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Commute Cost Calculator
See what driving to work costs you. Enter your one-way distance, how many days and weeks you commute, your fuel economy and fuel price, then add wear and tear per mile and daily parking or tolls for the cost per day, month and year.
- Cost per commuting day
- $11.75
- Cost per year
- $2,937.50
- Fuel per year
- $937.50
- Maintenance per year
- $750.00
- Parking and tolls per year
- $1,250.00
- Distance per year
- 7,500 mi
Saved setups
Save a set of inputs you reuse — your usual rate, your loan, your room sizes — and load it back in one tap.
Your recent calculations
Results you calculate here are kept on this device so you can come back to them.
Formula
How to use it
- Enter the one-way distance from home to work.
- Enter your commuting days per week and working weeks per year.
- Enter your fuel economy, the fuel price and a per-mile figure for upkeep.
- Add daily parking and tolls, then read the monthly and yearly cost.
Worked examples
15 miles each way, 5 days a week for 50 weeks, at 28 mpg, $3.50 gas, $0.10 a mile upkeep and $5 a day parking
- Cost per commuting day
- $11.75
- Cost per year
- $2,937.50
- Cost per month
- $244.79
- Fuel per year
- $937.50
- Maintenance per year
- $750.00
- Parking and tolls per year
- $1,250.00
- Distance per year
- 7,500 mi
25 miles each way, 4 days a week for 48 weeks, at 32 mpg and $4 gas with free parking
- Cost per commuting day
- $10.25
- Cost per year
- $1,968.00
- Cost per month
- $164.00
- Fuel per year
- $1,200.00
What to include
Fuel is the obvious cost, but every commuting mile also wears tires, brakes and oil and brings the next repair closer. Around 10 cents a mile covers maintenance and tires for a typical car. To include depreciation as well, use a higher per-mile figure of 25–40 cents.
Working weeks are 52 minus vacation, holidays and sick time; 48–50 is typical for a full-time job in the US.
Using the result
Dividing the yearly cost by your yearly take-home pay shows how much of your income goes on getting to work. The figure is also what one day a week of remote work saves: with a five-day commute, each day at home cuts the fuel, wear and parking cost by a fifth.
When comparing with public transit, compare a monthly pass with the monthly figure here, and remember the car’s insurance and loan continue whether or not you drive it to work.
Questions people ask
How much does a 15 mile commute cost?
A 30 mile round trip at 28 mpg and $3.50 a gallon costs $3.75 in fuel. Adding 10 cents a mile for upkeep and $5 parking makes $11.75 a day, about $245 a month over 250 working days a year.
How many miles a year is a 20 mile commute?
40 miles a day × 5 days × 50 weeks = 10,000 miles a year.
How much would I save working from home one day a week?
One fifth of your commuting cost on a five-day schedule. On a $2,940 yearly commute that is about $590 a year.