How to Calculate Driving Costs

• Driving is expensive. And the more we drive, the more it costs in terms of gas, repairs, maintenance and depreciation.
• As urban sprawl pulls people ever farther from their jobs, they pay the hidden price in commuting costs.
• Estimates vary on the true and complete costs of driving. We use the AAA-approved rate of 50 cents per mile, which we consider to be a middle-of-the-road figure.
• Many employees in the Knoxville area drive alone an average of 25 miles a day round trip and spend more than $3,700 per year commuting to and from work.
• Those who drive 30 miles per day round trip–which is very common–spend well over $4,500 per year to commute alone.
• Carpooling with just one person could greatly reduce that figure (nearly cut it in half).
• Many Americans work the equivalent of one work day per week to pay for their car.
• US employers pay billions of dollars annually for employee parking.

Use our online calculator to compare the costs of driving alone to other methods of travel.