Commute Cost Calculator
Most people dramatically underestimate their commute costs because they only think about gas. But fuel is just the start — add parking, vehicle depreciation, maintenance, insurance mileage surcharges, and the value of your time, and the real number is often 3-5x higher than expected. This tool breaks it all down.
One-way commute distance (miles)
Round-trip: 30 miles/day
How do you commute?
Days per week in the office
Cost details
Vehicle wear & tear calculated at $0.22/mile (IRS standard minus fuel component).
Why Commute Costs Matter for Workspace Decisions
The IRS standard mileage rate for 2025 is $0.70/mile — that reflects the true all-in cost of operating a vehicle. A 25-mile each-way commute at that rate costs $35/day or $8,750/year before parking. Add $200/month downtown parking and you're over $11,000. For many workers, that's 10-15% of their take-home pay spent just getting to the office.
This matters for workspace planning because commute costs are a major driver of hybrid work preferences. Companies making return-to-office decisions should understand the financial burden on employees — and factor it into office location decisions, parking subsidies, and transit benefit programs. A downtown office with expensive parking requires different workspace planning than a suburban campus with free lots.
From a furniture perspective, hybrid schedules mean you may not need a 1:1 desk-to-employee ratio. If 40% of your workforce is remote on any given day, hotdesking or hoteling setups can reduce your furniture and real estate footprint significantly — which is where our density calculator and downsizing calculator come in.