Car prices Netherlands vs Germany: the BPM effect
Car prices in the Netherlands vs Germany: how BPM shapes Dutch used car prices, which segments differ most and when trading across the border pays.
· 7 min read
Comparing car prices in the Netherlands vs Germany, most used petrol cars and larger SUVs are clearly dearer in the Netherlands – a 2019–2021 Golf had a median asking price about 27% higher than in Germany in October 2026 – because Dutch registration tax (BPM) stays in the price. Electric cars and high-mileage diesels go the other way: they were cheaper in the Netherlands.
Car prices in the Netherlands vs Germany: what the listings show
The gap depends on the type of car far more than on the country. According to listings tracked by MyCarDealer in the Netherlands and Germany in October 2026:
| Model and years | Germany: median price | Germany: median km | Netherlands: median price | Netherlands: median km | Gap NL vs DE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VW Golf 2019–2021 (all engines) | €16,900 | 92,000 | €21,450 | 103,000 | +27% |
| Volvo XC60 2018–2020 | €24,330 | 110,000 | €29,800 | 128,000 | +22% |
| VW ID.3 2020–2022 | €21,640 | 50,000 | €19,750 | 94,000 | −9% |
| Škoda Octavia diesel 2018–2020 | €14,500 | 150,000 | €9,950 | 279,000 | −31% |
The Dutch Golf and XC60 were dearer even though they had more kilometres. The Dutch ID.3 and Octavia diesel were cheaper, but with far higher mileage. Medians mix engines and trims, so use these figures to identify segments, then compare individual cars like for like.
How does BPM affect Dutch used car prices?
BPM is a one-off tax paid when a car is first registered in the Netherlands, and it stays in the car's value for the rest of its Dutch life. Every later buyer pays for it indirectly, which lifts Dutch used prices for cars that paid a lot of BPM when new.
BPM is based on CO2 emissions. According to the Belastingdienst, the 2026 rates for passenger cars are:
| CO2 emissions (g/km) | Fixed amount | Plus per gram in the band |
|---|---|---|
| 0–77 | €687 | €2 |
| 77–100 | €841 | €82 |
| 100–139 | €2,727 | €181 |
| 139–155 | €9,786 | €297 |
| above 155 | €14,538 | €594 |
Diesels pay a surcharge of €114.83 per gram of CO2 above 69 g/km on top. Zero-emission cars pay only the minimum amount of €687 in 2026.
The steep upper bands explain the pattern in the listings. A petrol SUV or a powerful saloon above 155 g/km carries a five-figure BPM, so Dutch prices for such cars sit well above German ones. Electric cars carried little or no BPM, so their Dutch prices are driven by supply and demand alone – and the Netherlands has a large supply of ex-lease EVs.
For car dealers
Know your margin before you buy
MyCarDealer compares any car from an auction or listing with the market in your country and shows the net margin after VAT, transport and costs – and the maximum bid.
Request accessImporting into the Netherlands: rest-BPM narrows the gap
A car imported into the Netherlands pays BPM too, so much of the Dutch price premium is not profit. For a used import, BPM is reduced for depreciation. The Belastingdienst allows three methods: a statutory flat-rate table, a trade price list (koerslijst) or a valuation report (taxatierapport). Importers can choose between them, and dealers normally use the one that gives the lowest amount.
What this means for a Dutch dealer buying in Germany:
- Older petrol cars often pay modest rest-BPM, so a large share of the price gap is real.
- Young high-CO2 cars carry high rest-BPM, which can absorb the whole gap.
- Electric cars pay a small fixed BPM since 2025 – €687 in 2026 – but they are often already cheaper in the Netherlands, so there is little to gain by importing them.
Add the RDW inspection, registration and transport. Our guides to BPM on imported used cars and how to register an imported car with the RDW explain each step.
Which cars are worth buying in Germany for the Dutch market?
German cars are worth importing into the Netherlands when the price gap is larger than rest-BPM plus costs. Typical candidates:
- Petrol hatchbacks and compact SUVs with moderate CO2, such as the Golf, Polo, T-Roc or Corolla – the 27% Golf gap shows the potential, but check the rest-BPM for each car.
- Premium cars five or more years old, where depreciation has cut rest-BPM sharply while Dutch prices still reflect the original tax.
- Plug-in hybrids and hybrids with low official CO2, which fall into the cheaper BPM bands.
- Low-mileage cars with full history, which are scarce in the Dutch market, where many cars come from high-mileage lease fleets.
Calculate rest-BPM before you bid, not after. A car that looks €4,000 cheaper in Germany can turn into a loss once €5,000 of rest-BPM is added.
Which Dutch cars sell well in Germany?
Dutch cars are worth exporting to Germany when they are cheaper in the Netherlands, and the Netherlands offers a BPM refund on export that helps further. Typical candidates:
- Ex-lease electric cars. The Dutch ID.3 median was about 9% below Germany, and the Netherlands has a deep supply of three- to four-year-old EVs from company fleets.
- High-mileage diesels. Dutch diesels are mostly driven by high-mileage users, so they are cheap in the Netherlands. In Germany and further east, there are buyers for well-maintained diesels with 200,000+ km at the right price.
- Cars where the BPM refund changes the numbers. According to the Belastingdienst, part of the BPM paid can be refunded when a used car registered in the Netherlands on or after 16 October 2006 is exported: it must not be a damaged vehicle, must get export status at the RDW and must be registered in another EU/EEA country within 13 weeks. Our BPM refund on export guide explains the procedure.
Remember that German buyers check Dutch mileage records: the NAP judgement and a clean history help a Dutch car sell in Germany.
How to compare a Dutch and a German car correctly
Compare the price you can sell for at destination with the full landed cost:
- Like-for-like market price at destination: same model, generation, engine, year (±2) and similar mileage.
- Purchase price net of VAT, with the correct VAT status – margin scheme or VAT-qualifying.
- Rest-BPM (into the Netherlands) or BPM refund (out of the Netherlands).
- Transport, inspection, registration and preparation.
- Your target margin.
MyCarDealer handles the destination side: market price from comparable listings in your country, net margin after VAT and costs, and the maximum bid. Value one car for free on the homepage, or read our guide to importing a car from the Netherlands.
Frequently asked questions
Are used cars more expensive in the Netherlands than in Germany?
Most petrol cars and larger SUVs are, by around 20–30% for models such as the Golf and XC60 in our October 2026 data, because BPM stays in Dutch prices. Electric cars and high-mileage diesels were cheaper in the Netherlands.
How does BPM affect Dutch used car prices?
BPM is a CO2-based tax paid at first registration in the Netherlands, so it is built into the car's value for its whole Dutch life. High-CO2 cars carry high BPM and are dearer used; electric cars pay a small fixed amount (€687 in 2026), so their prices follow supply and demand.
Do I pay BPM when importing a used car into the Netherlands?
Yes. Imported used cars pay BPM reduced for depreciation, using the statutory table, a trade price list or a valuation report; dealers normally choose the method that gives the lowest amount. That rest-BPM must be deducted from any price gap.
Which cars are worth buying in Germany for the Dutch market?
Petrol cars with moderate CO2, older premium cars with low rest-BPM, hybrids and low-mileage cars with full history. Always calculate rest-BPM for the individual car before bidding.
Which Dutch cars sell well in Germany?
Ex-lease electric cars and well-maintained high-mileage diesels, both of which are relatively cheap in the Netherlands. The partial BPM refund on export can improve the numbers further.