How much does the RTC monthly transit pass cost in Las Vegas?

The RTC (Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada) 30-day all-access pass costs about $65 for full-fare adults. The tool defaults to $65, but you can edit it to match a reduced-fare pass for seniors, students, or disabled riders, which is roughly half price.

Why does the calculator add an ownership cost on top of fuel?

Driving costs more than just gas. Maintenance, tyres, insurance, and depreciation all accrue with every mile. The IRS standard mileage rate (about 67 cents/mile for 2024) captures the full per-mile cost of operating a car. To avoid double-counting, the tool subtracts the fuel-per-mile you already entered from the IRS rate and applies the remainder as ownership cost.

How is the fuel cost calculated?

Fuel cost per month equals your monthly miles divided by your MPG, multiplied by the gas price. Monthly miles is your round-trip daily distance times your commute days. For a 24-mile round trip over 21 days at 27 MPG and $4.10/gal, that is about 504 miles, 18.7 gallons, and roughly $76 in fuel.

Is taking RTC transit actually cheaper than driving in Las Vegas?

It depends on your distance, parking, and vehicle. For commuters who pay for parking and drive longer distances, the $65 RTC pass usually wins once depreciation and parking are counted. For short commutes with free parking and a fuel-efficient car, driving can be competitive. Enter your own numbers to see the break-even for your situation.

Does this include the cost of a car payment?

Not directly. The IRS ownership rate covers operating costs that scale with mileage (fuel, maintenance, depreciation, insurance), but a fixed monthly loan or lease payment is the same whether you drive or not. If you would keep the car anyway, compare only the marginal driving cost; if going transit-only lets you sell the car, add the full payment to the driving side.

Las Vegas Commute Cost Calculator — RTC Transit vs. Driving

Commuting in Las Vegas looks cheap until you add up everything that driving actually costs. Gas is only one line item — parking, maintenance, insurance, and depreciation all accrue per mile. This calculator puts the RTC monthly transit pass head-to-head against the true all-in cost of driving so you can see which one really saves money each month and each year.

How it works

The calculator runs two parallel cost models in your browser.

Driving cost (monthly):

Fuel = (round-trip miles x commute days / MPG) x gas price Ownership = round-trip miles x commute days x (IRS rate - fuel per mile) Driving total = Fuel + Ownership + Parking

The IRS standard mileage rate (about $0.67/mile for 2024) bundles fuel, maintenance, tyres, insurance, and depreciation into a single per-mile figure. Because you also enter gas and MPG directly, the tool subtracts the fuel-per-mile it already counted from the IRS rate so fuel is never double-charged.

Transit cost (monthly):

Transit = RTC 30-day pass (default $65)

It then compares the two totals and reports the monthly and annual savings of the cheaper option.

Worked example

A commuter drives a 24-mile round trip, 21 days a month, in a 27 MPG car, with gas at $4.10/gal and $50/mo parking:

Monthly miles: 24 x 21 = 504
Fuel: 504 / 27 x 4.10 = $76.53
Fuel per mile: $0.152
Ownership: 504 x (0.67 - 0.152) = $261.07
Parking: $50.00
Driving total: about $387.60/mo

Against a $65 RTC pass, transit saves roughly $322/mo — about $3,870 a year — for this commuter.

Notes

Reduced-fare RTC passes (seniors, students, riders with disabilities) run about half the full-fare price. Edit the pass field to match.
If you would keep your car regardless of how you commute, the marginal saving is smaller — compare only the per-mile driving cost against the pass.
Gas prices and parking rates in the Las Vegas Valley vary widely between the Strip, downtown, and the suburbs. Use your own real numbers for the most accurate comparison.

All math runs locally — nothing is sent to any server.