How much does commuting really cost per month?

Commuting costs include more than fuel or transit fares. When you factor in insurance, wear and tear, car payments, and tolls, the true monthly cost is often hundreds of dollars more than people expect.

Is it cheaper to live farther from work?

Not always. While housing may be cheaper farther from work, commuting costs can offset or even exceed those savings. This calculator helps compare those tradeoffs directly.

Can commuting costs affect how much mortgage I can afford?

Yes. Money spent on commuting is money that cannot go toward housing. Redirecting commute costs to a mortgage payment can significantly change how much home you can afford.

Does this calculator include car insurance and wear and tear?

Yes. The calculator allows you to include car insurance, wear and tear, and car payments, and lets you choose how much of those costs are related to commuting.

Is transit always cheaper than driving?

Transit is often cheaper, but not always. Monthly passes, per-ride fares, and commute frequency can make transit costs comparable to driving in some situations.

30 Dec 2025 11 min read Calculators

Commute Cost vs Mortgage Calculator: How Driving to Work Limits What You Can Afford

Your commute isn’t just burning gas - it’s burning housing options. Check for yourself below.

Commute Cost vs. Housing Budget Calculator

Estimate what your commute really costs (fuel/energy + payments + insurance + wear & tear + tolls + transit), then see how much that money could add to your rent or your mortgage affordability if you lived closer.

1) Commute setup

Commute mode

One-way distance to work Distance is one-way. We assume a round trip each work day unless you change “Trips per day”.

Units

Trips per day Typical office commute is 2 (to work + back). If you transfer routes, consider counting boardings in transit mode.

Commute days per week

Working weeks per year 48 is a decent default (vacations/holidays/sick days). Adjust to taste.

2) Costs (by mode)

Vehicle preset

Fuel economy L/100km Tip: lower is better for L/100km. (Example: 8.5 L/100km)

Cost of gas $/L

EV efficiency kWh/100km Tip: lower is better for kWh/100km. (Example: 18 kWh/100km)

Electricity price $/kWh

Car payment (monthly) Set to 0 if you own your vehicle outright, or if you don’t want to include this in “commute cost”.

Car insurance (monthly)

Insurance attributed to commuting (%) Set to 100% if you only need a car because of your commute. Use a lower value if you'd still keep a car for errands/weekends (or if you’re comparing to transit).

Wear & tear (per distance) This is a “variable cost” bucket (tires, maintenance, depreciation). Default is $0.12 per km. If you switch to miles, it becomes per mile.

Tolls (per day)

Transit pricing

Monthly pass cost ($/month)

Fare per ride ($) “Ride” means one boarding/trip. If you transfer routes, increase trips/day accordingly.

In transit mode, the calculator ignores car-only costs (payment, insurance, wear & tear, tolls, fuel/EV efficiency).

3) Housing comparison

Compare to

Loan interest rate (annual %)

Amortization (years)

We assume your commuting savings could be redirected to your monthly mortgage payment. The calculator estimates the additional principal that payment could support (ignoring taxes/insurance/fees).

Note: This is a “money-only” comparison. It doesn’t price in your time, stress, parking, or the lifestyle tradeoffs of moving. If you want, I can add a “value your time” slider later.

Disclaimer: This calculator provides rough estimates for educational purposes and is not financial or mortgage advice. Results will vary based on traffic, weather, driving style, and local costs. Mortgage affordability is simplified and does not include taxes, insurance, condo fees, stress-test qualification, closing costs, or down payment constraints. Use this as a starting point - not a final answer.

Why I Built This Calculator

About 10 years ago, my wife and I started seriously considering leaving downtown Toronto for a bigger place in Etobicoke or one of the nearby cities. At the time, house prices still felt… somewhat reasonable. The problem wasn’t the house. It was the commute.

Back then, commuting mostly felt like gas money. Annoying, sure - but manageable. What we didn’t fully appreciate was how many other costs quietly tag along with a longer commute. Out of curiosity (and probably mild obsession), I built a spreadsheet and started layering everything in: fuel, wear and tear, insurance, tolls, and the uncomfortable realization that a longer commute often forces you into owning and paying for a car you might not otherwise need. At that time we had a car that was paid for in cash but had over 200,000 km on it.

That spreadsheet changed the conversation completely.

Commuting isn’t just a lifestyle tradeoff. It’s a recurring monthly bill. And like any monthly bill, it directly reduces how much you can afford to spend on rent or a mortgage.

This calculator is a polished, easier-to-use version of that original spreadsheet. Plug in your numbers, hit Calculate, and see what your commute is really costing you - and what that same money could do for your housing budget if you lived closer.

What This Calculator Is Designed to Show

This tool is intentionally framed around tradeoffs, not perfection.

It helps answer questions like:

How much is my commute actually costing me per month and per year?
If I removed or reduced that commute, how much more rent could I afford?
If I redirected that money into a mortgage, how much more house could it support?
Is living farther away really “cheaper,” or does the commute quietly erase the savings?

You’ll notice it includes things many calculators skip:

Car payments
Insurance (with a slider so you decide how much is commute-related)
Wear and tear
Transit options
A mortgage affordability estimate (if you want it)

None of these are perfect on their own, but together, they paint a much more honest picture.

How to Use This (Without Overthinking It)

Don’t aim for perfect inputs. Aim for reasonable ones. You want to get a ballpark estimate.

If the result makes you uncomfortable, that’s usually a signal - not an error.

This calculator isn’t here to tell you where you should live. It’s here to make the tradeoffs visible, so you can make the decision with your eyes open.

If it helps you think twice about a longer commute, or feel better about paying more to live closer, then it’s doing its job.