True cost
How Much Does Commuting Cost Per Year?
The price right now
$0.77 — per mile driven, all-in average across vehicle types (AAA Your Driving Costs 2025)
- $0.13 · fuel only (13.0¢/mi) — what commuters usually count
- $0.77 · all-in (depreciation, insurance, maintenance included) — what it actually costs
Prices as of July 2026. The page's example: 30-mile round trip × 260 workdays = 7,800 miles × $0.77 = $6,006/yr (computed). Scale it linearly to your own distance.
Sources: AAA — Your Driving Costs 2025 ($0.77/mi all-in average)
What it really costs per year
| Cost item | Per year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Example commute: 30-mile round trip | $6,006 | 260 workdays × 30 miles = 7,800 miles × $0.77/mi (AAA all-in). The math this page uses. AAA — Your Driving Costs 2025 ($0.77/mi all-in average) |
| The same miles counted as fuel only | varies | 7,800 miles × 13.0¢/mi ≈ $1,014 — the figure most commuters have in mind; the other ~$5,000 is depreciation, insurance and wear. AAA — Your Driving Costs 2025 ($0.77/mi all-in average) |
| Public transit alternative | varies | Compare your local agency's monthly pass price × 12 against your all-in driving figure. |
| Total per year | $6,006 | Computed example (30-mile round trip, 260 workdays, AAA $0.77/mi). A 10-mile round trip is a third of it; a 60-mile one, double. |
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.
Is a long car commute worth it?
Commuting is the habit nobody chose on purpose: at AAA's all-in per-mile cost, a 30-mile round trip quietly burns almost five weeks of median-income work a year — on top of the unpaid hours spent driving. The number belongs in every job, housing and remote-work decision: a job 15 miles closer or one home-office day a week is worth thousands a year, sourced and computable.
For
- Fully computable: miles × $0.77 gives every commute an honest yearly price
- Every lever works linearly — fewer miles, fewer days, or transit all cut it directly
Against
- ≈ $6,006/yr for a 30-mile round trip ≈ 195 hours (5 work weeks) at the median income
- Fuel is only ~17% of the real per-mile cost — the rest hides in the car
- The driving time itself is unpaid hours on top of the money
Frequently asked questions
How much does commuting cost per year?
At AAA's 2025 all-in average of $0.77 per mile, a 30-mile round-trip commute over 260 workdays (7,800 miles) computes to about $6,006 per year. Scale linearly: 15 miles a day ≈ $3,000, 60 miles ≈ $12,000.
What does driving really cost per mile?
AAA's Your Driving Costs 2025 puts the all-in average across vehicle types at $0.77 per mile — fuel alone is only 13.0¢. Depreciation, insurance, maintenance and fees make up the rest.
How many hours of work does commuting cost per year?
The $6,006 example commute costs about 195 hours at the median US full-time income of $30.83/hour — nearly five 40-hour weeks a year — and about 828 hours at the federal minimum wage. The drive time itself comes on top.
Is public transit cheaper than driving to work?
Usually, when the full $0.77/mi cost is counted: most agencies' monthly passes total far less per year than a 30-mile car commute's ~$6,006. Check your local pass price × 12 against your miles × $0.77.