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Commute Cost Calculator

Real yearly cost of your commute, including time.

All-in yearly cost
$9,891
$1,688 cash + $8,203 time value

Breakdown

Fuel per day$4
Wear & tear per day$3
Parking per day$0
Total per day$7
Yearly miles7,500
Yearly hours commuting292
After-tax hourly rate$28

Maintenance default of $0.10/mi is conservative; the IRS reimbursement rate of $0.67 includes depreciation. Time value uses 75% of gross salary divided by 2000 work hours, which is a reasonable after-tax hourly approximation. 50 work weeks per year accounts for 2 weeks of vacation.

About

Enter distance, days per week, MPG, gas price, parking, and your salary. Get the yearly cost of fuel, wear, and parking, plus an estimated dollar value of the time you spend commuting. The result usually shocks people.

How to use

  1. Enter your one-way distance and time.
  2. Enter MPG, gas price, and parking.
  3. Enter your salary.
  4. Read all-in cost.

FAQ

Where does the time value come from?+

It uses 75% of your salary divided by 2,000 work hours as an after-tax hourly rate, then multiplies by hours spent commuting. It's a rough proxy for what your time is worth at the margin.

What's the maintenance number?+

Default is $0.10 per mile, which covers tires, brakes, fluids, and routine service. The IRS reimbursement rate ($0.67 in 2024) also includes depreciation; that's a fair number for a leased or financed car.