What it does
Enter how often you commute and the details of each way of getting there, and the page shows what each costs per day, per month and per year. It also counts the hours you spend travelling and puts a price on them, because a cheaper trip that takes an hour longer each way is not always the better deal.
Car costs include fuel, parking, tolls and wear on the vehicle. For an electric or hybrid car compare running costs in EV vs petrol, for one trip’s fuel use fuel cost, and to see where the money fits in your month use the budget planner.
How to use it
- Type how many days a week and weeks a year you commute, and what an hour of your time is worth.
- Fill in the car details: one-way distance, fuel use, fuel price, parking, tolls, wear per km and minutes.
- Fill in the transit pass and your bike or walk costs.
What each setting does
- Value of your time: your pay per hour, or less. Use 0 to compare money only.
- Wear and tear per km: tyres, servicing, repairs and, if you like, depreciation. It is your estimate; official allowance rates can be a guide but also include insurance and depreciation.
- Extra per day: single fares or last-mile rides on top of a pass.
- Weeks a year: leave out holidays and remote weeks.
Worked example
You drive 15 km each way in a car using 8 litres per 100 km, with petrol at 1.60, wear of 0.10 per km and 10 for parking. A day costs 6.84 for the trip plus 10 parking: 16.84. Over 230 days that is 3,873 a year. A monthly pass of 120 is 1,440 a year. Walking or cycling at 0.50 a day is 115. With your time valued at 20 an hour, cycling still wins at 6,248 a year, because the car and transit take time too.
FAQs
Should I count time? If you can work on the train, set the value lower. If time is simply lost, count it fully.
Does it include car payments? Not unless you put them into wear per km. See EV vs petrol or car loan for ownership costs.
Is a bike really that cheap? Add the cost of the bike and repairs in the daily cost if you want to be strict.
Where the numbers come from
- Car cost per day = round-trip distance x (fuel use x fuel price + wear per km) + parking + tolls. Transit = monthly pass x 12 + extra per day x days. Time cost = travel hours x the hourly value you choose. All figures are your own inputs; wear per km is your estimate.
Standard scientific values, such as constants, atomic weights and melting points, are facts found in every textbook; we name where ours were checked. If you are an author or publisher and want a value, a credit or a table changed or removed, tell us and we will act quickly.
Last updated 2026-11-10.