What a commute costs by distance
Fuel only, using the fuel economy, price and workdays in the calculator. Handy for weighing a job or a move that changes how far you drive.
| One way | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 miles | $1.40 | $29.17 | $350.00 |
| 10 miles | $2.80 | $58.33 | $700.00 |
| 15 miles | $4.20 | $87.50 | $1,050.00 |
| 20 miles | $5.60 | $116.67 | $1,400.00 |
| 30 miles | $8.40 | $175.00 | $2,100.00 |
| 40 miles | $11.20 | $233.33 | $2,800.00 |
| 50 miles | $14.00 | $291.67 | $3,500.00 |
Worked example: a 15-mile commute
- Round trip: 15 miles × 2 = 30 miles a day
- Fuel: 30 miles ÷ 25 MPG = 1.2 gallons a day
- Daily cost: 1.2 gallons × $3.50 = $4.20
- Yearly: $4.20 × 5 days × 50 weeks = $1,050
- Monthly: $1,050 ÷ 12 = $87.50
Add $10 a day for parking and the year goes up by $2,500. Share the ride with one coworker and each of you pays half. Small daily costs add up over about 250 workdays.
How the commute cost is calculated
Daily cost = (distance × 2 ÷ MPG × price) + parking + tolls + other costs per mile × distance × 2
The yearly cost is the daily cost × days a week × weeks a year. Monthly is the yearly figure ÷ 12, and weekly is the daily cost × days a week. With more than one person sharing the ride, each figure is divided by the number of people. Time per year is the one-way minutes × 2 × workdays in a year.
Metric works the same way with kilometers, L/100 km and price per liter, converting with 1 mile = 1.609344 km and 1 US gallon = 3.785411784 liters.
Cedrick Reese built this calculator so the cost of a commute can be seen in one place, the way it actually adds up across a year of workdays. Fuel uses the same distance ÷ fuel economy × price formula as the rest of the site, and the results are checked against the worked 15-mile example above and the distance table. Parking, tolls and upkeep are numbers you enter, so the page doesn't assume any. The car picker's EPA ratings are rebuilt from the fueleconomy.gov dataset whenever it's refreshed.
Commute cost questions
How do I calculate my commute cost?
Double your one-way distance for the round trip, divide by your MPG, and multiply by the price per gallon. That's your daily fuel cost. Add daily parking and tolls, then multiply by the days you commute in a week, month or year.
How much does a 30-mile commute cost per month?
A 30-mile commute each way is 60 miles a day. At 25 MPG and an example price of $3.50 a gallon, that's $8.40 a day in fuel. Over 250 workdays a year it comes to $2,100, or $175 a month, before parking, tolls or wear on the car.
How much more does a longer commute cost?
Every extra 10 miles each way adds 20 miles a day. Over 250 workdays that's 5,000 miles a year, or 200 gallons at 25 MPG. At an example price of $3.50 a gallon, that's $700 a year in fuel, plus the extra time on the road.
How much does carpooling save?
If the costs are split evenly, each person pays their share of the total. Two people sharing a car each pay half the fuel, parking and tolls, and three people each pay a third. Enter the number of people sharing under More options to see each share.
Should I count wear and tear on my car?
For the full cost of driving, yes. Tires, oil changes and repairs all add up with the miles. If you track what you spend on upkeep, divide it by the miles you drive in a year and enter that as other costs per mile. The IRS standard mileage rate, set each year, covers total car costs and is much higher than fuel alone.
More fuel tools
For all your driving, not just the commute, use the gas budget calculator. To see what a jump in gas prices does to your monthly cost, try the gas price change calculator.
Thinking about a more efficient car for the daily drive? Compare fuel costs between two vehicles on our sister site, GasMileageCalculators.com.
Idling in the drive-through or at a long light adds up too. The idling cost calculator shows what it costs, and how to save money on gas covers the rest of the commute.
Sources
Last reviewed: October 4, 2026.