How much does the Long Beach Transit pass cost?

A Long Beach Transit monthly pass is around $100. The tool pre-fills that, but you can override it with the current fare for your specific pass type.

Why use the IRS mileage rate instead of just gas?

The IRS standard mileage rate (around $0.67/mile) captures gas plus depreciation, maintenance, tires, and insurance wear. It reflects the true all-in cost of driving, not just fuel, so the comparison is fair.

Does this include parking?

Yes, monthly parking is added to the driving cost. Long Beach garage parking runs near $150/mo, which often tips the comparison toward transit for downtown commuters.

Divide the gas, IRS-rate, and parking costs by the number of riders sharing them, then enter those reduced figures. Carpooling can make driving cheaper than a solo transit pass.

Is the fuel-only figure useful?

The fuel-only reference shows just your gas spend, handy if your car is fully paid off and you ignore depreciation. The all-in figure is the more accurate total cost of ownership for commuting.

Long Beach Commute Cost Calculator

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What does commuting really cost in Long Beach?

Driving feels cheap until you count parking, depreciation, and maintenance. This calculator compares a Long Beach Transit pass (around $100/mo) against the all-in cost of driving — using the IRS mileage rate and local parking near $150/mo — to show which is cheaper.

How it works

The tool converts your weekly commute into monthly miles, then prices driving two ways and compares to transit:

monthly miles = oneWay * 2 * daysPerWeek * 4.33
fuel only     = monthly miles / mpg * gasPrice
all-in drive  = monthly miles * irsRate + parking
cheaper       = min(all-in drive, transit pass)

The 4.33 factor is the average number of weeks per month. The IRS standard mileage rate (~$0.67/mile) bundles fuel, depreciation, and upkeep, giving a true cost-of-driving figure that the fuel-only number understates.

Tips and example

A 12-mile one-way commute, 5 days a week, is 12 * 2 * 5 * 4.33 = 519.6 monthly miles. At the IRS rate of 0.67 plus 150 parking, driving all-in is 519.6 * 0.67 + 150 = 498.13/mo. Against a 100 transit pass, transit wins by nearly 398/mo.

If you carpool or your car is paid off, lower the parking and IRS-rate inputs to reflect your real out-of-pocket cost.