True cost
Driving to Work vs Public Transport: What Does Each Cost?
The price right now
$6,006.00 — per year driving, at AAA's all-in $0.77 per mile over a 7,800-mile commute (30 miles round trip, 260 workdays)
- $840.00 · a year of transit passes at $70/month
- $1,440.00 · a year of transit passes at $120/month
Prices as of AAA 2025 driving costs, 2026 transit fares. AAA's $0.77 a mile is the FULL cost of owning and running a car, depreciation and insurance included, divided by miles. If you keep the car and take the bus anyway, you do not save $0.77 a mile — you save fuel and wear. Excluding depreciation the rate is about $0.48, and the same commute is $3,766. Both are below.
Sources: AAA Your Driving Costs 2025 — $0.77 per mile all in for an average new vehicle ($11,577/yr at 15,000 miles, of which $4,334 is depreciation) · 2026 transit fare data — monthly passes typically $70–120 in urban areas; Philadelphia unlimited $116/mo, NYC daily commuters $127–200/mo, Chicago $60–140/mo, Houston $45–110/mo
What it really costs per year
| Cost item | Per year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Driving, all in | $6,006 | $0.77 × 7,800 miles, the same figure as our commuting page. $500.50 a month, 195 hours of median-income work a year — nearly five work weeks — and 828 hours at the federal minimum wage. AAA Your Driving Costs 2025 — $0.77 per mile all in for an average new vehicle ($11,577/yr at 15,000 miles, of which $4,334 is depreciation) |
| A year of transit passes | varies | $840 to $1,440 at $70–120 a month: 27 to 47 hours of median-income work, and 116 to 199 hours at the federal minimum wage. 2026 transit fare data — monthly passes typically $70–120 in urban areas; Philadelphia unlimited $116/mo, NYC daily commuters $127–200/mo, Chicago $60–140/mo, Houston $45–110/mo |
| The gap, measured conservatively | varies | $6,006 against the dearest end of the pass range, $1,440, is a saving of $4,566 a year — 148 hours of median-income work, more than three and a half work weeks. Against the cheapest end it is $5,166. AAA Your Driving Costs 2025 — $0.77 per mile all in for an average new vehicle ($11,577/yr at 15,000 miles, of which $4,334 is depreciation) · 2026 transit fare data — monthly passes typically $70–120 in urban areas; Philadelphia unlimited $116/mo, NYC daily commuters $127–200/mo, Chicago $60–140/mo, Houston $45–110/mo |
| If you keep the car anyway | varies | This is the number most comparisons get wrong. Strip out depreciation — $4,334 of AAA's $11,577 — and the rate falls to about $0.48 a mile, making the commute $3,766. Against a $1,440 pass the saving is $2,326, or 75 hours. Still worth having, and half of what the headline suggests. AAA Your Driving Costs 2025 — $0.77 per mile all in for an average new vehicle ($11,577/yr at 15,000 miles, of which $4,334 is depreciation) |
| What the pass costs where you live | varies | Philadelphia's unlimited monthly pass is $116. Chicago commuters spend $60–140 a month, Houston $45–110, and daily New York commuters $127–200. Single rides are typically $2–3. 2026 transit fare data — monthly passes typically $70–120 in urban areas; Philadelphia unlimited $116/mo, NYC daily commuters $127–200/mo, Chicago $60–140/mo, Houston $45–110/mo |
| What neither figure counts | varies | Parking, tolls and the time each option takes. Transit is usually slower door to door, and this page prices money rather than minutes — but our rate calculator exists precisely so you can put a number on the difference. |
| Total per year | $6,006 | The driving side, all in, matching our commuting page. The transit side is $840–1,440; the conservative saving is $4,566, or $2,326 if you keep the car regardless. |
The price in hours of your life
The same yearly figure, converted into working time — one year of this habit costs you:
| Income level | Hourly | Hours of work / year | Work weeks / year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal minimum wage | $7.25 | 828 | ≈ 20.7 |
| Median US full-time income | $30.83 | 195 | ≈ 4.9 |
| Higher incomeexample | $50.00 | 120 | ≈ 3 |
Sources: US DOL — federal minimum, unchanged since 2009 · BLS Usual Weekly Earnings, Q1 2026 — median weekly earnings $1,233 ÷ 40h
Prefer to start from your side of the math? Calculate your exact hourly rate first — it's remembered for the session.
Four times the price, and half of it only counts if you sell the car
Driving a 30-mile round trip costs $6,006 a year at AAA's all-in rate, and a transit pass costs $840 to $1,440. That is four to seven times the price, and the saving — $4,566 even measured against the dearest pass — is 148 hours of median-income work, nearly four work weeks handed back. But the honest version comes with a condition most comparisons skip. AAA's $0.77 a mile includes depreciation and insurance, costs you carry whether the car moves or not. If you take the bus and keep the car parked outside, you save fuel and wear, not ownership: about $0.48 a mile, making the commute $3,766 and the saving $2,326. That is still 75 hours a year, still worth doing. It is simply half of what the headline number implies. The full $4,566 is available only to someone for whom transit replaces the car rather than resting it — and at the federal minimum wage, where driving to work costs 828 hours a year, that difference is the difference between four work weeks and ten.
For
- A transit pass is $840–1,440 a year against $6,006 driving — four to seven times cheaper
- The conservative saving is $4,566 a year, 148 hours of median-income work
- Even if you keep the car, dropping the commute saves about $2,326, or 75 hours
Against
- Half the headline saving is depreciation and insurance you still pay if you keep the car
- Passes vary widely — $45–110 a month in Houston against $127–200 for a New York commuter
- Neither figure counts parking, tolls, or the extra time transit usually takes door to door
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to take public transport than drive to work?
Yes, substantially. A 30-mile round-trip car commute is about $6,006 a year at AAA's all-in $0.77 a mile, against $840–1,440 for monthly transit passes — four to seven times less.
How much does driving to work cost per year?
About $6,006 for a 30-mile round trip over 260 workdays, which is 7,800 miles at AAA's $0.77 all-in rate. That is 195 hours of median-income work and 828 hours at the federal minimum wage.
How much do I actually save by switching to transit?
At least $4,566 a year if switching means giving up the car. If you keep the car and simply stop driving to work, you save fuel and wear rather than ownership costs — about $2,326, or 75 hours of median-income work.
How much is a monthly transit pass?
Typically $70–120 in urban areas. Philadelphia's unlimited pass is $116, Chicago commuters spend $60–140 a month, Houston $45–110, and daily New York commuters $127–200.