How much does a Metro Transit pass cost in Omaha?

A standard Omaha Metro Transit monthly pass is around $50, with reduced fares for students, seniors, and people with disabilities. This tool defaults to $50 but you can enter the exact price for your fare category.

Why include an IRS per-mile cost when I already pay for gas?

Gas is only part of driving's cost. Tires, maintenance, insurance, and depreciation add up. The IRS standard mileage rate (around 67 cents per mile) captures the full ownership cost. The calculator lets you toggle this so you can compare gas-only or all-in driving costs.

How much is parking in downtown Omaha?

Monthly garage parking in downtown Omaha typically runs about $75, though it varies by location and proximity to the Old Market and CHI Health Center. Surface lots and employer-subsidized spots can be cheaper, so enter your real figure.

Does this include the value of my time?

No. It compares out-of-pocket money only. Transit may take longer but lets you work or read; driving is often faster but requires full attention. Factor your own time value separately when deciding.

Is the cheaper option always transit?

Not always. For short commutes with free parking, driving can win on cash cost. For long commutes into a paid downtown garage, transit usually saves a large amount each month. The calculator shows the breakeven for your specific numbers.

Omaha Commute Cost Calculator

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The Omaha Commute Cost Calculator puts a real dollar figure on your daily commute and compares driving against Metro Transit. Many Omaha commuters underestimate driving because they only think about gas, ignoring parking, maintenance, and depreciation. This tool adds those up and sets them against the roughly $50 monthly transit pass so you can see which option actually keeps more money in your pocket.

How it works

The calculator computes a full monthly cost for each option. For driving:

round-trip miles/month = one-way miles x 2 x commute days
fuel cost  = (round-trip miles / mpg) x gas price
vehicle cost = round-trip miles x IRS per-mile rate   (optional)
driving total = fuel cost + vehicle cost + monthly parking

For transit it is simply the monthly pass price (plus any extra you enter). The IRS standard mileage rate (~$0.67/mile) is included by default because it reflects the true cost of owning and running a car, not just fuel. You can switch it off to compare gas-only.

Example and tips

A 12-mile one-way commute, 20 days a month, in a 28 mpg car at $3.20/gal covers 12 x 2 x 20 = 480 miles. Fuel alone is about (480 / 28) x 3.20 = $55. Add $75 parking and the all-in IRS cost (480 x 0.67 = $322) and driving runs over $450/month — far above a $50 transit pass. Drop the IRS cost and compare gas plus parking ($130) if you only care about direct out-of-pocket spend. Adjust every input to match your real route and car.