What this calculator does
Driving and public transport rarely win on both cost and time, which is what makes the comparison worth doing properly. On the defaults here, driving costs $3,808.80 a year against $1,840 for transit, while transit takes 268 hours a year against 192 for driving.
So transit saves about $1,969 and costs 76 extra hours. That works out at roughly $26 an hour for the time driving saves, which is the number the decision actually turns on. Whether that is worth paying depends entirely on what the time is worth to you and on what can be done with it on a train.
The formula
Driving cost per day is the distance multiplied by consumption per hundred kilometres and fuel price, plus parking. Transit cost per day is the fare. Both are multiplied by commuting days per year. The time figures multiply the daily journey times by the same day count and convert to hours. Only fuel and parking are counted for driving, not the wider running costs.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Commuting days | Days a year the journey is made, typically around 220 to 230 for full-time work. |
| Fare | Daily transit cost, which should be the effective daily figure if a period pass is used. |
| Time cost | The hours difference, which is the other half of the comparison and often the deciding one. |
The inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Round-trip driving distance (km) | One-way distance in kilometres. |
| Fuel consumption (L/100km) | Fuel consumption in litres per 100 km. |
| Fuel price ($/L) | Fuel price per litre. |
| Parking, per day ($) | Parking cost per day. |
| Driving time, round trip (minutes) | Round-trip driving time in minutes. |
| Transit fare, round trip ($) | Transit cost per day. For a monthly or annual pass, divide by the commuting days it covers. |
| Transit time, round trip (minutes) | Round-trip transit time in minutes, including walking and waiting. |
| Commuting days per year | Commuting days per year. |
When to use it
Deciding how to commute
The annual figures on both cost and time are what the decision needs, and both are larger than the daily numbers suggest.
Valuing the time difference
Dividing the cost saving by the extra hours gives an implied hourly rate for the time, which makes the trade explicit.
Assessing a move or job change
A longer commute has an annual cost in both money and hours, and seeing both before committing is worthwhile.
Worked examples
Every figure in the tables below is produced by this page’s own calculator at build time, so the numbers and the tool always agree. Select any row to load that scenario.
At what fare does driving become cheaper?
A fixed driving cost against a range of daily transit fares.
| Daily transit fare | Cheaper option | Driving cost per year | Transit cost per year | Transit time per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $4 | Public transit, by $2,888.80/year | $3,808.80 | $920.00 | 268 hours |
| $8 | Public transit, by $1,968.80/year | $3,808.80 | $1,840.00 | 268 hours |
| $12 | Public transit, by $1,048.80/year | $3,808.80 | $2,760.00 | 268 hours |
| $16 | Public transit, by $128.80/year | $3,808.80 | $3,680.00 | 268 hours |
Questions
What costs are included for driving?
Fuel and parking only. The full cost of running a car includes tyres, servicing, insurance, registration and depreciation, which together typically exceed the fuel. If the car exists solely for the commute, those belong in the comparison and driving looks considerably worse.
How do I value the time difference?
Divide the annual cost saving by the annual hours difference to get an implied hourly rate. Whether that rate is worth it depends on what the time is worth and on its quality: an hour reading on a train is not the same as an hour in traffic.
How many commuting days should I use?
Around 220 to 230 for full-time work, allowing for weekends, public holidays and leave. Hybrid working changes this substantially, and two days a week in the office is closer to 90, which shifts the comparison considerably toward driving.
What about a monthly transit pass?
Divide the pass cost by the days it actually covers to get an effective daily fare. A pass often makes transit cheaper than the per-trip fare suggests, particularly for someone commuting five days a week.
For splitting driving costs with others, see the carpool cost calculator. For the full cost of running a car, see the cost per mile calculator.