How it works
This adds up the day-to-day cost of driving to work: fuel, a per-mile allowance for maintenance and tires, and any daily tolls or parking.
It leaves out fixed costs like insurance, registration and depreciation, which you pay whether or not you commute. The IRS standard mileage rate, which includes those costs, is much higher than the figure here.
Set working weeks to account for vacation and holidays. 48 weeks assumes about four weeks off.
Formula
Yearly cost = round-trip miles × days × weeks × (price ÷ MPG + wear per mile) + daily fees × days × weeks
Questions people ask
What does a mile of driving cost beyond gas?
Maintenance, repairs and tires average roughly 8 to 12 cents a mile for a typical car, according to AAA’s annual driving cost studies. Depreciation and insurance add more but don’t depend much on commuting.
Can I deduct my commute on my taxes?
In the US, regular commuting between home and a main workplace is a personal expense and not deductible. Travel between work sites or to temporary locations may be.
How much would a hybrid save me?
Run the calculator twice with each car’s MPG. Going from 25 to 50 mpg halves the fuel cost; the savings grow with distance.