Why use the IRS mileage rate instead of just gas?

Gas is only part of driving's cost. The IRS standard mileage rate (about $0.70 per mile) bundles fuel, maintenance, tires, insurance, and depreciation into one figure, giving a fairer all-in comparison against a transit pass.

How much is a GCRTA monthly pass?

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority's monthly all-day pass costs roughly $95, covering buses, the Red Line rapid, and the HealthLine. The exact price is set by GCRTA and shown here as an editable default.

Does the calculator include parking?

Yes. Downtown Cleveland monthly parking averages around $90, which is added to the all-in driving cost. If you have free parking at work, set it to zero to see how that shifts the comparison.

What gas price should I use?

Use the current pump price you actually pay. Cleveland gas typically runs near the Ohio average, often around $3.25 per gallon, but it moves with the market — the default is editable.

Is transit always cheaper?

Not always. For short commutes with free parking, driving can win once you only count fuel. But once parking and the full IRS per-mile cost are included, a GCRTA pass usually wins for longer downtown commutes.

Cleveland Commute Cost Calculator

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What does commuting in Cleveland really cost?

This calculator compares two ways to get to work in Cleveland: a GCRTA monthly transit pass versus driving. Driving looks cheap if you only count gas, but parking, maintenance, and depreciation add up. The tool uses the IRS per-mile rate to give an honest all-in driving cost.

How it works

First the tool computes your monthly mileage from a round trip:

monthly_miles = one_way × 2 × commute_days

Driving’s all-in cost uses the IRS standard mileage rate (about $0.70 per mile, which covers fuel, maintenance, insurance, and depreciation) plus parking:

driving_cost = monthly_miles × 0.70 + parking
transit_cost = monthly_pass

It also shows a fuel-only figure (monthly_miles ÷ mpg × gas_price) so you can see how much of the gap is depreciation and parking rather than gas.

Example and tips

An 11-mile one-way commute over 20 days is 440 round-trip miles a month. At the IRS rate that is $308 plus $90 parking, or $398 all-in driving — well above a $95 GCRTA pass, so transit wins by over $300/mo. If you have free parking and a short hop, set parking to zero and compare the fuel-only line instead. All math runs in your browser.