Why use the IRS per-mile rate for driving cost?

The IRS standard mileage rate bundles fuel, maintenance, tires, insurance, and depreciation into a single per-mile figure. It captures the true cost of driving far better than gas alone.

What does the Miami-Dade transit pass cost?

A monthly Miami-Dade Transit EASY Card pass is about $112, covering Metrobus and Metrorail. The tool compares this flat cost against your variable driving expense.

How much is parking in Miami?

Monthly garage parking in busy Miami districts averages around $175, and downtown or Brickell can run higher. Parking is often the deciding factor that makes transit cheaper.

Does the calculator account for commute days?

Yes. Driving cost scales with how many days a week you commute, while the transit pass is a flat monthly fee, so fewer in-office days can flip which option wins.

Is gas price included separately?

The IRS per-mile rate already includes fuel, so you do not add gas on top. If you prefer a gas-only estimate, lower the per-mile rate to roughly your fuel cost per mile instead.

Miami Commute Cost Calculator

Driving or transit — which is cheaper in Miami?

Commuting costs add up fast, and the honest comparison is not gas versus a bus fare — it is the all-in cost of operating a car versus a monthly transit pass. This calculator uses the IRS per-mile rate to capture fuel, maintenance, and depreciation, adds Miami parking, and compares the total against the $112 Miami-Dade Transit pass.

How it works

Driving cost scales with distance and how often you commute, then adds fixed parking:

monthly_miles = round_trip_miles * days_per_week * 4.33
driving_cost = monthly_miles * irs_rate_per_mile + monthly_parking

The 4.33 factor converts weekly trips to a monthly average (52 weeks / 12 months). Transit is a flat monthly pass:

transit_cost = monthly_pass   // ~$112 in Miami-Dade
savings = driving_cost - transit_cost

A positive savings figure means transit is cheaper; negative means driving wins.

Tips and example

A 24-mile daily round trip, 5 days a week, at the IRS rate of 0.67 per mile covers about 519 miles a month, costing roughly 348 in vehicle cost plus 175 parking — about 523 total. Against the 112 transit pass, transit saves about 411 a month. Even cutting parking entirely, driving the same distance still costs more than the pass, which is why parking-heavy downtown commutes are the strongest case for transit.