Freedom Score™Improves your Income Growth pillar by ~30 pts.
What's my Freedom Score? →

Commute Cost

What is your commute really costing you?

Enter your mode, miles, fuel, parking, and value of time. See true annual cost — including the hours of your life.

$11,342

per year

280 hours of your life

Your commute

Breakdown

Fuel

$1,126

Parking

$1,920

Transit

$0

Wear

$1,296

Time cost

$7,000

Total

$11,342

Freedom Coach™

Your commute costs ~$11,342/yr including 280 hours of your life.

Cash cost: $4,342. Time cost (@$25/hr): $7,000.

  • Commuting under 20 mins each way is a top-quartile life quality lever.
  • Your commute time is reasonable — protect it with podcasts/audiobooks, not doom scrolling.
  • Compare this cost against a nominally lower-paid remote offer — the effective raise is bigger than most people realize.

Premium

Save scenarios & unlock all tools

Save scenarios (drive vs remote vs move closer) and compare against real job offers.

Unlock Premium

Frequently asked questions

How much does the average commute cost?

For a 20-mile daily drive, ~$4,000/yr in fuel + wear alone. Add parking and time cost and the true number is often $8,000–$15,000/yr.

What is 'value of time'?

The dollar value of one hour of your life. Rule of thumb: half your after-tax hourly wage — a $60k salary implies ~$15/hr for personal time.

Is a remote job automatically better?

Almost always in dollars. A remote offer with 10% less base often nets more once commute cash + time is priced in.

What about wear-and-tear?

IRS uses $0.67/mi for business, but personal wear alone is ~$0.10–$0.20/mi. Depreciation is the biggest hidden cost.

Does transit save real money?

Yes, if you can drop a car. A monthly transit pass ($100–$150) vs a $700/mo car payment + insurance + fuel is often break-even in year one.

Free email series

Get personalized guidance

Join our email list for tailored tips, milestone nudges, and new calculator releases.

No spam. Unsubscribe any time.