Car or public transit?

Compare costs and travel time using the days you actually travel.

Currency

The initial figures are editable examples, not estimates of your situation.

Currency: USD

Your assumptions

Actual travel days per year0–366

Option A · Car

Round-trip distance per day (km)Fuel consumption (L/100 km)0–100Fuel price per liter0–100Maintenance and wear per km0–100Parking and tolls per travel dayAnnual fixed car costs allocated to this choiceRound-trip travel minutes per day

Option B · Public transit

Cost of one monthly passMonths of passes actually purchased0–12Extra tickets per travel day (cost)Other annual transport costsRound-trip travel minutes per day

Consider your own circumstancesDo you have children or others to care for?

Optional: helps select relevant reading. It does not change the calculations.

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Your comparison

Option A · Car	Option B · Public transit
Annual cost
$1,864.00	$350.00
Travel time per year
200	300

Your choice at a glance

There is a trade-off: the cheaper option, or the one leaving more money available, also takes more time.

Annual cost$1,514.00

With “Public transit”, you spend $1,514.00 less per year than with “Car”.

Travel time per year100 hours

With “Public transit”, you spend 100 more hours travelling per year than with “Car”.

What this means for you

Across the 200 travel days entered, “Public transit” takes 30 more minutes per day than “Car”, counting the outward and return journey together.

Decide whether the saving is worth the extra travel time, or whether arriving sooner is worth the extra cost. Reliability, comfort and service availability also matter; they are not measured here.

Consider your own circumstances

Something to consider beyond the comparison figures.

Alongside costs and minutes, consider connections, route safety and flexibility. For suitable journeys, you could also consider walking or cycling.

Walking and cycling for everyday journeys ↗
European Commission · Article in English

Money and time are separate: choose the trade-off that works for you.

How the comparison works

Car ownership costs only disappear if you actually avoid them. Enter the share relevant to this choice. Travel time includes waiting, parking and connections. Distance and consumption use km and liters in every edition.

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