How much is a Portland TriMet monthly pass?

An adult TriMet monthly pass is about $100, and that figure is the default here. Reduced-fare and Honored Citizen passes cost less, so adjust the pass price if you qualify for a discount.

What per-mile cost should I use for driving?

Beyond gas, driving wears the car. The IRS standard mileage rate (around $0.67/mile) bundles fuel, maintenance, tyres, and depreciation. If you enter gas separately, use a lower wear-only figure of roughly $0.20/mile to avoid double counting.

Does this include downtown parking?

Yes. A median Portland garage runs about $125/month, which is the default monthly parking figure. If your employer subsidises parking or you park free, set it to zero.

Why does driving often cost more than transit here?

Portland combines moderate gas prices with paid downtown parking and the hidden cost of vehicle wear. Once parking and per-mile depreciation are added, a single-occupant drive frequently exceeds the $100 transit pass.

Is fuel economy in miles per gallon?

Yes. Enter your real-world combined MPG, not the EPA sticker figure, which city traffic and short trips usually undercut. Lower MPG raises the gas portion of the driving total.

Portland Commute Cost Calculator

Commuting in Portland is rarely as cheap as either the gas pump or the transit pass alone suggests. This calculator puts a TriMet monthly pass side by side with the full cost of driving — fuel, parking, and per-mile vehicle wear — so you can see the honest monthly difference.

How it works

The monthly driving cost combines three parts, then is compared to the flat transit pass:

trips per month = days × 2          (round trips)
miles per month = distance × trips per month
gas cost        = (miles per month / mpg) × gas price
wear cost       = miles per month × per-mile rate
driving total   = gas cost + wear cost + monthly parking
transit total   = monthly pass price

The per-mile rate captures maintenance, tyres, and depreciation that the pump price never shows. The IRS standard mileage rate is a convenient all-in figure, but if you enter gas separately you should use a smaller wear-only rate so fuel is not counted twice.

Example and tips

A 9-mile one-way commute, 21 days a month, in a 28 MPG car at $4.20/gas and a $0.20/mile wear rate with $125 parking works out near $264/month to drive — well above the roughly $100 TriMet pass. If parking is free and you only count fuel, driving can edge ahead of transit, so the parking and wear inputs are what usually decide the comparison.