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Paying by the Mile

Want to shave $3,000 a year off the cost of operating your car?

Just move from the congested climes of Los Angeles to the wide-open spaces of Sioux Falls, S.D.

A new survey by Runzheimer International, a Wisconsin-based consulting firm, determined that L.A. is the nation’s most expensive place to drive and maintain a mid-sized car ($8,907 a year), while Sioux Falls is the cheapest ($5,843).

Researchers attribute the gaping difference to higher insurance rates, labor and gas costs.

“Los Angeles is consistent at being expensive,” said Peter D. Packer, vice president of communications for Runzheimer. “You ranked the most expensive last year, too. It’s life in the big city.”

Not far behind Los Angeles is Philadelphia ($8,273), Detroit ($8,225) and Providence, R.I. ($8,195). After Sioux Falls, the cities that save the most wear and tear on wallets are Eau Claire, Wis. ($5,862), Burlington , Vt. ($5,898) and Bismarck, N.D. ($5,945).