What should my time be worth?

Your after-tax hourly wage is a fair baseline; raise it if the commute eats time you'd genuinely value (family, sleep, the gym).

Does it count cheaper rent?

Yes — put the annual rent you'd save (or extra pay) in the upside field; the math works the same way.

Calculators › Everyday Money Decisions › Is the Commute Worth It? Calculator

Calconomics

Is the Commute Worth It? Calculator

A higher salary or cheaper rent can vanish into a longer commute. Enter the extra pay (or rent saved) and the time and gas the commute adds — valuing your time honestly — to see whether you actually come out ahead.

The upside

Extra pay or savings / year the raise, or rent you save

The cost

Extra commute, each way

min

Commute days / week

Extra gas/transit per day

What your time is worth / hr

Verdict

Worth it — the upside beats the commute

Net benefit / year

$800

Cost of your time / year

$6,000

The numbers

Extra hours commuting / year

240

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Prices in

How it's calculated

Extra commuting hours = (minutes each way × 2 ÷ 60) × days × ~48 weeks.
Cost of your time = those hours × what your time is worth.
Net benefit = extra pay − time cost − extra gas/transit.

Our methodology & 2026 data sources →

Frequently asked questions

What should my time be worth?: Your after-tax hourly wage is a fair baseline; raise it if the commute eats time you'd genuinely value (family, sleep, the gym).
Does it count cheaper rent?: Yes — put the annual rent you'd save (or extra pay) in the upside field; the math works the same way.