The receipt
The listed payment$950
- Transfer fee (about)+ $56Money due at signing is spread over the months, here about $56 a month.Transfer fee about $500 (the listing does not say), spread over 9 monthsSource: the SwapALease listing, read Nov 3. Where the ad gives no fees, we assume a $500 transfer fee, or the typical money due at signing.
- Tax (about)+ $57Tax is what your state adds to the payment, here about $57 a month.Tax (about), because the ad gives no tax rate (6.1% national estimate, until you pick your state. Type your own rate in Your numbers.)Source: State revenue department pages, 50 of 51 states sourced. Read Oct 30.
- Extra miles+ $0Your miles fit inside the lease, so nothing extra is added.Miles: you drive 12,000 a year, the lease covers 17,000The lease covers your miles, so extra miles cost nothing.Source: the SwapALease listing, read Nov 3. Where the ad gives no per-mile rate, we use $0.25 a mile.
- Insurance (about)+ $215Insurance: about $215 a month for this car at the U.S. average. Tap to type yours.Insurance about $215 for the U.S. average (range $133 to $297). Your own quote may differ. Type yours.BMW i4 M50 quotes run $133 to $297 a month (The Zebra, read Oct 19) → middle $215 × 1.00 (U.S. average) = $215 a month. Full coverage, a typical driver with a clean record.Source: The Zebra model quotes and MoneyGeek 2025 state averages. Quotes read Oct 19, state table read Oct 30.
- Charging (about)+ $70Charging: about $70 a month for the miles you drive. Tap to type your price.Electric: charging at home (about)12,000 mi a year ÷ about 2.6 mi/kWh (middle of the EPA figures for the 2024 i4 M50) = 4,615 kWh × $0.1816 a kWh (EIA U.S. home electricity, August 2026) = $838 a year = $70 a month city 2.6 to highway 2.6 mi/kWhSource: U.S. Energy Information Administration (gas, week of Oct 26; electricity, August 2026). Read Nov 3.
Real Lease Cost™ (everything you pay), each month$1,348
Sources and read dates
- The listed payment the SwapALease listing, read Nov 3.
- Transfer fee (about) the SwapALease listing, read Nov 3. Where the ad gives no fees, we assume a $500 transfer fee, or the typical money due at signing.
- Tax (about) State revenue department pages, 50 of 51 states sourced. Read Oct 30.
- Extra miles the SwapALease listing, read Nov 3. Where the ad gives no per-mile rate, we use $0.25 a mile.
- Insurance (about) The Zebra model quotes and MoneyGeek 2025 state averages. Quotes read Oct 19, state table read Oct 30.
- Charging (about) U.S. Energy Information Administration (gas, week of Oct 26; electricity, August 2026). Read Nov 3.
about = our guess
See the math
How each part is worked out:





