A lease ad shows the monthly payment. Enter the numbers of the ad, and see what the lease costs each month with the amount due at signing counted in.
True cost: $510 a month, $261 more than the payment.
The math for the 2026 Crew Cab 2WD Work Truck w/WT Custom Package Chevrolet Colorado
- Due at signing, with payment 1 in it
- $6,521
- 23 more payments of $249
- $5,727
- Total for 24 months
- $12,248
- True cost each month
- $510
- True cost as a percent of MSRP
- 1.43%
- Cost for each mile allowed
- $0.61
Many calculators show $521 a month for this lease. That number counts the first payment two times. How we calculate
Tax, title, license, and dealer fees are extra.
How the true cost works
The true cost is the total that you pay across the lease, divided by the number of months.
true cost = (due at signing + payment × (months − 1)) ÷ months
The amount due at signing almost always includes the first payment, so one payment fewer remains after it. When the amount due is smaller than one payment, as in a $0 down offer, it cannot include one, and the calculator counts every payment.
How to read the result
Compare the true cost of two leases, not their payments. A lease with a low payment and a large amount due at signing can cost more each month than a lease with a higher payment and nothing due.
The percent of MSRP compares leases of cars at different prices. It is the true cost each month divided by the price of the car. A lower percent is a better lease.
The cost for each mile helps when two leases allow different miles. A lease with 10,000 miles a year and a lease with 12,000 miles a year are not the same deal at the same price.