Commute Cost & Transit Comparison Calculator
Find what your commute really costs each month and year, including fuel or charging, wear and maintenance, tolls, parking and the value of your time. Compare driving with public transit and rideshare, and see what working from home a few days a week would save.
Written by Suhaib Hassan. Cost-per-mile inputs are editable estimates. Our methodology.
Round-trip miles times commute days give monthly miles, which are priced for fuel and wear. Tolls, parking and time are added per day.
Most people count only fuel. This shows the full cost and how a pass, a carpool or a remote day changes it.
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How distance changes the cost
Monthly driving cost for other commute lengths, using your fuel, wear, tolls and parking inputs above.
| One-way distance | Miles / month | Fuel or charging | Wear | Tolls and parking | Monthly total |
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How the cost is calculated
Monthly commute days
days = days per week × weeks per year ÷ 12Monthly cost
cost = 2 × distance × days × (fuel price ÷ mpg + wear) + (tolls + parking) × daysTime value
time = 2 × minutes ÷ 60 × days × hourly valueFuel is only part of it
Depreciation, insurance, maintenance, tires and registration all rise with the miles you drive or with owning the car at all. A per-mile figure such as the IRS rate bundles these together.
For a fuller picture of what a vehicle costs each year, see our car depreciation calculator.
Worked examples
Illustrative commutes, each checked by hand. The first is the default setup.
18.5 mi each way, 5 days
28.5 MPG, $3.55 gas, $0.092 wear, $16.50 tolls and parking.
miles = 37 × 20 = 740
fuel = 740 ÷ 28.5 × 3.55 = $92.18
wear = 740 × 0.092 = $68.08
tolls + parking = 16.50 × 20 = $330.00
total = $490.26 a month
Value of time
45 minutes each way at $42 an hour.
30 × 42 = $1,260 a month
Two remote days a week
Same commute, 3 days on site.
days saved = 2 × 48 ÷ 12 = 8
saving = 8 × 24.51 = $196.10 a month
How to work out the cost of a commute
- Enter the one-way distance, how many days a week you go in, and how many weeks a year you work.
- Add your vehicle's fuel economy and the local fuel or electricity price.
- Include tolls and parking, and either a wear cost per mile or the IRS standard rate.
- Optionally value your time, then compare with a transit pass, rideshare or working from home.
Only fuel, tolls and parking are cash costs each day. Wear, depreciation and time are real but paid over a longer period, which is why the tool shows them separately.
By Suhaib Hassan · Reviewed 29 September 2026 · How CalculatePilot verifies formulas →
Sources
- Internal Revenue Service, Standard mileage rates (2026 business rate: 72.5 cents per mile, 76 cents from 1 July 2026).
- U.S. Department of Energy and EPA, fueleconomy.gov, for vehicle fuel economy ratings.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, commuting and travel time data.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a daily commute cost?
It depends on distance, vehicle, fuel price, tolls and parking. A 37-mile round trip in a 28.5 MPG car with $3.55 gas costs about $4.60 in fuel per day, more when wear, tolls and parking are included. Enter your numbers above for an exact figure.
Should I use the IRS mileage rate?
The IRS business rate is designed to cover the full running cost of a vehicle, including depreciation and insurance, so it gives a higher and more complete per-mile figure than fuel alone. Note that it is a tax rate for business travel, and commuting from home to a regular workplace is generally not deductible.
Is my commute time worth counting?
It is not a cash cost, but it is a real trade-off. Valuing an hour of your time at a fraction of your wage shows what a shorter commute or a remote day is worth. Turn the option off to see cash costs only.
How is an electric vehicle handled?
Switch to Electric and enter miles per kWh and your price per kWh. Energy cost per mile is price divided by miles per kWh, and wear and other costs work as before.
When is transit cheaper than driving?
When a monthly pass costs less than your monthly driving cost, including parking and tolls. The comparison panel shows the difference, and parking charges are usually what tips it.
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