Personal Finance

The "True Cost of a Commute"

Calculate the hidden financial drain and literal days of your life lost to driving.

1. The Job
$
2. The Drive (One-Way)
mins
miles
3. The Vehicle Costs
MPG
Leave at 1 or set distance to 0 if taking the train.
$ /gal
$ /mile
Oil, tires, loss of resale value. (IRS total avg is $0.67 including gas).
$ /day
Parking, bridge tolls, or round-trip transit fare.
Your "Real" Hourly Wage
$0.00
$0.00

Factoring in unpaid travel time and vehicle expenses.

Total Financial Drain / Year
$0
Gas + Wear & Tear + Tolls
Total Time Drain / Year
0 Days
0 total hours in transit
How you spend a 365-day year:
Work
Commuting
Sleep
Free Time
10-Year Opportunity Cost: $0

If you worked from home and invested your commute cost into the S&P 500 (7% avg return).

Total Cash Saved
Compound Interest Gained

The Math Behind the Misery

Why driving to work is much more expensive than you think.

🚗 The Hidden Cost: Depreciation

Most people only calculate the cost of gas when thinking about their commute. However, the IRS standard mileage rate for business use is currently around $0.67 per mile.


Why so high? Because every mile you drive reduces the resale value of your car, wears down your tires, necessitates faster oil changes, and brings you closer to major mechanical failures.


We set the default wear & tear to $0.25/mile (excluding gas) to be conservative, but true costs for newer vehicles are often higher.

⏳ Recalculating your Wage

If you are required to be at a physical location to earn your salary, the time it takes to get there is "required time dedicated to your employer."


Standard Wage Formula:
Salary / (Hours worked * 52 weeks)
Real Wage Formula:
(Salary - Annual Commute Costs) / (Total Work Hours + Total Commute Hours)

This often results in a 15% to 30% pay cut on paper.