Commute Cost Calculator
Nobody puts the commute on the offer letter. This is the full price: the money, the wear, and the hours.
Wear & depreciation ≈ 11¢/mile (AAA's non-fuel operating cost) is included by default, car value drops whether the miles are for fun or for work.
How the math works
- Miles/yr = one-way × 2 × days × 47 working weeks.
- Money = miles ÷ MPG × gas price + miles × $0.11 wear/depreciation + (tolls+parking) × 47.
- Time = miles ÷ speed × 2... (round trip), summed over the year.
- Pay-cut row = your hourly rate × commute hours ÷ work hours, the silent discount a long commute puts on your salary.
EV driver? Set gas price to your $/kWh equivalent at home charging (≈ $0.13/mile × MPG-equivalent) and gas at the pump for road trips. Hybrids: split your MPG honestly.
How much does a 30-mile round trip commute cost per year?
At 28 MPG, $3.60 gas, and 11¢/mile wear: about $3,100/yr in direct money, plus ~100 hours in the car. Counted at $40/h, the honest total is closer to $7,100.
Is commute time really worth money?
It's the part of your life the job takes without paying for it. Commuters consistently rank commute time as the most hated hour of their day, pricing it is how you compare a remote job, a move, or a pay cut near home.
Does remote work really save the commute?
Two days remote halves the money and the hours. The row "per workday driven" times your saved days = your annual raise from working from home.