Why use the IRS mileage rate instead of just gas?

Gas is only part of driving cost. Tires, maintenance, insurance, and depreciation all scale with miles driven. The IRS standard mileage rate, around 67 cents per mile, captures all of these, giving a far more honest comparison than fuel alone.

How much does a MARTA pass cost?

A monthly MARTA Breeze pass costs about 95 dollars for unlimited rail and bus travel. Unlike driving, that price is fixed regardless of how far you ride, which makes transit increasingly cheaper per mile the longer your commute.

Does this include parking?

Yes. Parking is often the hidden killer of driving budgets in Atlanta, where downtown and Midtown monthly rates run around 150 dollars or more. The tool adds your monthly parking cost to driving so the comparison with transit is fair.

Should I count depreciation if my car is paid off?

Depreciation still applies because every mile reduces resale value and brings maintenance closer. The IRS rate bundles depreciation in. If you want a cash-only view, lower the per-mile rate to roughly your gas plus maintenance cost and exclude depreciation.

What round-trip distance does the tool use?

You enter the one-way distance and the tool doubles it for the round trip, then multiplies by your commuting days per week and by 4.33 weeks per month to get monthly miles.

Atlanta Commute Cost Calculator

This calculator reveals the true monthly cost of getting to work in Atlanta by comparing a MARTA transit pass against the full cost of driving. Driving is more than gas: the tool uses the IRS per-mile rate to fold in maintenance, depreciation, and insurance, and it adds parking, which is often the biggest hidden expense.

How it works

Monthly driving miles come from your commute, then two driving cost methods are combined with parking and compared to the fixed transit pass:

monthly miles = one-way × 2 × days/week × 4.33
gas cost      = (monthly miles / mpg) × price per gallon
all-in drive  = monthly miles × IRS rate per mile + parking
transit       = monthly pass price

The IRS per-mile rate already includes fuel, so the all-in figure uses it rather than adding gas on top; the separate gas line is shown for reference only.

Example and notes

A 12-mile one-way commute, 5 days a week, covers about 520 miles a month. At the IRS rate near 0.67 per mile that is roughly 348 dollars, and adding 150 dollars of parking brings driving to about 498 a month — versus a 95 dollar MARTA pass. The gap widens as your distance grows, because transit is a flat fee while driving scales with every mile. If your car is paid off and you want a cash-only view, lower the per-mile rate to your gas-plus-maintenance estimate.