensive than the UK, the most expensive cost per lesson faced learner drivers in Hong Kong with the average cost coming in at £97 a lesson.
Although some countries adopt the same approach as the UK and allow learner drivers to choose between professional lessons or to learn with a suitably qualified driver, places like Italy and Hong Kong only allow lessons with licenced instructors, making high prices unavoidable for those who want to get on the road.
Learning to drive round the world – the costs revealed:
| Rank | Country | Cost of provisional licence | Total cost of driving lessons in £ | Total cost of tests £ | Full license upgrade £ | Total cost of learning and getting licence |
| 1 | Hong Kong | £53 | £2,910 | £50 (theory and practical) | £87 | £3,100 |
| 2 | Germany | £35 | £1760-£2200 | £364 (theory and practical) | £4 | £2,164 |
| 3 | USA | £61 | £516 – £2580 | NA – all included with learner permit | £36 | £1,647 |
| 4 | Sweden | £17 | £1,166 | £137 (theory and practical) | £21 | £1,325 |
| 5 | UK | £34 | £1,128 | £85-98 (theory and practical) | – | £1,247 |
| 6 | Australia | £93 | £882 | £45 (theory and practical) | £170 | £1,189 |
| 7 | France | £26 | £615-£1400 | Included in lesson costs (via driving school) – theory and practical | – | £1,008 |
| 8 | Singapore | £14 | £600 – £750 | £182 (theory and practical) | £28 | £823 |
| 9 | New Zealand | £24 | £620 – £1240 | £66 (theory and practical) | £24 | £734 |
| 10 | Spain | One single cost covers all via driving school | One single cost covers all via driving school | £79 (included with driving school costs) | – | £623 |
| 11 | Italy | One single cost covers all via driving school | One single cost covers all via driving school | One single cost covers all via driving school – theory and practical | – | £616 |
| 12 | Ireland | £31 | £420 | £114 (theory and practical) | £48 | £613 |
| 13 | Canada | £34 | £352 | £74 (theory and practical) | £9 | £469 |
| 14 | Barbados | £30 | £304 | £49 (theory and practical) | £19 | £403 |
| 15 | Malta | £20 | £260 | £47 (theory and practical – increases if test on weekend) | – | £328 |
Jean-Baptiste Limare, head of Veygo by Admiral said: “Learning to drive can be an expensive business but UK learners are relatively lucky in that they can choose to learn with a parent or friend if they have the required experience which can help to reduce the costs, even if those lessons are mixed with official tuition from a registered driving instructor.
“Combining lessons with an official instructor has other benefits too, 90% of our own customers say that additional private practice helped them pass their driving test.”
“Costs vary vastly across the globe and despite being the 5th most expensive place to learn, the UK is still less than half the cost of Hong Kong. UK learners are also fortunate in their ability to schedule additional tests if things don’t go so well first time, without long waiting times. Test centre rates are publicly available so choosing a centre with a better pass rate may also help young drivers pass first time.”
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